IS40910 Digital Policy

Academic Year 2023/2024

Technological innovation continues to bring new considerations to policy-making in our digital age. The pacing is incredibly rapid: Tech research, design, production, implementation and practice must be synthesised with economic, social and cultural considerations which in turn require evaluations of legality and human rights.

With this contextualisation, students will consider fundamental digital policy issues with special attention to public and private sector developments. Developments considered in previous terms included surveillance, digital security, intellectual property, digital inclusion, platform regulation, disinformation and democracy, digital identity, artificial intelligence governance, privacy and data protection.

In each term, specific module topics will be presented in order to critically theorise policy development questions.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

1. Research and describe contemporary digital policy issues
2. Demonstrate familiarity with national, EU, and international regulatory frameworks in their social and cultural contexts
3. Understand and explain how and why the following issues matter in digital policy arenas: social, economic, cultural rights, human and legal rights
4. Demonstrate knowledge of the technical, human, and organisational dimensions of policy making

Indicative Module Content:

Drawing on the state of the art in social science, policy analysis, law, ethics, and design, this module will provide a multidisciplinary introduction to current challenges, debates, and approaches to designing, implementing, and developing policy for different organisational and technological contexts. Topics will include the policy process, current trends and issues in policy making, industry, academic, and civil society organisation perspectives. Module will include lectures, group discussions, and hands-on activities.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24

Autonomous Student Learning

176

Total

200

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Lecture
In-class discussion
Critical reading and writing
Desk research 
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
Project: Policy research piece Unspecified n/a Graded Yes

30

Presentation: Policy overview Unspecified n/a Graded Yes

30

Project: Policy brief Unspecified n/a Graded Yes

40


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
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

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback on each case study and the policy briefing will be delivered through the Brightspace VLE after the project is submitted.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
 
Autumn
     
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Wed 14:00 - 15:50