We rely on computer systems to store, process, and transmit practically all data whose reliability, accuracy, authenticity, privacy, security, and integrity are vital and regulated. Applications in human resources, medicine, education, finance, and public surveillance use machine learning models to make critical decisions that directly affect people. However, the systems on which these applications run are opaque; we rarely know what decisions are being made, how they are being made, why they are being made, and the degree of certainty any piece of software has regarding these decisions. This lack of transparency erodes public trust and deprives people of their agency. Solutions to this problem lie at the intersection of technology, recordkeeping and preservation, law, public policy, and business. Yet, few individuals understand the language, concepts, constraints, requirements, and possibilities in more than one of these fields, let alone all. This course will bring together students from a diverse set of backgrounds who will learn from an equally diverse group of faculty and outside experts in law, computer science, public policy, artificial intelligence, digital records management and preservation, philosophy, and machine learning how to identify real problems that might require technical or partially-technical solutions, the language in which to communicate between multiple disciplines, and the possible approaches for addressing the most pressing challenges.

We invite graduate students to consider the complex societal impact of computer systems. Students will form interdisciplinary teams to undertake a project of their choice, reimagining technology to reduce its negative impact based on technical, ethical, socio-economic, and legal considerations.

Course format

This course combines lectures, presentations by guest speakers, and student-led discussions. We emphasize students’ ability to engage in non-academic public scholarship.

Learning Outcomes

After taking this course, the students will be able to:

1. Identify and analyze the ways in which technical solutions can affect society.
2. Address conflicting disciplinary concepts and viewpoints, and suggest solutions.
3. Communicate and work in interdisciplinary teams.
4. Produce scholarly material and activities engaging the public.
5. Communicate effectively with diverse audiences.
6. Interact with the public in a professional way.

Course admissions

This course is open to any UBC graduate student but is designed for those enrolled in graduate programs in Law, Information Studies, Sociology, and Computer Science. Admissions is based on home department criteria.

Winter 2 – Monday – 2pm-5pm

Details TBC

Evaluation Criteria and Grading

1. Classroom discussion and facilitation – 20%
2. Individual OP-eds – 20%
3. Interdisciplinary project – 60% (report 30%, presentation 15%, video 15%)

Classroom discussion and facilitation – 20%

Each week, we will spend part of our class discussing assigned reading material for that week. For selected classes, small teams of 2 or 3 students will be discussion leaders (leaders will be identified in Week 2). Discussion leads will have two responsibilities:

• Before class. Prepare 2-3 discussion questions related to the topic of the day and to the assigned readings for that week. Send the list of questions to all class members (including the instructors) by 4.00 pm two days before class so that your classmates can reflect on the questions and come to class with prepared responses.
• During the synchronous class. Offer a total of ∼50 minutes of activities. This should include a brief introduction (5-10 minutes) to the topic of the day, including the rationale for the discussion questions mentioned above, followed by 30-45 minutes of discussion or activities. Students must demonstrate the ability to (1) explain both the background and current context of class topics, in depth and (2) design a creative and engaging “game plan” for the class discussion.

We expect that all class members will read all required readings and actively participate in class discussions and activities. The grade for this assessment component will be assigned both on the ability to lead a discussion and participation throughout the term.

Individual OP-ed – 20%

At the end of Weeks 8 and 11, students will submit Op-Eds (∼600 – 800 words) based on a topic covered in one of the previous week’s classes. Other classmates will review these submissions before grading to encourage interaction between different viewpoints. The op-eds must be accessible to a broad non-expert audience.

Interdisciplinary project – 60%

Inter-disciplinary groups of four students will explore and address a concrete challenge. Students will examine the technical, societal, and legal aspects and propose ways of addressing those challenges. Students will have the opportunity to meet different stakeholders during the Ideation Workshop in week 3 and discuss real challenges they might explore. At the end of week 3, students will submit a proposal that will be both peer-reviewed and discussed with the instructors (10% of course grade). They will work on this project for the duration of the course. They will prepare a presentation (15% of the course grade), designed for the stakeholders present at the ideation workshop, to be presented at the closing workshop on Week 13. Each group will also prepare a video (15% of the course grade) for a general audience to be published on the course website. Finally, students will write a report (∼4,000 words, not including figures/tables/charts and references). The report must be accessible to an interdisciplinary academic audience. Careful consideration must be given to the target audience of the different project outcomes.

Late Assignments. You will not receive credit for late assignments. Contact the instructor or your TA promptly (i.e., as soon as you are aware of the problem) if a medical or family reason prevents you from handing in any component of your writing assignments on time. The same policy apply for oral presentations.

In extraordinary circumstances, we may allow late turn-in of some assignments if you contact course staff (send an e-mail using your UBC e-mail account) with a clear explanation of the problem well in advance of the deadline (i.e., at least 48 hours). Poor planning or procrastination do not constitute extraordinary circumstances.

Academic Integrity. The academic enterprise is founded on honesty, civility, and integrity. As members of this enterprise, all students are expected to know, understand, and follow the codes of conduct regarding academic integrity. At the most basic level, this means submitting only original work done by you and acknowledging all sources of information or ideas and attributing them to others as required. This also means you should not cheat, copy, or mislead others about what is your work. Violations of academic integrity (i.e, misconduct) lead to the breakdown of the academic enterprise, and therefore serious consequences arise and harsh sanctions are imposed. For example, incidences of plagiarism or cheating may result in a mark of zero on the assignment or exam and more serious consequences may apply if the matter is referred to the President’s Advisory Committee on Student Discipline. Careful records are kept in order to monitor and prevent recurrences.

Academic Misconduct at UBC. Official information about Academic Integrity and Misconduct can be found at the following links:

• Academic Integrity at UBC
• Understand Academic Integrity
• Discipline for Academic Misconduct

Respectful Environment. Everyone involved with this course is responsible for understanding and abiding by the UBC Statement on Respectful Environment for Students, Faculty and Staff. The statement speaks to our freedoms and our responsibilities, and provides the guiding principles to support us in building an environment in which respect, civility, diversity, opportunity and inclusion are valued.

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