Course Description
This is an undergraduate-level research-based course. It will cover different topics in ethnocomputing and include work on updating the CSDT website. Ethnocomputing is the study of the interactions between computing and culture. It is carried out through theoretical analysis, empirical investigation, and design implementation.
Prerequisites: Any 1000- or 2000- level STSS/H course.
Course Objectives
- Discover different facets of ethnocomputing
- Explore aspects of generative justice
- Timely updates of CSDT website
- Regular updates on blog
Course Content
- Readings from relevant peer-reviewed journals
- CSDT updates
- Manage Cornrow Curves site
Student Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this course will have a working knowledge in how to maintain and update websites, have a regularly updated blog to keep track of their individual work, and will have an expanded knowledge of generative justice as it applies to culturally situated design and culturally responsive education.
Course Assessment Measures
Homework
Varied assignments for small fixes in CSDT website; assigned biweekly.
Readings
Students will finish reading two books by the end of the semester as well as readings from selected peer-reviewed social science journals.
Papers
Students will write two papers during the course of the class. One will compare readings from journals or the two books read in class, and will be due as the midterm. The other will describe the actions taken throughout the course and link them to themes in the selected readings. Papers should be around 1000 words each and include MLA citations.
Blog Updates
Students are expected to keep updates, responses to readings, and notes on a regularly updated blog. Blogs should be updated at least once a week.
Grading Criteria
- Homework – 40%
- Blog Updates – 30%
- Papers – 30%
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- Midterm Paper – 15%
- Final Paper – 15%
Course Calendar
This calendar and readings listed are tentative and subject to change.
| Meeting | Reading Due | Paper Due | |
| 1 | “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” by Paulo Freire –
Chapters 1-2 |
— | |
| 2 | “Of Marx and Makers: a Historical Perspective on Generative Justice” by Ron Eglash | — | |
| 3 | “Network Society & Future Scenarios for a Collaborative Future Economy” by Vasilis Kostakis and Michel Bauwens | — | |
| 4 | “Culturally Situated Design Tools: Ethnocomputing from Field Site to Classroom” by Ron Eglash, Audrey Bennett, et al. | Midterm Paper | |
| 5 | “Cooperation, Conflict, and Justice: In Theory and Practice” by Mortin Deutsch | — | |
| 6 | “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” by Paulo Freire – Chapters 2-4 | — | |
| 7 | “A Summary of Research Exploring Hard and Soft Scaffolding for Teachers and Students Using a Multimedia Supported Learning Environment” by Thomas Brush and John Saye | — | |
| 8 | “You Owe Yourself A Drunk” by James Spradley, Chapter 1 | Final Paper | |
Academic Integrity
Students must trust that teachers have made appropriate decisions about the structure and content of the courses they teach, and teachers must trust that the assignments that students turn in are their own. The Rensselaer Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities defines forms of Academic Dishonesty. In this class, all assignments that are turned in for a grade must represent the student’s own work