Throughout the course, you will be asked to write on the course blog:
- 5 substantive and useful posts in which you propose a provocative and interesting question relating to the course. These posts should be sparked by something you found online that you can link to: a website, an article, a post on another blog, a video, etc.
- 10 substantive comments on the posts of your classmates or mine (something more compelling and analytical than a "that's interesting" kind of a reply is required)
In addition, there will be 5 additional homework assignments. Some of them will require you to write on the course blog; others will require you to submit your work to me directly using Google Docs (you need to share with me the document you created using my Gmail address, not my Baruch address).
Points for Homework
- 500 points total
- 5 blog posts x up to 25 points for each post = 125 maxium points
- 10 comments on the blog x up to 20 points for each comment = 200 maximum points
- 5 additional homework assignments x up to 35 points for each assignment = 175 maximum points
- Late homework assignments: 2 points off for each day late
Homework #1
- Due February 26 (by the start of class)
- We've talked about the kinds of sources that Pariser uses in the introduction to this book. Now, based on the sources that Pariser is using in the introduction and chapters 1 and 2, I want you to think about the choices that Pariser is making when it comes to sources. Look closely at the kinds (categories, formats, types) of sources he is using and that, more importantly, he isn't using.
- Using Google Docs write an essay at least one-page in length in which you detail the kinds of sources he isn't using and why he might not be using those. I'm not interested in a simple listing of source types but rather an analysis of the types of sources. When analyzing the sources, think about things like authority, relevance, timeliness, etc.
- After you write the essay, share it with me at my Gmail address before the start of class on Feb. 26. If you have any problems figuring out how to share documents in Google, email me immediately. You may also find these instructions from Google useful.
Homework #2
- Due March 21 (by the start of class)
- Pretend that you are in a class where you are expected to write a paper exploring the intersection of privacy that people who work in companies can expect for their email. You need to find articles that will give you an introduction to the topic and maybe get into the real nitty-gritty issues that companies have to wrestle with respect to privacy and employee email. Using the database, Applied Science and Technology Source, run a number of searches until you find the one that does the best job of finding you a maximum number of relevant articles on the paper topic. Then, in a Google Doc, write up a short essay (1-2 paragraphs should do) in which you tell me what that best search is (a screenshot will do or a description of it will also suffice) and you give me an explanation of why the search query you came up with works so well (what refinements did you put into the final search query? how was it an improvement on the earlier queries you may have tried?)
- After you've written your essay, please share it with me via Google Docs.
Homework #3
- Due April 25 (by the start of class)
- Consider the suggestions that Pariser makes in the final chapter (8) of his book about ways that we can address the problems of the filter bubble. Then, on the course blog, write a long post (1-2 pages) in which you identify what you think is the strongest idea and the weakest idea that he has for combatting the filter bubble and the excesses of personalization. Fully explain and defend the two ideas you select and use quoted material from the book as part of your argument. You will be graded on the quality of your defense, the creativity in your writing, and the polish you put into your writing (i.e., you don't want to lose points on this because of typos or grammar and spelling errors).
Homework #4
- Due May 9 (by the start of class)
- Find three pages in the 25th Street Plaza project wiki that need some work done on them. By "work," I mean any of the following:
- Adding content (text, images, etc.)
- Editing content (rewriting for clarity, grammar, etc.)
- Adding a salient and useful question in the "Add a comment" section at the bottom any any page (here's how to do it)
- Moving pages around to improve organization
- Adding a whole new page
- Combining two pages into just one
- Adding tags to improve organization and navigation (here's how to do it)
- Then, in a quick blog post, summarize the work that you did on the three wiki pages.
Homework #5
- Due May 16 (by the start of class)
- On the course blog, pick just one of these questions and answer it in a blog post:
- Question 1: Look back over the activities we did in class over the semester. Then write about 3 things did you learn this semester that you can apply to coursework here at Baruch (if you're graduating this spring, think of the classes you've taken in the past) and what is 1 thing that you wish we had covered in this class that would have helped you in your other classes?
- Question 2: What practical steps have you taken or are you thinking of taking to make sure that you don't find yourself trapped in a filter bubble or in a situation where you are giving up more personal information on the web than you'd like?