Assignments
Complete 3 assignments over the course of the semester: two reflection pieces and one final assignment.
What is the final assignment?
For those seeking some additional direction for the final assignment here you go:
Either: discuss processes/tools agencies could use to identify technology that should be considered to be making policy rather than implementing policy; or discuss processes/tools agencies can use to manage the procurement or development of such policy-making technology to manage it in relation to values of transparency, accountability, legitimacy etc.
Aim for 8-10 pages (this will be worth 35% of your grade).
What is a reflection piece?
A key objective of assignments in this class is to provide you with opportunities to apply both the theoretical and practical learning from the course to new problems. Another, as I've mentioned in class, is to develop your skills as readers--critiquing, building upon, relating various pieces we read.
Reflection pieces are an invitation to synthesize readings and ideas that came up during our discussion, use insights from both to analyze an issue that's of interest to you, critique readings, or anything else you would like. The requirements of the writing are small in number, that you 1) seriously engage with the readings (could be 1 could be 2 could be more); and 2) you write about something that interests you.
Do not, under any circumstances, provide me with a summary of the articles. You've read them. I've read them. I know you've read them.
The form is in between short essay and journal entry. This is a playful style. I want to get a sense of what you are taking away from the class and what sorts of thoughts, ideas, questions it is raising for you.
2-4 normal pages typed.
Advice for the second assignment
You can always write about what engaged you. But if you are looking for a starting point, pulling upon materials from weeks 4-6 (but of course referencing earlier readings as appropriate and useful) please either consider how the tools provided could have been used by developers of a product or service to avoid a privacy blowback, or how the legal structure actually made it difficult for developers of such product or service to determine what was required. Or of course both.