Social Implications of Computer Technology

CS 195, Spring 2023

CS H195: Honors Social Implications of Computer Technology

Jump on this page:

  • CS H195 Syllabus: link
  • Discussions, Readings, and Resources: link

Readings Table of Contents #

Date Discussion Topic Slides Readings
01/20 01 Free Speech link jump
01/27 02 Social Connection and Time Well-Spent link jump
02/03 03 Privacy link jump
02/10 04 Software Risks link jump
02/17 05 Capitalism and Silicon Valley link jump
02/24 06 Memes and Viral Content link jump
03/03 07 Government Censorship and Surveillance link jump
03/10 08 Algorithmic Bias and Fairness link jump
03/17 09 Jobs, Automation, and Labor link jump
03/24 10 Project 2 Presentations link jump
03/31 – Spring break: No Class! link jump
04/07 11 Teaching, Learning, Belonging link jump
04/14 12 Community Design + Project Brainstorming link jump
04/21 13 What Now? link jump

Projects Table of Contents #

  Projects Estimated duration Project Due Links
1 Social Media Simulation 1-2 weeks Fri 2/24 link
2 Teaching Computing in Society ~3 weeks Fri. 3/24 link
3 Technology and the Community ~4 weeks Fri. 4/28 link

CS H195 discussions complement and supplement the topics presented in CS 195 lecture series. Students are expected to engage at a deeper level with the assigned weekly readings and be prepared to engage in thoughtful and constructive discussions around the course material. Where applicable, we will invite guest speakers from industry and academia to present their work and to participate in discussions alongside students. CS H195 will encourage students to go beyond thinking about computer technology as solely an engineering problem but instead viewing it holistically from the perspective of social sciences, legal studies, policymaking, equity, and inclusion.

CS H195 time: See the sidebar.

CS H195 Syllabus #

Course components #

To pass this course, you must:

  • Attend most CS 195 lectures,
  • Be present at all CS H195 discussions,
  • Submit all CS 195/H195 reading assignments and surveys, and
  • Complete passing work on all CS H195 projects.

Course Policies: We understand things come up during the semester and synchronous participation may not always be possible. This course is P/NP, and we will make every effort to work with you to help you pass this course.

  • CS 195 lecture and survey completion will be graded according to CS 195 course policies (see sidebar).
  • Attendance is expected at every CS H195 discussion. If you need to miss any, we’d appreciate early notice so we can assign you make up work.
    • Weeks 1 and 2: Because of beginning of semester class shuffling, we did not take Week 1 attendance. However, we expect you to do the readings and submit them a week from when you first start attending H195 discussions.
  • Most projects are group work with in-class presentations.

Projects #

Jump up here.

Intead of the CS 195 essays, this semester we are building new H195 project assignments. This semester, we are trying some new assignments for CS H195. We appreciate your working with us to design this course, and we welcome your feedback!!

1. Social Media Simulation: link (individual) Analyze the dynamics of information bubbles and polarization in social network models. Submit a writeup.

2. Teaching Computing in the News: link What H195 discussion would you run? Build a lesson plan for a 50-minute discussion for (future) H195 students to engage critically with the social context of a particular computing technology. We will provide readings on pedagogical practices.

  • 3/10: Select a topic and readings.
  • 3/17: Finalize readings, design preparation exercise.
  • 3/24: Design discussion exercise, identify takewaways, present in class.

3. Technology and the Community: (groups) Engage with the community to inform impacts of technology on particular groups of people. This project is open-ended and we are hoping that we can co-design this assessment with you. What do you want to have learned from this class? What kind of community do you want to participate in?

  • 4/14: Community selection, interview plan.
  • 4/28: Present on findings from interviews.

Course Description #

CS H195 is a 3-unit course. In addition to attending the regular weekly lecture, students will participate in weekly discussions and write reading responses, lead discussions and prepare presentations informed by their understanding of the material, and engage in a series of experiential and real-world assignments.

CS H195 Resources #

04/21 Lecture 13: What Now? #

Slides: link

No required readings this week. Good luck on your projects!

Optional:

04/14 Lecture 12: Community Design + Project Brainstorming #

Slides: link

Design Justice, by Sasha Costanza-Chock:

04/07 Lecture 11: Teaching, Learning, Belonging #

Slides: link

03/24 Lecture 10: Project 2 Presentations #

No readings.

03/17 Lecture 09: Jobs, Automation, and Labor #

No readings this week – finish up Project 2! Please let me know if you have any questions.

03/10 Lecture 08: Algorithmic Bias and Fairness #

Slides: link

Readings:

  • Cathy O’Neil, Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O’Neil, Ch. 1, 4, and 5
    • You can fill out a single reading note, but please address each chapter separately in the Précis box.
    • This one is a bit tricky to link to directly, sorry:

03/03 Lecture 07: Government Censorship and Surveillance #

Slides: link

Readings:

The first two readings are available online through the UC Berkeley library. The two LA riots readings can be addressed in one reading note. As usual, please submit reading notes through bCourses!

02/24 Lecture 06: Memes and Viral Content #

Slides: link

No readings this week – finish up Project 1! Please let me know if you have any questions.

02/17 Lecture 05: Capitalism and Silicon Valley #

Slides: link

  • Complete reading notes for the following and submit in bCourses:
    • Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? Chapter 8. We will not use the online library copy, as we will use the 2021 edition. I sent a PDF to attending students.
    • Hacking Diversity Chapter 5. The book is available for free online at the link.
  • Do the Invisible EECS Knapsack activity.
    • Don’t report individual responses, but have your score ready for 2/17’s discussion. What was interesting about the list to you? Is there anything that you would add to the knapsack that contributes to your identity as a CS student? Why? Do you have any other thoughts on the knapsack and its relation to “privilege in EECS”? Respond in a paragraph, to be submitted on bCourses.

02/10 Lecture 04: Software Risks #

Slides: link

Readings:

  • CS 195 Week 4 Readings

We’re taking a little break from prep work this week! The below is an advance notice of prep for the 2/17 disucssion:

  • Complete reading notes for the following and submit in bCourses:
    • Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? Chapter 8. We will not use the online library copy, as we will use the 2021 edition. I sent a PDF to attending students..
    • Hacking Diversity Chapter 5. The book is available for free online at the link.
  • Do the Invisible EECS Knapsack activity.
    • Don’t report individual responses, but have your score ready for 2/17’s discussion. What was interesting about the list to you? Is there anything that you would add to the knapsack that contributes to your identity as a CS student? Why? Do you have any other thoughts on the knapsack and its relation to “privilege in EECS”? Respond in a paragraph, to be submitted on bCourses.

02/03 Lecture 03: Privacy #

Slides: link

Readings:

Assignments:

  • CS 195 Week 3 surveys.
  • Fill out a reading notes form for each reading (graded on completion, submit in bCourses before discussion).
  • What are your goals in this course, or what do you want to get out of it? Write 1-2 paragraphs about what you want to happen, and submit in bCourses:
    • Our (Lisa + Ethan) goals for this course are:
      • Build further on the CS 195 goals (“make informed and thoughtful choices about your careers, participation in society, and future development activities”).
      • Develop your “cultural competency” (awareness of social science topics such as identity, intersectionality, racism, bias, and discrimination; and how they affect both computing, technologies, and society).
      • Create activities and discussions that you are invested in.
  • In Discussion 2, we didn’t get to cover DEI definitions. Read the definitions on this slide, then write a paragraph in response the following question and submit in bCourses:
    • What thoughts do you have on these definitions? What is missing? What is important, or particularly resonates with you?

01/27 Lecture 02: Social Connection and Time Well-Spent #

Slides: link

Readings:

  • CS 195 Week 2 readings.
  • Introduction, Chapter 1: Zeynep Tufekci, Twitter and Tear Gas. Creative Commons PDF, book website.
  • Chapter 2 (required), Chapter 1 (recommended): Beverly Tatum, Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?. UC Berkeley Library (see instructions below).

Assignments:

  • CS 195 Week 2 surveys.
  • Fill out a reading notes form for each reading (graded on completion, submit in bCourses before discussion). If you aren’t enrolled in H195, contact Ethan for access.
  • After completing all reading, complete the following:
    • Take 60 seconds and write down as many words or phrases that fill in the blank in “I am …” (prep for discussion, not submitted)
    • Then, write down various communities that you engage with or used to engage with; online or otherwise. What connections can you make between your two lists? How about what you didn’t write down? (prep for discussion, not submitted)
  • Read the cover page of the Cultural Competence in Computing Survey for definitions on Identity, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. See email for more details.

UC Berkeley Library Access: -Visit the UC Berkeley Library Search Page and authenticate with CalNet. Then search for online access to the book.

01/20 Lecture 01: Free Speech #

Slides: link