STKD6610 Technology and Society II Course description

Digital competence is a key factor in ensuring the employability of candidates in all professions vital to our society. This course will provide a fundamental understanding of our digital world. It gives an overview of how technology affects our lives and the way we work, as well as our social structures, work patterns and individual preferences contributing to shaping technology. Social media, digital governance, and eHealth are all examples of how technology has profoundly changed our everyday lives in the last few decades.

An understanding of the benefits and limitations of technology is vital in any profession, regardless of field or specialty. In this course, students will acquire the basic knowledge required to harness the potential of technology and identify the opportunities to use technology to foster inclusion and participation in an increasingly diverse and multicultural society. They will also learn to recognize its limitations and potentially harmful consequences on work and society, and grapple with the social, ethical and moral issues that arise as technology becomes both increasingly complex and integral to the way our society functions.

No additional course-specific requirements.

After completing this course, the student should have the following learning outcome:

Knowledge

On successful completion of this course the student understands:

• the role of technological innovation with regards to consumption, economic growth, sustainable development, health and welfare.
• the idea of digital citizenship, including digital rights and responsibilities, from a local, national and global perspective, in terms of both legal requirements and ethical professional practices, both in general and in relation with their field of study
• the democratic principles behind e-inclusion and a universally designed society, both in general and with regards to their future professional practice
• the basics of information security, including precautions to guarantee safety and privacy for patients, clients and other technology users and stakeholders.
• the basic ideas behind algorithms, machine learning and artificial intelligence, and how their use may constrain or enable work processes and other aspects of everyday life
• the role that technology plays in professional practice within their profession or field of study

Skills

On successful completion of this course the student can:

• evaluate, discuss and present a structured argumentation of the technological and societal aspects of a case in a specific domain, both orally and in writing
• discuss and present an overview of ethical challenges at the intersection of technology and society, including issues of integration, participation and multiculturalism, and specific challenges related to their field of study
• give examples of how technology is used in the profession(s) related to their field of study, both at the national and the international level, and discuss challenges and opportunities related to this
• identify, respond to and limit the negative impact of unethical and harmful online behaviour
• evaluate and critically discuss the possibilities and challenges of technological solutions used in the profession(s) relevant to their field of study and present those in a structured form
• retrieve information effectively and efficiently from a variety of online sources, critically assess its quality and credibility

General Competence

On successful completion of this course the student can:

• be a valuable contributor to the design, planning and implementation of new technology
• be a positive agent of change in their own profession and field of study with regards to leveraging the potential of technology for individuals, organizations and the public sector.
• participate in innovative processes involving new and emerging technologies and build skills in anticipating and adapting to technological change, and reflect on the societal consequences of these processes.
• Reflect on and build an argumentation around technology use both within their field and from an interdisciplinary perspective
• actively engage with human rights, legal, social, and ethical issues related to the development and implementation of technology
• communicate concepts and models related to technology use in a structured manner, both orally and in written form

The course uses a blended learning approach, with a combination of attendance-based seminars and supervision, and the use of online material. The students will be working on interdisciplinary cases of direct relevance to their field of study.

A one-page outline including the topic and the structure of the report is required. The outline must be approved by the course coordinator/course teacher/supervisor within a set deadline. If the outline is not approved the first time, the student may submit a revised version within a second, set deadline.

The final assessment/examination consists of two parts:

1. Portfolio assessment, which counts for 50% of the grade. The portfolio will consist of a set of assignments offered in the course. The portfolio will be given a single overall grade. All assignments must be passed in order for the portfolio to receive a grade E or higher.
2. An individual project report (3 000-4 000 words) and the one-page project outline, which counts for 50% of the grade.

Either English or Norwegian should be used for the assignments and the final report. For assignments that require working in groups, each group may consist of 2-5 candidates. Both parts of the examination must be passed in order to pass the course.

The exam can be appealed.

A student who fails the ordinary exam, may nevertheless submit a reworked version as a resit.

All support materials are allowed for all parts of the portfolio and final project report.

The final assessment will be graded on a grading scale from A to E (A is the highest grade and E the lowest) and F for fail.

Two examiners will be used. External examiner is used regularly.

The course has 5 ECTS of overlapping content towards STKD6610 Technology and Society, BIO 1070 Technology and Society I, ERGOB1070 Technology and Society I, FYB1070 Technology and Society I, RAD1070 Technology and Society I, SYKK1070 Technology and Society I, SYKP1070 Technology and Society I, TAB1070 Technology and Society I, VERB1070 Technology and Society I.