Hey Matt, This is a neat idea. Reading your description, one thing that occurs to me is that you could also devote some energy to "Open Data." A lot of the most interesting examples of "Computing and Activism" I'm seeing lately are in the open data, open government, etc. space vs. open source. A lot of the work with regard to activism and software is historical, whereas the work to free data is just starting to catch fire.
I've CC'ed two people I know who are doing a ton of work in this area, Greg Wilson at U of T (also a member other the list, see http://pyre.third-bit.com/blog/archives/category/gov20), and David Eaves (see http://eaves.ca/). I think the work around open data has the potential to do as much and more than open source. One of the reasons for this is that it allows a more diverse set of players to get involved in the game (e.g., you don't have to be a programmer). Also, since you're doing this work in the context of a writing course, allow me to plug my own recent work trying to define open data: http://vocamus.net/dave/?p=661 and http://vocamus.net/dave/?page_id=741 Let us know how it goes, Matt. Dave Matthew Jadud wrote: > Hello all, > > Allegheny College has a Freshman Seminar (FS) program that all > first-year students take part in[1]. The program is about fundamentals > pertaining to writing, oral presentation, academic advising (students > in my FS101 are my advisees until they declare a major), and life at > college. Topically, we are free to chose the content area. As it turns > out, I will be teaching an FS this coming semester. (This was not > certain until recently.) Further, Allegheny has leveraged "theme > years" in the past (being new, I don't have a sense for the history). > This year is the "Year of Social Change."[2] > > Since I have to put together a blurb for a course (today, Wednesday), > I thought I'd throw out the blurb for a quick bit of feedback from the > community. My intention is for it to be taught at the same time as a > colleague is teaching an FS over in art titled "Art and Activism." > This way, some of the larger themes regarding activism and social > change can be explored as a combined group. Readings for our FS might > include some or all of "Democratizing Innovation," "Cathedral & The > Bazaar," readings from Wenger regarding communities of practice, > scholarly articles on technology and social change[3], and other > sources (feel free to suggest, online or otherwise) will likely form > our core. > > My intention is that throughout the semester, there will be a second > arch (which nicely ties into learning to communicate effectively) > where we might join an open community and engage with their > documentation efforts---recommendations as to where might be best to > engage are welcome. (I am not an active member at this time of any > *large* open communities, and barring any better suggestions, I'll > engage with the Fedora or Mozilla communities, as the students are > most likely to be familiar with either/both of those.) > > Blurb follows; feedback welcome. All standard legal disclaimers apply, > IANAL, etc. > > Cheers, > Matt > > FS 102 - Computing and Activism > > Investigates social change, justice, and activism as it relates to > historical and modern uses computational technology. Our touchstone > throughout the semester will be the "open source" movement---software, > hardware, documentation, and art created to be given away, freely, by > volunteers around the planet. We will investigate issues surrounding > secure communications in oppressive regimes, the role of closed and > open services in social systems (political, economic, and others, at > home and abroad), and how we as individuals are able to make a > difference in this space. Along with academic study and reflection > regarding open communities (through written assignments and oral > presentations), we will actively join and contribute to one of these > large communities to experience how we, as individuals, are empowered > to change the world. > > [1] http://learningcommons.allegheny.edu/faculty/fs/ > [2] http://sites.allegheny.edu/yearofsocialchange/ > [3] http://www.gilbert.org/journals/JITSC/ > _______________________________________________ > tos mailing list > [email protected] > http://teachingopensource.org/mailman/listinfo/tos _______________________________________________ tos mailing list [email protected] http://teachingopensource.org/mailman/listinfo/tos
