Fair Digital Design

URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/XM_0132

Course Objective

At the end of the course, students should be able to:
- Identify fairness issues in, and contributions by, digital solutions (Knowledge and understanding)
- Reason about fairness issues in digital solutions (Applying knowledge and understanding)
- Design fair digital solutions (Applying knowledge and understanding)
- Communicate their reasoned position with respect to fairness (Communication skills)
- Reflect critically on what learned, discuss and express own motivated opinions (Learning skills)

Course Content

In this course, students study published research from various fields within Computer Science, Information Sciences and related disciplines. The course entails a mix of invited research lectures and invited talks from practice. Both elaborate on topics around fair digital design. Such topics will be further researched by the students. Working in groups, students read and discuss research articles exploring a selected topic. The discussion involves the content of the publications but also scientific contribution, quality of the work, and relevance to society. Finally, student groups submit a 4-page position paper in which they elaborate on their position with respect to the selected topic, building upon the read literature and the reflections on the course material.

Teaching Methods

Lectures (with interactive elements) Seminars (including presentation and discussion sessions). In-person attendance is mandatory.

Method of Assessment

Type and Weight of each component: Teamwork assignments (70%, position paper assignment; 30% digital design assignment), both with some individual components. To pass the course, the scores of each assignment must be 6.0 or higher. In case of unclear individual contribution on any of the assignments, the teaching may ask for a clarification oral check. As part of the teamwork assignments, each student gives an individual presentation. Active participation in class is also expected, with a pass/no-pass assessment. Compensation: it is not possible to compensate one component with another. Mode of re-examination: if insufficient, each component can be revised and resubmitted once.

Literature

Collection of articles.

Target Audience

MSc Information Sciences

Custom Course Registration

Further information for this course will be made available online (Canvas). All students must be enrolled in the course Canvas community. Group enrolment takes place in Canvas.

Recommended background knowledge

Course Digitalization and Sustainability.

Explanation Canvas

Instructions about group enrolment and (if applicable) software tools for attendance will be provided at least one week before the course starts. All students must be enrolled before then.