Informatics 161: Social Analysis of Computerization
Prof. Mazmanian
UCI Informatics 161: Social Analysis of Computerization
Fall 2012
Course Code: 37090
Instructors
Professor: Melissa Mazmanian
Email: m.mazmanian@uci.edu
Office: Bren Hall 5074
Office Hours: By appointment
TA: Andy Echenique
Email: socialanalysis161@gmail.com
Office: Bren Hall 5059 (LUCI)
Office Hours: Wednesdays: 11:00am - 1:00pm
Reader: Ben Koehne
Email: bkoehne@uci.edu
Meeting Times
Lectures:
T & Th: 9:30 – 10:50 am
Classroom: ICS 174
http://www.classrooms.uci.edu/GAC/ICS174.html
Course Code: 37090
Discussion:
W: 10:00-10:50am
Classroom: MSTB 120
http://www.classrooms.uci.edu/gac/MSTB120.html
Course Code: 37091
W: 5:00-5:50pm
Classroom: DBH 1500
http://www.classrooms.uci.edu/gac/DBH1500.html
Course Code: 37092
Course Web Site
Course materials, including links to readings, will be available at: https://eee.uci.edu/12f/37090
You are responsible for checking this site regularly to insure that you are up-to-date with any changes in the
course. Readings will be available at least one week prior to the class session they are assigned for. Class
lectures will be posted online each week after they are presented in class.
Overview
This course is a broad introduction of computerization as a social process. It examines the social opportunities
and problems raised by new information technologies, and the consequences of different ways of organizing.
You will learn to do a socio-technical historical analysis that analyzes the stakeholders, expected outcomes,
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Informatics 161: Social Analysis of Computerization
Prof. Mazmanian
and unexpected consequences that emerge as new technologies affect social structures and daily experience.
Topics include: computerization as providing new ways of “seeing”; information archiving, search and locating;
privacy; environmental implications of IT; the ‘self’ in a connected world; financial markets in the information
age; community based research and informatics; and games and virtual worlds.
Policies
Add/drop: In some cases, more students may wish to add this class than we have the capacity to
accommodate. Those wishing to add must fill out an enrollment request at the first class meeting; following
departmental and university guidelines, we will establish priorities for filling any seats that become available.
Because a student who is enrolled occupies a seat that other students want, ICS does not allow students to
drop after it's too late for another student to fill that seat. Specifically, if you wish to drop the class, you must
do so by the beginning of class on Friday, October 12 or sooner.
Attendance: This is a lecture-based course with numerous in-class activities. Attendance in lecture is
mandatory. You are allowed two absences without reflection in your final grade. Any additional absences will
result in an automatic loss of 3 points for each absence (approximately ½ of a final grade in the course).
Because attendance is expected you will not see it reflected in the breakdown of your grade outlined below.
Do not contact me or the TA if you are going to be absent. We understand that life is complicated and issues
arise – this is why 2 absences are allowed.
We will be taking attendance by sight. On the second day of class we will create a seating chart and the TA will
note absences by noticing empty chairs. If you come in late do not assume we will see you. Please speak with
the TA directly after class. If you are late 3 times it will be treated as an absence.
The course is divided into ‘waves’ for attending discussion. Each wave of students is required to attend
3 specific discussion sections (listed below). Waves will be assigned before the first discussion section(s) on
October 3. Discussion sessions will be used to engage in group-work related to the final video presentation.
Given the focus on group work and importance of developing a productive working relationship with your
peers, attendance in necessary discussion sections is absolutely mandatory. Unlike lecture, if you miss any
required discussion section you will be docked 6 points (AN ENTIRE GRADE IN THE COURSE). No exceptions. If
you come over 15 minutes late to discussion without prior notification it will be considered an absence.
Mandatory discussion sections
Meeting 1
Meeting 2
Meeting 3
Final Video Due
First Wave
10/3
10/24
11/14
11/16
Second Wave
10/10
10/31
11/28
11/30
Third Wave
10/17
11/07
12/5
12/6
Respect: This class involves significant in-class discussion of topics on which you and your classmates may have
differences in opinion. Please be respectful of others at all times.
Academic honesty: Please familiarize yourself with the latest UCI academic honesty policy:
http://www.editor.uci.edu/catalogue/appx/appx.2.htm. Final will be turned in using the service turnitin.com.
Any episodes of plagiarism in the final paper will result in an automatic F for the entire class (regardless of your
past work in the course).
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Informatics 161: Social Analysis of Computerization
Prof. Mazmanian
Technology in class: Please turn off all cell phones/pagers/etc. before the beginning of each class. Please do
not use notebook computers during class for any purpose not directly relating to this class. Please do not
instant message, tweet, or check email during class. We will be circulating and we WILL ask you to close your
computer or put away your phone. We appreciate not being put in that position.
I find using technologies while in class extremely rude. If I sense that people are becoming distracted by
facebook, email, games etc. I will prohibit all use of technology in the classroom
I have made sure that your guest lecturers are interesting, engaging, and knowledgeable. They are all doing us
a favor by visiting the class. If you use technologies to distract yourself while we have a guest lecturer I will
automatically deduct 3 points from your final grade.
Correspondence: We will send course announcements by email to the official course mailing list, so you should
check your email regularly. Note that this mailing list goes to the email address that the registrar has for you
(your UCInet ID). If you prefer to read your email on another account, you should set your UCInet account to
forward your Email to your preferred account (you can do this on the web at http://phwww.cwis.uci.edu/cgibin/phupdate). Please contact the TA using the following email address.
Assignments: All written assignments should use standard formatting – Times style font size 12 or
Arial/Tahoma style font size 10, 8.5x11in. paper, 1” margins. Final papers will be turned in digitally via
turnitin.com.
Total Points
98 - 100
94 - 97
91 - 93
88 - 90
84 - 87
81 - 83
78 - 80
74 - 77
71 - 73
68 - 70
64 - 67
61 - 63
60 and below
Grade
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DFail
Late Assignments: Papers that are received after 8am will have their grades reduced by half a grade point.
Papers more than one day late will not be accepted.
Course Mechanics and Grading
Grading (Items Explained Below)
Pop Quizzes: 10 points each for 4 (of possible 5) or 40% of final grade
Tech Detox Mini Paper + field notes: 15 + 5 points or 20% of final grade
Final Video: 15 points or 15% of final grade
Discussion assignments: 10 points or 10% of final grade
Final Poster: 15 points or 15% of final grade
Class engagement/participation: BONUS up to 10 points
Total = 100 points
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Informatics 161: Social Analysis of Computerization
Prof. Mazmanian
Course Materials: For each lecture there will be one to two articles assigned. All of the articles will be available
electronically. You should read the articles before coming to class on the day that they are listed. Readings can
be downloaded from the course website.
Pop Quizzes: At the beginning of five lecture sessions you will be asked to complete a written pop quiz on the
readings from the previous night. Questions will be answered in sentence format. Each quiz will count for 10
points each. Your lowest score will not count in your final grade. Quizzes cannot be made up. Be careful, these
points add up to a significant part of your grade.
Technology disconnect assignment and mini-paper: Early in the quarter you will be asked to disconnect from
ALL technologies for a 24 hour period, preferably on a week day (CD player, smartphone, cellphone, computer,
notebook, iPad, iPod, etc.). This includes making phone calls, checking Facebook, going online, sending or
receiving email, listening to music, using word processing or programming software, etc.). You will be given a
three week window to complete this assignment. We understand that this is going to be difficult and involve
some preparation (planning ahead on homework assignments, letting family, roommates, and friends know
you will be unavailable technologically, etc. Therefore I encourage you to begin the assignment early so if you
are unable to go for a full 24 hours without technology you have the chance to try again the next day! During
your period of disconnect I expect you to take hand written field notes about the experience. All field notes
will be turned in along with a 4-5 page paper (approximately 1200 words) about the experience. A separate
information sheet outlines the questions you should address in your handwritten field notes and final paper.
Field notes and the final paper are by 8am on Tuesday, October 23 – please email final paper to the TA and
turn in field notes in class.
Final project: Your final project will involve ‘selling’ the social implications of a technology from both the
positive and negative perspective. Each student will be working in a group of three to develop a creative video
that is either promoting a new technology (as in an infomercial) or warning about a new technology (as in a
public service announcement). Mandatory discussion sessions will be used to help students create a creative
and engaging video. Mini assignments due in discussion will be part of your video grade.
Each student will then work individually to create their own design-oriented flyer (legal sized) that argues the
opposite side of the same issue. Details will be discussed in class and can be found in a separate information
sheet on the website.
Final projects will be submitted in waves (tied to the waves of mandatory discussion sections). Wave 1 final
video is due Friday, Nov 16 by 8am. Wave 2 final video is due Friday Nov 30 by 8am. Wave 3 final video is due
Friday Dec 6 by 8am. All individual final posters (on legal size papers) are due Friday Dec 10 by 8am.
Class Participation: We strongly encourage you to participate in class discussion. This is an interactive course
that relies on the viewpoints and interests of a variety of students to be interesting. Your participation grade
will reflect your willingness to speak up with constructive and interesting comments. If you have difficulty
speaking in class please come speak with the instructor privately within the first three weeks of class. Students
who are willing to engage in class will receive up to 10 extra bonus points.
Note
These are guidelines intended to help students plan their work in this course. However, the instructor reserves
the right to make changes to this syllabus over the course of the quarter.
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Informatics 161: Social Analysis of Computerization
Prof. Mazmanian
SCHEUDLE
Class Date
Lecture: Thurs, Sept 27
Lecture: Tues, October 2
Discussion: Wed, Oct 3
Topic
Readings
Assignment
Introduction
What is a “socio-technical”
analysis?
MANDATORY DISUCSSION #1 – WAVE 1
Lecture: Thurs, Oct 4
Socio-technical analysis group
exercise *Bring your computer
Ray Bradbury, “The Murderer”
Lecture: Tues, Oct 9
Technology as altering
humanity
Postman, N, "The Surrender of Culture to
Technology" Chapters 1 & 8
Topic ideas due
Pop quiz 1
Sarewitz, D. The Science of Happiness
Discussion: Wed, Oct 10
MANDATORY DISUCSSION #1 – WAVE 2
Lecture: Thurs, Oct 11
Materiality and information
technologies
Dourish & Mazmanian, Media as Material:
Information Representations as Material
Foundations for Organizational Practice
Lecture: Tues, Oct 16
Guest Lecture - Jed Brubaker:
Social identity and social media
TBD
Discussion: Wed, Oct 17
Lecture: Thurs, Oct 18
Tues, Oct 23
Lecture: Tues, Oct 23
Discussion: Wed, Oct 24
Lecture: Thurs, Oct 25
Jed assignment
Pop quiz 2
MANDATORY DISUCSSION #1 – WAVE 3
Guest Lecture – Cory Knobel:
Values in Design
Topic ideas due
Topic ideas due
TBD
TECH DISCONNECT FIELD NOTES AND MINI PAPER DUE by 8am
Constant connectivity and the
“wired self”
Boston Globe, How the city hurts your brain
CHI Paper
MANDATORY DISCUSSION #2 – WAVE 1
Robotics and humanity
Story board due
Lin et. al. "Autonomous Military Robots: Risk,
Ethics and Design." Chapter 1: Preliminary
Remarks (pp 5-15) and Chapter 7: Robot
Ethics: The Issues (pp. 77-90) ONLY.
Taggart et. al "Interactive Robot in Nursing
Home: Preliminary Remarks.
Lecture: Tues, Oct 30
Guest Lecture – Paul Dourish:
Privacy in the information age
Discussion: Wed, Oct 31
Lecture: Thurs, Nov 1
Dourish and Anderson, Collective Information
Practice: Exploring Privacy and Security as
Social and Cultural Phenomena
MANDATORY DISUCSSION #2 – WAVE 2
Objects and Information:
Organizing, searching, locating
Bowker & Star, "Sorting things out”
Story board due
Pop quiz 3
Is google making us stupid - Atlantic Monthly
I can't think! - Newsweek
Lecture: Tues, Nov 6
Organizing and searching group
exercise
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Informatics 161: Social Analysis of Computerization
Prof. Mazmanian
Discussion: Wed, Nov 7
Lecture: Thurs, Nov 8
MANDATORY DISUCSSION #2 – WAVE 3
Guest Lecture – Bill Tomlinson:
IT and (Un)sustainable Cultures
Tomlinson, et. al, “Can More Efficient IT Be
Worse for the Environment.”
Story board due
Pop quiz 4
Tomlinson, IT and (Un)sustainable Cultures
Lecture: Tues, Nov 13
Discussion: Wed, Nov 14
Lecture: Thurs, Nov 15
Fri, Nov 16
Lecture: Tues, Nov 20
Computation as a new ways of
seeing?
Dumit, J. "Picturing Personhood" Chapt 4
Troshynski, Lee & Dourish, "Accountabilities of
Presence"
MANDATORY DISCUSSION #3 – WAVE 1
Computation as a new ways of
seeing group exercise
Draft video due
http://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_slavin_how_
algorithms_shape_our_world.html
WAVE 1: GROUP VIDEO DUE by 8am
New forms of work
Vertesi, "The Mars Exploration Rover Mission"
Tietze, "When 'work' comes 'home': Coping
strategies of teleworkers and their families
Discussion: Wed, Nov 21
NO DISCUSSION - THANKSGIVING
Lecture: Thurs, Nov 22
NO LECTURE - THANKSGIVING
Lecture: Tues, Nov 27
Digital finance
MacKenzie, selections from Material Markets
Pop quiz 5
Beunza
Discussion: Wed, Nov 28
Lecture: Thurs, Nov 29
Fri, Nov 30
Lecture: Tues, Dec 4
MANDATORY DISCUSSION #3 – WAVE 2
Digital finance group exercise
WAVE 2: GROUP VIDEO DUE by 8am
In class final video presentations
Discussion: Wed, Dec 5
MANDATORY DISCUSSION #3 – WAVE 3
Thurs, Dec 6
WAVE 3: GROUP VIDEO DUE by 8am
Lecture: Thurs, Dec 6
Mon, Dec 10
Draft video due
Draft video due
In class final video presentations
FINAL INDIVIUDAL FLYERS DUE by 8am
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