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Kursusnavn (dansk):Network Society 
Kursusnavn (engelsk):Network Society 
Semester:Efterår 2018 
Udbydes under:Bachelor i digitale medier og design (bdmd) 
Omfang i ECTS:7,50 
Kursussprog:Engelsk 
Kursushjemmeside:https://learnit.itu.dk 
Min. antal deltagere:15 
Forventet antal deltagere:
Maks. antal deltagere:60 
Formelle forudsætninger:
Læringsmål:After this course students should be able to:
* Identify different data types, their sources, function and limitations
* Define basic differences between structural and substantive data types and sources
* Describe the concept of networks and the relevant methodology of basic network analysis
* Apply the basic methods of network analysis to the major themes in the study of digital media
* Differentiate among data analytics approaches and reflect on their potential benefits and pitfalls
* Reflect on ethical and privacy issues involved in data collection, storage and analysis of various data types and sources
* Relate implications of current data collection, storage and analytics practices to the broader context of network society 
Fagligt indhold:We live in world where people from around the globe are only as far away as a flick of the finger on a smartphone touchscreen, where information about anything is at your fingertips and where we often use the word "network" to characterize our infrastructures, our friends and acquaintances and even our societies. As a result, nearly everything we do generates various types of data that are collected, stored and processed by a range of known and unknown entities often with unexpected consequences. In this course, students explore the nature and backgrounds of common characterizations of a "network society" and assess the related assumptions and implications through learning about digital data collection, storage and analytics. What do the terms ‘network’ and ‘network society’ mean? What developments are regarded as characteristic of the ‘network society’? What assumptions about technology development underlie network thinking? What kinds of futures might we expect given our current trajectories?

The course aims to provide a "toolbox" of techniques and theories which will enable the student to discuss the basic idea of networks as a basis for the conceptualization of network society. The course is an introduction to big data, network analysis, network theory, and data analytics. The students are introduced to concepts about data and data types, data storage, access and manipulation, and data analytics.

Relevant topics in this course include:
• Data types and data sources - measurability, curation, classification and archiving
* Data formats and storage approaches - anonymization, open data, storage systems, archival systems, ephemerality
* Basic concepts of networks and structural analysis
* Social network site data production and publicly available social media data
* Structural and substantive analytics and data visualization
* Other analytics approaches, algorithmic black-boxing, politics of classification
* Ethical, privacy surveillance and security concerns in the digital world
* Networked activism 
Læringsaktiviteter:12 forelæsninger og 12 øvelsesgange

12 weeks of lectures, 7 learning activities, 2 workshops, 3 supervision sessions

- Lectures by the teacher, guest talks, student presentations and ongoing discussions.
- Practical / analytical exercises that the groups work with during the exercise sessions and after.
- A series of methodological workshops designed to help students who lack a relevant background in data analytics

There will be ample opportunity to test and apply the presented theories and methods in the exercise sessions, where we will work with various small cases and current examples, publicly available data sources and manually collected data. 

Obligatoriske aktivititer:The course includes two mandatory assignments that need to be handed in as well as active participation in discussion and exercises.

Be aware: The student will receive the grade NA (not approved) at the ordinary exam, if the mandatory activities are not approved and the student will use an exam attempt. 
Eksamensform og -beskrivelse:C: Skriftlige arbejder uden mundtlig eksamen., (7-scale, external exam)

The examination consists of written work. The exam includes an individually written final paper on a chosen topic.