CULT 7004 Global Digital Futures
Credit Points 10
Legacy Code 102412
Coordinator Brett Neilson Opens in new window
Description This subject explores how innovation in the digital era is transforming society on a global scale. Reflecting on examples drawn from around the world, students learn about the latest trends in communication, media, computing and the knowledge economy. Current and future directions are surveyed in the context of contemporary issues such as big data, digital identity and privacy, social media and crowdsourcing, gaming and visualisation, geographical information systems, virtual environments and artificial intelligence.
School Humanities & Comm Arts
Discipline Society and Culture, Not Elsewhere Classified.
Student Contribution Band HECS Band 4 10cp
Level Postgraduate Coursework Level 7 subject
Equivalent Subjects CULT 7007 - Text Media and Memory
Restrictions
Students must be enrolled in a postgraduate or a research program.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- Think critically about the implications of using digital technology and methods for compiling, storing, displaying, and disseminating humanities data.
- Articulate the influence of earlier media, such as photography and film, on communication, research and information design so that digital innovations can be viewed in a broader context.
- Appraise new formats, genres and methods for the production of knowledge, ranging from the personal and experimental to the institutional.
- Articulate key ways in which the concepts of identity and community are changing in the digital information age.
Subject Content
The subject is structured around eight modules
1. Digital Futures
2. Data Politics and Algorithmic Governance
3. Digital Infrastructures - Data Centres and Undersea Cables
4. Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning
5. High Frequency Trading and Flash Crashes
6. Contact Tracing
7. The Chinese Internet and the Digital Silk Road
8. Reverse Engineering
Assessment
The following table summarises the standard assessment tasks for this subject. Please note this is a guide only. Assessment tasks are regularly updated, where there is a difference your Learning Guide takes precedence.
| Type | Length | Percent | Threshold | Individual/Group Task |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online Research and Learning Activities | Regular contribution to activities, totalling minimum 1,000 words | 20 | N | Individual |
| Oral Presentation | 10 minutes | 15 | N | Individual |
| Project: a written work or a digital creative or critical work with an exegesis | 3,000 words (or equivalent combination of digital work and written exegesis) | 65 | N | Individual |
Prescribed Texts
- Arthur, Paul Longley. History and New Media. London: Anthem Press, Scholarship in the Digital Age series, 2015.
Teaching Periods