MWP10 Information Governance und Informationsethik

Prof. Dinneen • Summer Semester 2023

Description

In this course students learn about the background and current landscape of information governance and information ethics. In doing so we will examine the role of information and technology in shaping today’s society from various social, societal, and ethical perspectives, and will analyse relevant factors in technology, politics, and policy. Upon completion of the course, students will have both a broad and deep understanding of the need for and development of information governance and information ethics and will be able to discuss how these requirements are met by information institutions and research.

Delivery Modes and Languages

MWP10 consists of in-person seminars (HS) on Tuesdays and in-person lectures (VL) on Wednesdays, each starting at 16:15 and ending by 17:45. Please find the room location and further details on the course Moodle page. The VL consist primarily of lectures with some integrated class discussion, whereas the HS consist of student presentations and various discussion activities, some of which require students to prepare in advance. Students are expected to attend both VL & HS.

Language requirements

The course will be conducted primarily in English. Please note that students’ varied linguistic backgrounds, skills, and challenges have been considered in the design and delivery of course materials and in the review of assessments; generally, linguistic performance will not be assessed! Written assignments (e.g. the ‘MAP’) may be submitted in English or German.

Schedule

Note: this schedule is subject to change and is not exhaustive. Please refer to the course Moodle for the most current schedule.

Assessment

HS Participation

Presenting & actively discussing according to the following requirements will earn the 4 Leistungspunkte:

• HS days marked ‘TBD’ (to be determined) are for discussing readings and making presentations.
• At reading discussions, each student who chose a paper to discuss should lead the in-depth discussion of its ideas, strengths, weaknesses, and implications for the information professions and society. Each student must at least once choose a paper and lead the discussion. More details will be provided in class.
• Presentations should briefly introduce one narrow topic relevant to the VL from the week prior (e.g. a presentation about VL5 happens in HS6) and then provide deeper relevant details according to the student’s interests (e.g. professional, scholarly, personal interests) and with reference to scholarly literature and reputable press. Presentations should last 20-25 minutes and end with (a) a clear conclusion and (b) 3 open-ended questions to stimulate class discussion. A script may be used. The presentation schedule will be decided at the start of the semester. Note: it is permissible – and efficient – to write the MAP essay on the same topic as your presentation!
• Students are required to actively participate in the majority of HS events, including the discussion portion of other students’ presentations.

VL Participation

Each lecture will have dedicated time for discussion. Actively and respectfully participating in the majority of those discussions is required to earn the 2 Leistungspunkte.

MAP Essay

The MAP Hausarbeit is an essay with original synthesis and argumentation using suitable scholarly evidence and clear reasoning to support a coherent and novel thesis about a topic covered in the VL/HS. After a brief introduction the author should deeply analyse the chosen topic, give support for their thesis, and then – importantly – end by discussing what, if anything, the LIS field (broadly construed) can do to have an impact on the topic. The essay should be ca. 40.000 characters (excluding spaces) and therefore ca. 20 pages, in APA7 style, in English or German. Footnotes and endnotes should not be used (neither for citations nor for content).

Readings and Resources

Readings and resources will be provided on Moodle prior to each week. Although there are suggested readings for each week, students are expected to read, according to their interests, 2-3 readings each week from the course bibliography (i.e. the suggested readings are just a default which students should seek to supplant with their own preferences).

Last revised: 24.04.2023