Overview
Comment:add some clarifications to first assignment
Timelines: family | ancestors | descendants | both | revise-for-2022
Files: files | file ages | folders
SHA3-256: 2d4dccddf2b46ee6c3bd998e975123f7781c72cc76c3723b7a443fcb2193d642
User & Date: jboy on 2022-03-29 15:12:56
Other Links: branch diff | manifest | tags
Context
2022-03-30
09:30
fix due date for assignment 3 and add tutorial content check-in: 8f604d263d user: jboy tags: revise-for-2022
2022-03-29
15:12
add some clarifications to first assignment check-in: 2d4dccddf2 user: jboy tags: revise-for-2022
15:05
add CTL scandal reading check-in: 5882fc1f16 user: jboy tags: revise-for-2022
Changes

Modified docs/assignments/1.md from [497350ffd1] to [c4b3048c97].

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13

14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23

24













-
+









-
+
# Assignment 1: Data Walk

Due date
: April 25, 15:00

The goal of this assignment is to sensitize you to the ways in which data is continually produced in contemporary social settings. In another context we might talk about the *opportunities* this holds for social researchers, many of whom have welcomed the "data deluge" as an opportunity to invent new ways of knowing the social. In the context of this class, however, we will mostly discuss its ethical implications---the ways in which the research process is shot through with ethical concerns when it takes place in data-saturated environments.

Canadian media scholar [Alison Powell](https://www.alisonpowell.ca/?page_id=71) came up with the idea for **data walkshops** with the express purpose of "opening up civic discussions about data and its ethics within urban space." A variation on the ethnographic go-along method, it has been adopted by scholars around the world, including the [Centre for BOLD Cities](https://www.centre-for-bold-cities.nl/projects/data-walks) in our own region.

In this assignment, you will plan, carry out and report on a data walk. Each student will submit **a brief report** (around 600 words) with supporting materials such as maps, photographs and notes taken en route.

During the walk, you will focus on _data hubs_: objects or sites that collect data. Examples include customer loyalty cards, ATMs, traffic cameras, RIFD tracking systems, OV chip card scanners, QR codes, parking meters, air quality meters, but the list could go on and on.

Under "normal circumstances" a data walk would involve a small group of 6--8 people taking on different roles, such as navigator, note-taker or photographer. For the purposes of this assignment, you should only involve one other person, such as a roommate or family member. Plan your walk someplace convenient, for instance in your own neighborhood, and restrict it to about one hour.
Under "normal circumstances" a data walk would involve a small group of 6--8 people taking on different roles, such as navigator, note-taker or photographer. For the purposes of this assignment, you should only involve one other person, such as a roommate or family member. Plan your walk someplace convenient, for instance in your own neighborhood, and restrict it to about one hour. You may also ride by bike, but we advise not to drive unless you or your participant is unable to be mobile in other ways.

Your report should address the planning, execution and your reflection on the data walk. You may take the following points as a guide as you complete the assignment:

1. **Plan your walking route ahead of time.** Make a map or list some landmarks you intend to pass on your walk.
2. **What will you look for?** Which data hubs do you expect to encounter along the way?
3. **Collect evidence.** Take pictures or bring back objects from your walk.
4. **Tell a story.** Why did you walk where you walked? What was an important thread that you decided to follow? What did you learn about your environment? Did the other participant in your walkshop see things differently?
5. **Discuss the results.** How visible are the data hubs you spotted? What kinds of data do they collect? Who owns the data? Where are they stored? What value might they bring to you or others? What do you think are the "costs" of data collection---in terms of the technology required for its collection, the likely environmental impact, encroachments on privacy, or possible "chilling effects"?

Please write your report in clear and coherent prose. Use proper references as needed.
Please write your report in clear and coherent prose. The format should resemble a fieldnote memo rather than an academic paper. Use proper references as needed.