The Course

In this introductory course in Information Technology and Communication we focus on the relationship between technologies of information and our experience of them. Technological transformations shape our: 1.) Individual sense of identity; 2.) Our communication in every environment be it personal or public i.e., home or the workplace; 3.) Our sense of community as physical boundaries become meaningless; and 4.) Our sense of institutions as global relationships interconnect and shape our most local economies and structures of power.

When you complete this course you should have a clearer understanding of IT in the larger context of how it affects every dimension of our lives not just how it works. We look at a past technology, the book and how it shapes thinking and the way we organize ourselves. We look at a present technology, WWWeblife, and how it shapes identity and community. We look at a future technology, the metaverse, and speculate on its impact. We can't predict the future, but we can influence it by the decisions we make today. Our purpose is to understand change and the challenges we face as we prepare for its imminent and reliable arrival. Tough issues such as intellectual and artistic property, privacy, security and the first amendment will be addressed in relation to our core issues of identity and community.