User:Vtaylor/Computers and Society/7. Evaluating and Controlling Technology


 * Who needs internet access? Who decides? - This week we will be looking at some broader issues. There are many issues that are less well defined than some we have explored. What are the implications for a global society as more of the world's population have access to computers and computing, while many other people do not? Will this imbalance lead to unrest or encourage the have-not's to work harder to close the gap? What technologies are being developed? Who decides what we "need"?

Learning outcomes


 * investigate broader issues on the impact and control of computers
 * search for web resources that address the future of computers and society
 * evaluate the sources and content
 * compare and contrast the issues discussed in the resources
 * critically examine an issue and provide a detailed analysis

Keywords


 * information sources, reliability, authentication, community, digital divide, knowledge sharing, machine intelligence, control systems, evaluation, automation, feedback, net neutrality

Study notes


 * Can communities exist in cyberspace? What makes a community? Is it lonely in cyberspace?


 * Is "addiction" to the internet real? Is it a problem?


 * Is there a "digital divide"? What if anything should be done to resolve or eliminate the problem?


 * What are the implications for a global society when some of the world population have access to computers and computing, while many other people do not? Will this imbalance lead to unrest or encourage the have-nots to work harder to close the gap?


 * Is "free" email really free?


 * What skills are being lost? What new skills are being learned or developed? Is this a reasonable trade-off?


 * What changes in human life styles are emerging? What are "good"? What are "bad"?

== Assignments==


 * 1) Before you start the reading and the assignments, take a few minutes to think about what you already know about the topic - Evaluating and Controlling Technology. Write a sentence or two about this in the I know... discussion.


 * 1) Read the Study notes for an overview for the topics that will be covered.


 * 1) Read, view, listen to several of the selections in the Media list.


 * 1) Choose ONE (1) KEYWORD from the Keywords list for this module. Find two (2) resources that provide information about the word and how it relates to the course. Rate each resource on a scale of 1 to 5. To determine the score, identify 5 characteristics of each resource (good and bad). If there are 3 good things and 2 not-so-good things, give it a rating of 3/5. Do this for both resources you select. Post the word, links to your selected resources, the scores and the lists of good and not-so-good characteristics, and a brief description about your selection for each, to the discussion Evaluating and Controlling Technology keywords. Follow links provided by 2 others, review their suggested articles, and write a brief reply to the author for each.

REMINDER: Your responses to this and all other assignments will be graded for college-level writing. Spelling and grammar errors will result in deductions. Late submissions will be accepted but points will be deducted. Your submission must include complete and thoughtful replies that demonstrate original thinking and personal experience.

These should be brief summaries of the references you provide. In most cases this is 2-3 sentences unless otherwise stated in the description.


 * 1) Simulations are great learning tools. Find an example of a simulation on the web. There are lots of simulations listed in the educational resource MERLOT http://www.merlot.org web site. Post the web address and brief description to Simulations discussion.


 * 1) Internet of Things (IoT) - The next big thing is the Internet of Things. Find an article that provides an interesting example or general overview. What do you think? What is one example that you would like to have? Post the name and 2-3 sentences about your selection to the Internet of Things discussion. Conclude your post with a question. Reply to 2 others and concluded your replies with questions.


 * 1) Visitor and Resident - Read the Mapping the Internet post. Most internet users today are sometimes Visitors and sometimes Residents, depending on their interests and needs. How would you represent yourself with these descriptions? Post a brief summary of your Visitor / Resident profile to the Visitor and Residents discussion. Review 2 others.


 * 1) Test-drive Glitch. Glitch is a Web App Editor that can be used to create all kinds of applications for the web. Have a look. There are games to play and web apps to use or Remix (use, adapt, modify).  https://glitch.com/ Post your comments and links to any "glitches" that you tested to the Glitch Test Drive and Remix discussion.

Create a Glitch account. Then Remix the Glitch My Six-Word Summer sample project. Glitch starts you off with the main .html file named index.html which is the content - usually text, images, media. Add a description and save. Follow the link so you can see the actual web address. You have done it. You have created a web project! Post the provided sharing link for your Glitch project display to the Glitch Test Drive and Remix discussion. Is this the first time you have created a web page? If you have used other web development tools, did you think Glitch was easy for a beginner to use? Do you think everyone should have a web creation experience? Why or why not? Review the work of 3 others.
 * 1) Now it is your turn to be a web developer with the Glitch Web App Editor. Learn the basics with Glitch - Getting Started  to learn more about the tools. Explore the site.


 * 1) The Tech Worker Resistance or Tech's Moral Void (audio podcast) - Lawyers and doctors have a code of ethics. Teachers have them. Even journalists have them. So why not the tech sector, the people who create and design our very modes of communication? Coders and designers make products that allow to us communicate with each other, across cities and nations and borders. As these giants grow at breakneck speed, and the chaos of their unfettered impact becomes more obvious, the call is coming for a reckoning. Is it time for tech to reckon with its moral void? Listen to one of the podcasts. What are two key points that stand out to you? How does this impact you as a global citizen and internet user? Hoe does it impact you as a web developer? Is this new information to you? Post your reply to the Tech Ethics Podcast discussion. Review the post of 2 others. Post at least one question to another post that will help your understanding of the issues.


 * 1) For most of this course, information is not just in text format.  Select a YouTube or a TED Talk video http://www.youtube.com that has some relevance to the course. Post a link to your selection and brief description to the Computers and Society video discussion.


 * 1) Learning Literacies - Share it - Communication and Collaboration are becoming more important as we are expanding our personal and professional networks of contacts and businesses. Review 2-3 articles in the  Share it  media selections or search the web to find another good resource on the topic. Post a link and a brief summary of 1 to the Learning Literacies - Share it discussion.


 * 1) Great Technologies - There are many web services and technologies available for free. Find 2-3 technologies that would be useful to you and to others. Post a link and a brief description of each to the Great Technologies discussion.


 * 1) Reflection - There are plenty of scary stories and movies about computers harming humans. Do you think this is possible? What are some of the important contributions that technology has contributed to improve the lives of large numbers of people? What have you learned in this class that has influenced your thinking about the beneficial as well as the harmful? Has your thinking changed? This should be 3-4 sentences. Submit your response in the I think... assignment.

== == -- from a review of A Gift of Fire: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues for Computing Technology previously used as the textbook for CIS2 Computers and the Internet in Society


 * "how to evaluate and control technology ... Baase writes of the inherent conflict between a democracy and open Internet, while dealing with the plethora of incorrect, foolish and biased information. She makes note of some totalitarian regimes that prohibit anti-government use of social media.  She illustrates cases where these countries (China and Syria are just two of them) that create bogus dissident sites, find out which people are sympathetic to the cause, and then arrests these people."

TECHNOLOGY - CONTROL, EVALUATE http://www.diigo.com/rss/user/vtaylor/control

SHARE IT http://www.diigo.com/rss/user/vtaylor/shareit

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