STKD6610 Technology and Society II Course description

Technologies, from the stone axe to the computer, have been integral in shaping how we live, think, interact and work. Advances in digitalization have made digital competences a significant factor in ensuring the employability of candidates in all professions vital to our society. Understanding the benefits, the limitations and the transformative power of technologies on public and private life as well as professional practice is crucial.

In this course, students will acquire the basic knowledge needed to harness the potential of digital technologies and identify opportunities to use technology to foster inclusion, active participation, and sustainability in society and the workplace. Through individual reflection, shared exploration and group discussions, students will gain awareness of how technological developments might impact their future professions, and their role as citizens in an increasingly digitalized society.

This course will provide students with the foundational knowledge and means to become a responsible agent of change in their own profession and field of study. Students will learn to recognise limitations, strengths and potentially disruptive consequences of technological innovation and grapple with the social, ethical and political issues that arise as technology becomes both increasingly complex and essential to the function of society.

No additional course-specific requirements.

After completing the course, the student should have the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

Upon successful completion of this course the student understands:

• basic concepts, mechanisms, and tools behind digitalization
• how digitalization shapes public and private life
• the role of technological innovation and development in equity and justice, sustainable development, and civic engagement

• how technological infrastructures shape and support society and the welfare state.

Skills

Upon successful completion of this course the student can:

• apply critical and analytical strategies to evaluate and critically discuss the possibilities and challenges of existing and potential technologies
• reflect on social, ethical, and political consequences of technological change
• provide examples of local and global technological disparity, both in general terms, and in relation to their field of study

• analyse and interpret the processes by which information and disinformation is distinguished, disseminated and used in different contexts.
• identify and discuss central sustainability challenges with digital technologies

General Competence

Upon successful completion of this course the student can:

• discuss ethical, social, and political challenges arising at the intersection of technology and society
• understand how digitalisation and digital technologies facilitate and shape interdisciplinary collaboration
• examine contemporary, real-world cases from multiple perspectives

• evaluate the potential impact of new technologies and digitalization processes on an individual and societal level
• understand the importance of user-oriented perspectives in the use and development of technology
• communicate concepts and models related to the use of technology in a structured manner.

The course uses a blended learning approach, with a combination of attendance-based seminars and digital learning materials. Students will explore real-world cases emerging at the intersection of society, technology and their future profession.

The following coursework requirements must be approved in order for the student to take the exam:

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 exam consists of two parts:

1. An individual portfolio consisting of three assignments (50% of the grade). Each of the assignments has a word limit of 1000 words (+/- 10%), or 7 minutes (+/- 1 minute) for video or audio submissions. The portfolio is assessed as a whole and given one single grade, but all three assignments must be passed in order for the portfolio to receive a grade E or higher.

2. An individual project report, which counts for 50% of the grade. The report must be 3000-4000 words long.

All parts of the exam must be written in either English or a Scandinavian language.

The exam can be appealed.

For information about new/postponed exam: https://student.oslomet.no/en/web/student/registration-withdrawal

All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for source referencing are followed.

Grade scale A-F

Two internal 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.