The Internet is home to a panoply of varieties of human interaction. Social media, interactive games, telepresence, online environments, and simple text e-mails now mediate our normal experiences of education, medicine, politics, business, sociality, collective action, and more. Unbeknownst to many users, these systems incorporate algorithmic interventions that alter prior expectations. As the Internet has become an infrastructure for social life and society itself, our ability to measure and represent that society is transforming. This class explores the presentation of self, the presentation of collectives, the presentation of news, and social dynamics in these online spaces--and how algorithmic intervention shapes them from the perspective of social signalling theory. Topics covered include: resumes of the 22nd century, why people share misinformation, the mitigation of trolling, ethics, and bias in social media systems.
Upon completion of this course, students will have an up-to-date understanding of the design of social media interfaces with incentive structures from social signaling theory.
Texts
There are no required texts for this course. Recommended reading is listed below for additional information.
1. Race after Technology by Ruha Benjamin
2. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life by Erving Goffman
3. Animal Signals by John Maynard Smith and David Harper
4. On Individuality and Social Forms by Georg Simmel
5. The Visual Display of Quantitative Information by Edward R. Tufte
TR 9:30-10:45 am
3002 ECE Building
Karrie Karahalios <kkarahal@illinois.edu> (Instructor)
Vinay Koshy <vkoshy2@illinois.edu> (TA)
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This course meets in person.
We will be using several collaborative tools in the course. Please familiarize yourself with them:
Zoom: If you have not already, please download the client at: https://zoom.us/download. We will be using Zoom for office hours.
Slack: We will be using slack to share and comment on designs, share resources, etc.
Canvas: We will be using Canvas for assignment submissions.
Evaluation
20% class participation (missed classes should be cleared with instructor, 2 unexcused classes result in a lower letter grade, i.e. A to A-)
20% class assignments
20% design projects
40% final project/paper
Disability-Related Accommodations
To obtain disability-related academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the course instructor and the Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) as soon as possible. To contact DRES, you may visit 1207 S. Oak St., Champaign, call 333-4603, e-mail disability@illinois.edu or go to https://www.disability.illinois.edu. If you are concerned you have a disability-related condition that is impacting your academic progress, there are academic screening appointments available that can help diagnosis a previously undiagnosed disability. You may access these by visiting the DRES website and selecting “Request an Academic Screening” at the bottom of the page.
Academic Integrity
Academic dishonesty may result in a failing grade. Every student is expected to review and abide by the Academic Integrity Policy: https://studentcode.illinois.edu/article1/part4/1-401/. Ignorance is not an excuse for any academic dishonesty. It is your responsibility to read this policy to avoid any misunderstanding. Do not hesitate to ask the instructor(s) if you are ever in doubt about what constitutes plagiarism, cheating, or any other breach of academic integrity.
COVID
Following University policy, all students, faculty, staff, and visitors are required to wear face coverings in classrooms and university spaces. This is in accordance with CDC guidance and University policy and expected in this class regardless of vaccination and testing status.
Students who feel ill must not come to class. In addition, students who test positive for COVID-19 or have had an exposure that requires testing and/or quarantine must not attend class. The University will provide information to the instructor, in a manner that complies with privacy laws, about students in these latter categories. These students are judged to have excused absences for the class period and should contact the instructor via email about making up the work.
Students who fail to abide by these rules will first be asked to comply; if they refuse, they will be required to leave the classroom immediately. If a student is asked to leave the classroom, the non-compliant student will be judged to have an unexcused absence and reported to the Office for Student Conflict Resolution for disciplinary action. Accumulation of non-compliance complaints against a student may result in dismissal from the University.
Building Access
In order to implement COVID-19-related guidelines and policies affecting university operations, instructional faculty members may ask students in the classroom to show their Building Access Status in the Safer Illinois app or the Boarding Pass. If the Building Access Status says “Granted,” that means the individual is compliant with the university’s COVID-19 policies—either with a university-approved COVID-19 vaccine or with the on-campus COVID-19 testing program for unvaccinated students.
Students are required to show only the Building Access Screen, which shows compliance without specifying whether it was through COVID-19 vaccination or regular on-campus testing. To protect personal health information, this screen does not say if a person is vaccinated or not. Students are not required to show anyone the screen that displays their vaccination status. No university official, including faculty members, may ask students why they are not vaccinated or any other questions seeking personal health information.
Sexual Misconduct Reporting Obligation
The University of Illinois is committed to combating sexual misconduct. Faculty and staff members are required to report any instances of sexual misconduct to the University’s Title IX Office. In turn, an individual with the Title IX Office will provide information about rights and options, including accommodations, support services, the campus disciplinary process, and law enforcement options.
A list of the designated University employees who, as counselors, confidential advisors, and medical professionals, do not have this reporting responsibility and can maintain confidentiality, can be found here: wecare.illinois.edu/resources/students/#confidential.
Other information about resources and reporting is available here: wecare.illinois.edu.
Mental Health
Significant stress, mood changes, excessive worry, problems with eating and/or sleeping can interfere with optimal academic performance, social development, and emotional well-being. The University of Illinois offers several confidential services including individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, psychiatric services, and specialized screenings at no additional cost. If you or someone you know experiences any of the above or other health concerns, please contact or visit one of the University's resources below.
Counseling Center: 217-333-3704, 610 East John St. Champaign, IL
McKinley Health Center: 217-333-2700, 1109 South Lincoln Ave. Urbana, IL
University wellness center: https://wellness.illinois.edu/
Anti-Racism and Inclusivity
The effectiveness of this course is dependent upon each of us to create a safe and encouraging learning environment that allows for the open exchange of ideas while also ensuring equitable opportunities and respect for all of us. Everyone is expected to help establish and maintain an environment where students, staff, and faculty can contribute without fear of personal ridicule, or intolerant or offensive language. If you witness or experience racism, discrimination, micro-aggressions, or other offensive behavior, you are encouraged to bring this to the attention of the course director if you feel comfortable. You can also report these behaviors to the Bias Assessment and Response Team (BART) (https://bart.illinois.edu/). Based on your report, BART members will follow up and reach out to students to make sure they have the support they need to be healthy and safe. If the reported behavior also violates university policy, staff in the Office for Student Conflict Resolution may respond as well and will take appropriate action.
Religious Observances
Illinois law requires the University to reasonably accommodate its students' religious beliefs, observances, and practices in regard to admissions, class attendance, and the scheduling of examinations and work requirements. You should examine this syllabus at the beginning of the semester for potential conflicts between course deadlines and any of your religious observances. If a conflict exists, you should notify your instructor of the conflict and follow the procedure at https://odos.illinois.edu/community-of-care/resources/students/religious-observances/ to request appropriate accommodations. This should be done in the first two weeks of classes.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Any student who has suppressed their directory information pursuant to Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) should self-identify to the instructor to ensure protection of the privacy of their attendance in this course. See https://registrar.illinois.edu/academic-records/ferpa/ for more information on FERPA.