Computational Literacies (Autumn 2021)

Abstract

This course introduces key concepts from computing and enables students to understand software in an organisational, historical, and cultural context. The course is at an introductory level and is well-suited for students with limited or no technical background.

Description

Computational Literacies is designed to introduce a wide range of topics from computing to students with limited or no prior technical background. Students will learn key concepts from computing and perform hands-on learning activities in order to be able to meaningfully participate in the management of software development projects. Students will also gain a background in the cultural and organisational contexts in which software has historically been developed.

Formal prerequisites

Intended learning outcomes

After the course, the student should be able to:

• Relate computational concepts and theories to real-world cases and applications of IT
• Describe complexities in organisational software development processes
• Recognise and reflect upon elements of software code and software artefacts in existing systems
• Explore computing as a socio-cultural phenomenon with political and ethical implications
• Discuss current trends, debates and controversies in approaches to IT development

Learning activities

Lectures - Students are expected to come to lecture prepared with reflections on the assigned readings. Lectures will introduce key topics from the course curriculum and syllabus and provide introduction to various approaches to IT development, relevant topics in organisational software, and current debates and controversies in IT development.

Exercises - This course has a high level of engagement through hands-on exercises for skills development. Students are expected to seek out and find resources for building up knowledge about real-world IT systems and existing computational practices. Exercises will provide a foundation of skills for completing individual and group work on the mandatories outside of class.

Readings - Readings will introduce students to key terms, trends, debates, and controversies in IT development and provide case studies relating to real-world organisational software contexts.

Written assignment - Students will contribute to a peer-reviewed library of key terms and concepts relevant to computation and software development. Some will be written individually and others in groups. These will be drawn from a variety of sources including desk research, interviews, readings of case studies, close readings of code, and analyses of online fora for professional IT developers. The purpose of this activity is not only to become familiar with key concepts but to relate them to real-world cases and debates, trends, and controversies in IT development. Through this exercise students will also become familiar with resources for finding out more about particular IT concepts to further future self-teaching in IT topics. The library of key terms will include, for example, concepts related to programming, IT development methods, software languages and paradigms.

Oral presentation- Students will work in groups to deliver a presentation at a course “demo day”. Details about the requirements for this demo will be shared during the course. The format will be a poster presentation or demo table where it is mandatory that all group members are present for the duration of the course meeting.

Peer review and group work - Students will work individually as well as collaboratively in this course. The written mandatories will be written individually as well as in pairs. The mandatory assignments include not only individual written work but the peer-review of classmates’ assignments. This means that the course will collaboratively build up a library of terms that have been reviewed and augmented through peer review work. The mandatory demo will be conducted in groups. The group size requirement will be set at the start of the course based on enrolment but will be between 4-7 students.

Mandatory activities

The course runs for 14 weeks and is made of up seven two-week modules. For each module there will be a mandatory hand in for a total of seven mandatory assignments.

Six of these mandatory assignments will be short written submissions contributing to a peer-reviewed library of key concepts. One mandatory assignment will be participation in a group oral group presentation.

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.

Course literature

The course literature is published in the course page in LearnIT.

Student Activity Budget

Estimated distribution of learning activities for the typical student

• Preparation for lectures and exercises: 27%
• Lectures: 13%
• Exercises: 13%
• Assignments: 27%
• Project work, supervision included: 10%
• Exam with preparation: 10%

Ordinary exam

Exam type:
C: Submission of written work, External (7-point scale)
Exam variation:
C11: Submission of written work

reexam

Exam type:
C: Submission of written work, External (7-point scale)

Time and date