Technology in society

The aim of the course is to provide a theoretical understanding of the relationship between information technology and society. The student learns about the technical, social and historical forces that contribute to the development of new technology. The course presents theories about technology, design and innovation, and discusses different conceptions of which forces have had the strongest impact on the development of modern information technology.

The course consists of a series of lectures on central theories and a series of seminars where these theories are linked to current technical practices in dialogue with experts in the field.

By completing this course, the student will have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• has knowledge of the relationship between various academic theories on technology development.
• has knowledge of current technical practices.

Skills

The student

• can discuss the relationship between technological and social forces in the historical development of modern information technology.
• can reflect critically on central theoretical positions and formulate own opinions which are supported by arguments from the field.
• can analyze a current technical practice in light of theories.

General competence

The student

• can apply central theoretical perspectives to explain and understand the development of information technology and the function it has in society, and present these perspectives in written form.