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 emergent technologies,
- 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 (15-20 minutes).
Grading
The assessment criterion are:
- Understanding of key characteristics, emergence processes, and technology-specific features
- Fields of application and impact on individuals, organizations, society, and media
- Critical evaluation of opportunities and threats and ethical implications;
- Argumentation, particularly clarity, structure, and evidence-based reasoning
- Reflection, particularly regarding synthesis of course content, application of prior knowledge, social/ethical responsibility
Given the questions asked during the oral exam, an excellent performance …
- demonstrates comprehensive understanding of emergence phases and technology characteristics; independently identifies patterns across different technologies; provides nuanced explanations of what makes technologies “emerging”
- identifies diverse, relevant application fields; analyzes multi-level impacts (individual/organizational/societal) with concrete examples; demonstrates systems thinking in impact assessment
- shows balanced, nuanced analysis of potentials and risks; articulates complex ethical dilemmas; demonstrates awareness of uncertainty and ambiguity; considers multiple stakeholder perspectives
- gives clear, well-structured responses; arguments grounded in theory and evidence; uses appropriate technical terminology; adapts communication to questions
- seamlessly integrates theoretical frameworks from course with prior knowledge; demonstrates reflexive understanding of social and ethical responsibilities; shows independent critical thinking
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 | — |