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MIS20070

Academic Year 2024/2025

Digital Society (MIS20070)

Subject:
Management Information Systems
College:
Business
School:
Business
Level:
2 (Intermediate)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Professor Donncha Kavanagh
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module is divided into two parts. The first half of the module deals with the emerging area of Web3. We focus in the beginning on the ideals of the Web3 vision and then the technologies that enable it, discussing the foundational technologies of Bitcoin, Ethereum and Decentralised Autonomous Organisations (DAOs). We then turn to the dark side of the modern Web, looking at common cybercrime threats and then the notorious case of the FTX exchange. The second half builds around the basic idea that information technologies have exceeded the confinements of businesses and formal organisations. In fact, information technologies are commonly part of global digital infrastructures rather than individual systems. This second section of the module addresses basic characteristics of digital infrastructures, their relevance for public and private interests, and the peculiar issues due to their global outreach and cross-jurisdictional nature.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completing this module students should be able to:
* Demonstrate a good understanding of some of the practices, challenges, and opportunities characterising the digital society.
* See companies and other organizations in the context of the broader digital society in which they operate.
* Understand the role of technology in this context.
* Understand the evolving field of Web3.
* Be able to recognise the most common cybersecurity threats.
* Demonstrate enhanced communication skills in writing and presenting
* Demonstrate enhanced skills in working collaboratively.

Indicative Module Content:

Web3
Bitcoin
Ethereum
Decentralised Autonomous Organisations (DAOs)
Cybercrime
Global information systems
Digital Infrastructures
Platforms and platform capitalism
Blockchains
AI

NB: These themes may change.

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Specified Learning Activities

20
Autonomous Student Learning

76
Total

120

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Lectures
Group work
Independent study and inquiry
Reading
Peer evaluation

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Exam (Open Book): 2-hour online terminal exam (held during exam period) End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
 Graded No
70
 No
Group Work Assignment: Group project (groups of 4 or 5 typically) Week 6 Graded No
30
 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Group project feedback: just-in-time guidance and post-assessment peer review. Inter-group and Intra-group peer review. Terminal examination feedback: Available as per normal university procedures.

Digital copies of all readings available through UCD library.

1) Introduction to Web3
What is Web3 and why is it important? https://ethereum.org/en/web3/
2) Introduction to Bitcoin
Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Electronic Cash System: https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf
Khan Academy, Bitcoin: What is it? https://www.khanacademy.org/economics-finance-domain/core-finance/money-and-banking/bitcoin/v/bitcoin-what-is-it
3) Introduction to Ethereum
What is Ethereum? https://ethereum.org/en/what-is-ethereum/
Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum in 30 minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UihMqcj-cqc
4) Decentralised Autonomous Organisations
Decentralised Autonomous Organisations: https://ethereum.org/en/dao/
What is Gitcoin? https://www.gemini.com/cryptopedia/gtc-crypto-gitcoin-bounties-web3-gtc-token
How to create a DAO: The Definitive Guide:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqdVDQUPNeI
5) Cybercrime
10 Most Common Types of Cyberattacks: https://www.crowdstrike.com/cybersecurity-101/cyberattacks/most-common-types-of-cyberattacks/
How cybercrime has become organised warfare: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m6Ydx0TGMY
6) The Collapse of FTX
SEC versus Sam Bankman-Fried: https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/complaints/2022/comp-pr2022-219.pdf
FTX: The Legend of Sam Bankman-Fried: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGGzimG8VMQ
7) Global information systems
Walsham, G. (2001). ‘Contemporary Society'. In Making a world of difference : IT in a global context (pp. 13–33). Chichester: Wiley.
8) Digital Infrastructures
Bowker, Geoffrey C., Elyachar, Julia, Martin Kornberger, Mennicken, Andrea, Miller, Peter, Nucho, Joanne Randa, & Pollock, Neil. (2019). 'Introduction to Thinking Infrastructures'. In Martin Kornberger, Geoffrey C. Bowker, Julia Elyachar, Andrea Mennicken, Peter Miller, Joanne Randa Nucho, & Neil Pollock (Eds.), Thinking infrastructures (pp. 1–13). Emerald Group Publishing.
9) Platforms and platform capitalism
Zuboff, Shoshana. (2015). 'Big other: surveillance capitalism and the prospects of an information civilization'. Journal of Information Technology, 30(1), 75–89.
10) Blockchains
Hacker, J., Miscione, G., Felder, T., & Schwabe, G. (2023). Commit or Not? How Blockchain Consortia Form and Develop. California Management Review, 65(3), 110–131. https://doi.org/10.1177/00081256231175530
11) AI
Introduction in relation to other lectures
Discussion of the case of WorldCoin

Name Role
Dr Paul Dylan-Ennis Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Gianluca Miscione Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

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 Mon 13:00 - 14:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 2 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Mon 16:00 - 17:50
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