General remarks
In this course you will dive into key emerging technologies, get to know their key characteristics and fields of application as well as important ethical considerations related to their implementation and use.
As to that, you will
- get to know my theoretically-grounded hypotheses on future technology and media,
- apply these learnings and and expertise gained in previous semesters to analyze an emergent technology,
- identify fields for application and as well as (ethical) implications,
- and present and discuss your findings in a presentation (solo).
Learning objectives
During this course, you should advance your skills in the following areas:
- understanding of the key characteristics of emerging technologies in general, the process and phases of technology emergence, as well as specific characteristics of emerging information technologies/digital technologies,
- knowledge of fields of application of current merging digital technologies, their impact on (information) systems used by individuals, organizations, and society, as well as media
- understanding of potentials and risks for individuals, economies and societies,
- communication of conclusions and the underlying knowledge,
- and social and ethical responsibilities in uncertain and ambiguous contexts.
Effort
You will gain 2 ECTS for this course. This equals approx. 60 hours workload, of which you need most to pass the course.
- Lectures (approx. 24 hours)
- Preparation (approx. 8 hours)
- Presentation (remaining time)
It is very important that you reserve enough time to attend the classes AND prepare your presentation (see Table 1 for details).
Examination
You will be graded on your understanding of emergent digital technologies, their characteristics and implications, and your ability to critically discuss these topics.
The examination will be oral (20 minutes).
Schedule
It is of importance that you prepare yourself for the sessions and work on the presentation continually. Please prepare your schedule accordingly.
| Date | Topic | Preparation |
|---|---|---|
| 09.10.25 | Administrivia & Introduction | — |
| 16.10.25 | H1 Multimodality and Immersion Pt. 1 |
— |
| 23.10.25 | H1 Multimodality and Immersion Pt. 2 |
Suh & Prophet (2018) |
| 30.10.25 | H1 Multimodality and Immersion Pt. 3 |
— |
| 06.11.25 | Self-study (consolidation) | — |
| 13.11.25 | H2 Intelligence and Affection Pt. 1 |
— |
| 20.11.25 | H2 Intelligence and Affection Pt. 2 |
— |
| 27.11.25 | H2 Intelligence and Affection Pt. 3 |
Dellermann et al. (2019) |
| 04.12.25 | H3 Interconnectedness and Distributivity Pt. 1 |
— |
| 11.12.25 | H3 Interconnectedness and Distributivity Pt. 2 |
Podcast1 |
| 18.12.25 | H3 Interconnectedness and Distributivity Pt. 3 |
— |
| 08.01.25 | H4 Mobility and Ubiquity Pt. 1 |
Podcast2 |
| 15.01.25 | H4 Mobility and Ubiquity Pt. 2 |
— |
| 22.01.25 | Exam Preparation | — |