The final assessment is an individual paper (1500 words). You need to choose one of the following research questions. Each research question relates to one of the four broad themes addressed in the course.
Your paper must develop an argumentation that leads to a conclusion that answers your chosen research question. You are invited to search for additional literature in answering your research question, but you need to use at least three academic sources that are mentioned in the course syllabus (including the sources listed under further reading) and discuss the sources comparatively. You may of course use sources from different assignments (in other words, in answering your research question you are not restricted to the literature of the chosen assignments). You may refer to the Youtube videos, Ted Talks and Black Mirror episodes but these don’t count as academic sources.
Don’t forget to use the Academic Writing Guide and make appropriate and consistent use of APA. The assessment criteria are available on Canvas. You are advised to consider the criteria before submitting your paper.
Research questions belonging to theme
1: The mutual shaping of culture and digital technologies (Assignments 1 & 2)
How can mediation theory help designers to anticipate the impact of a product on human practices and experiences? (in answering the question explain mediation theory and support your argument by giving an example/case study)
How is the use of Zoom influencing learning practices during the pandemic? (use mediation theory to answer your question)
Research questions belonging to theme
2: How digitalisation creates monsters and how to deal with them (Assignments 3 & 4)
3. What could be the function of ‘monster-ethics’ in our digital age? (support your argument by giving an example/case study)
4. How do robots change our conception of what it means to be human?
Research questions belonging to theme 3: Intimate relations, authenticity and sharing in the digital world (Assignments 5 & 6 & 7)
5. How does [insert a specific technology] mediate intimacy? (support your argument by giving an example/case study)
6. To what extent are computers able to create art?
7. Why is using the term ‘sharing’ to describe social media practices contested? (support your argument by giving an example/case study)
Research questions belonging to theme 4: Making sense of digitalisation (Assignments 7 & 8)
8. Does technology belong to the domain of culture, nature or both?
9. What is the function of ‘narratives’ guiding the introduction of new digital technologies? (support your argument by giving an example/case study)
Personal note: The writer can choose the question he wants to answer to as long as he provides good argumentation
