IS10050 Digital Judgement: Truth, Lies, & the Internet

Academic Year 2020/2021

Today, we live in a world that is being utterly transformed by the evolution of digital media, the internet, and social networking apps. They have radically changed the ways in which we work, socialise, learn, communicate, spend our leisure time, and generally manage our daily lives, although the effects are not the same for all people across the globe - inequality and the "digital divide" mean that not all people get to enjoy the benefits of digital technology. The changes in our information landscape also mean that the notion of literacy has changed, as information is presented in new and dynamic formats, which continue to evolve. What does it mean to be “literate” in the 21st century? How can we effectively navigate this new digital landscape, and tell if the information we see can be believed and trusted? An essential skill today is the ability to identify high quality and trustworthy digital information that serves our needs in different situations. However, the knowledge and skill required to select and evaluate digital information that we consume on the Internet through using websites and apps such as Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, and search engines such as Google, which we access on our laptops, smartphones, tablets and other devices, are not innate or automatic – they must be learned. In this module, you will learn to act as intelligent digital judges, exploring the world of digital information and social media, to empower you to identify, access, evaluate, use, create and share trustworthy digital information in personal, professional, and academic contexts. We will also consider the ways in which digital and social media are changing the world, through exploring topical issues such as “fake news”, search personalisation, online privacy, personal reputation management and digital footprints, in order to understand the potential consequences of your online activities.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module, students should:

1. Identify criteria for selecting and evaluating digital information, and apply these criteria to a range of digital sources accessed through the Internet, mobile devices, commercial information services, etc.

2. Understand how search engines locate and index information on the Web, and how they rank their search results

3. Create effective search strategies using Boolean logic and other search filters that are available in Internet search engines and databases

4. Distinguish between scholarly and popular information resources, and determine when information has undergone peer review

5. Distinguish between the “Deep” and “Surface” Web, and Use search engines, such as Google Scholar, and other web-based online resources effectively to locate resources for academic tasks

6. Use the APA referencing style to create accurate bibliographies, for all types of information resources including social media, in academic assignments

7. Identify misinformation, scams and hoaxes on the Web, and know what measures to implement to protect their personal information online

8. Understand how “digital footprints” are generated through intentional and unintentional online interactions, and know what measures to implement to control their own digital footprints

9. Work effectively in groups on an assigned task, using a wide range of in-person and virtual communication channels and resources

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

21
Tutorial

3
Specified Learning Activities

45
Autonomous Student Learning

50
Online Learning

6
Total

125
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
For Autumn 2020, the module is structured differently, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

For this trimester, learning in IS10050 will be blended, comprising a mix of approaches. These are as follows:

• Live online lectures (every Friday)
• Three face-to-face tutorial classes on campus (in the weeks beginning Oct. 5th, Oct 19th and Nov. 2nd)
• Seven online e-assignments
• Independent learning activities, including reading, viewing videos and completing assignment work.
 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Continuous Assessment: etutorials and independent online learning activities Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

20
Class Test: Quiz End of trimester MCQ n/a Graded No

30
Group Project: Group project: Digital Resource Guide Coursework (End of Trimester) n/a Graded No

50

Carry forward of passed components
No
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

For the online quiz and e-tutorial components of the module, students receive feedback/results immediately in Brightspace. For the group project assessment, each group receives a single feedback form with a rubric comprising individually graded components, constructive comments, and an overall letter grade. Feedback forms will be emailed to project groups, and also uploaded to Brightspace.