Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2026 - GSWS 320 E100

Special Topics in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies (4)

Transgender Perspec in Computing & Digital Tech

Class Number: 3440

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 5 – Apr 10, 2026: Mon, 4:30–8:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    15 units.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

A specific theme within the field of gender, sexuality, and women's studies, not otherwise covered in depth in regularly scheduled courses, will be dealt with as occasion and demand warrant.

COURSE DETAILS:

This course explores the intersection of trans studies and computing, examining how digital technologies, ranging from social media to AI tools, shape and are shaped by trans lives, identities, and communities. Students will engage with critical scholarship that interrogates the design, use, and governance of digital systems.

Drawing from fields such as critical computing, human-computer interaction, trans studies, and history of computing, the course foregrounds trans perspectives as vital to discussions on the social and ethical dimensions of computing. Students will critically analyze current technologies and historical cases to understand how computing can reinforce gender norms, as well as how trans communities navigate and resist their erasure. The course invites students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds to imagine inclusive technological futures.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

The primary educational goals for this course are:

  • Synthesize research on trans analyses of computing systems and digital technologies
  • Analyze how technologies reinforce or challenge normative understandings of gender
  • Engage with interdisciplinary scholarship to understand how trans scholarship contributes to rethinking the design and development of digital technology
  • Apply course concepts to evaluate the social and/or technical implications of real-world technologies

You will meet these goals through a combination of the following activities:

  • Read assigned materials
  • Complete weekly assignments
  • Attend class on time and prepared
  • Participate actively in class discussions
  • Conceptualize and present a project
  • Write a final reflection

For more detailed information please see the GSWS website: https://www.sfu.ca/gsws/undergraduate/courses/goals

Grading

  • Weekly Responses 30%
  • Active Participation 20%
  • Project Proposal Presentation 20%
  • Project Final Presentation 20%
  • Final Reflection 10%

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

All required readings are available for download on Canvas and/or via SFU library databases.

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.