CourseSpecifications
Valid as from the academic year 2024-2025

The Information Society and ICT (E076320)

Course size
Credits 3.0(nominal values; actual values may depend on programme)
Study time 90 h

Course offerings and teaching methods in academic year 2024-2025
A (semester 2)
Dutch
Gent

Lecturers in academic year 2024-2025
Evens, Tom
Sterckx, Sigrid
Van Bauwel, Sofie
Verhenneman, Griet
Mannens, Erik
Bourgonjon, Jeroen

group work
lecture

PS01
LW01
PS01
RE23
TW06
PS01

staff member
staff member
staff member
staff member
lecturer-in-charge
co-lecturer

Offered in the following programmes in 2024-2025
crdts
Bachelor of Science in Engineering(main subject Computer Science Engineering)3
Master of Science in Teaching in Science and Technology(main subject Physics and3Astronomy)
Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (main subject Communication and Information 3Technology )Master of Science in Electromechanical Engineering(main subject Control Engineering and 3Automation)
Master of Science in Electromechanical Engineering(main subject Electrical Power3Engineering)
Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (main subject Electronic Circuits and Systems)
3
Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research(main subject3Manufacturing and Supply Chain Engineering)Master of Science in Electromechanical Engineering(main subject Maritime Engineering)3
Master of Science in Electromechanical Engineering(main subject Mechanical
3Construction)
Master of Science in Electromechanical Engineering(main subject Mechanical Energy3Engineering)
Master of Science in Communication Science(main subject New Media and Society)3
Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research(main subject
3
Transport and Mobility Engineering)
Master of Science in Chemical Engineering3
Master of Science in Chemical Engineering3
Master of Science in Civil Engineering3
Master of Science in Civil Engineering3
Master of Science in Engineering Physics
3
Master of Science in Engineering Physics
3
Master of Science in Fire Safety Engineering3
Master of Science in Industrial Design Engineering Technology
3
Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research
3
Master of Science in Information Engineering Technology
3
Master of Science in Materials Engineering3
Master of Science in Physics and Astronomy
3
Master of Science in Sustainable Materials Engineering3(Approved)

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15.0hoffering
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1

Teaching languages
Dutch
Keywords
information society, ICT, innovation, digital technology, internet, sustainability
Position of the course
Today digital innovation is mainly spoken of in extremes: either one believes that thanks torobots we will never again have to work in unhealthy and dangerous situations, others areafraid that artificial intelligence will cause massive unemployment. According to some, Big Data
will help us to cure diseases, whereas others fear that soon we will all just be struggling tocheck our health status via smartphones. In short, while technology can make people's lives
healthier, happier, safer, and more prosperous, digitization is also leading to new social,economic, privacy, and ethical challenges.
Whether it concerns robotisation, the rise of artificial intelligence, or the physical fusion of man
and machine, a number of questions always return: What is the possible impact of thisinnovation on the individual and society? And how do we ensure that everyone benefits fromthis technology?
To answer these questions, there is a need for a sustainable vision on innovation, which takes
into account the relationship between individual, technology, and society. Sustainable
innovation not only focuses on what is economically, socially, legally, culturally, and medicallypossible, but also searches for what is desirable for all stakeholders.
In this course, students are given (a) an interdisciplinary and multi-perspective thinking
framework to reflect on the long-term effects of technological innovation, and (b) concrete tools
for sustainable digital innovation based on this analysis for the overall benefit of people andsociety.
Contents
In this course, students learn to approach technological innovation issues in an interdisciplinary
and multi-perspective manner, with the aim of exploring the possibilities and challenges of new
digital technologies and setting the beacons for desirable innovation projects that serve bothindividual people and society as a whole.
In the first lesson, students learn about the importance of sustainable digital innovation and areprovided with a broad frame of thought with which they can reflect on the long-term effects oftechnological innovations on people and society. Students are divided into groups and choosea real-life use case that they will analyze with the taught frame of mind, elaborate in writing,and present orally (e.g., an AI decision support system for emergency doctors, or a new app to
track social distancing).
In the following lessons, each time a partial aspect of the conceptual framework is explained indetail by the subject matter expert at hand from the economic, social, philosophy and ethics,
law, and engineering sciences. These experts teach students how they approach innovation
issues of this kind in their specific research and practice interests, after which they take thetime to reflect with the students on the different real-life group cases. Finally, each lesson also
discusses a number of technological techniques take into account the concerns of the subject
expert of the day (e.g., privacy-preserving or bias-free AI techniques). In this way, the students
broaden their perspective on digital innovation lesson after lesson and are provided with tools
to realize sustainable technological solutions.
In the last lesson, all insights in the field of innovation research are integrated and repeated.
This lesson also teaches communicative and educational techniques that enable students tocommunicate their key findings in a clear and comprehensible manner to various stakeholders
in the innovation process.
At the end of the class, students are required to give an oral presentation of their written groupwork. This approach helps students to:• Advise policy makers on the long-term effects of digitization• Help entrepreneurs develop applications that are market and society proof• Support researchers to create greater social impact
Initial competences
Bachelor degree
Final competences
1 To be able to paint a coherent and substantiated picture of disruptive technologies.
(Approved)22 To articulate the benefits of sustainable innovation for various stakeholders.
3 To reflect on and anticipate the long-term effects of digitization.
4 Being able to formulate a desirable future image supported by certain/all stakeholders.
5 To support stakeholders in their digital innovation processes.
Conditions for credit contract
Access to this course unit via a credit contract is determined after successful competences assessment
Conditions for exam contract
This course unit cannot be taken via an exam contract
Teaching methods
Group work, Seminar, Lecture
Extra information on the teaching methods• Lecture: each lecture focuses on a new angle in digital innovation.
• Group discussion: during each lecture, a concrete case is discussed and technologically• tested.
• Group work: the students independently develop a case that includes every perspective• presented (economic, socio-cultural, ethical, legal, philosophical and technological).
Study material
NoneReferences
Course content-related study coaching
Assessment moments
end-of-term and continuous assessment
Examination methods in case of periodic assessment during the first examination period
Oral assessment, Assignment
Examination methods in case of periodic assessment during the second examination period
Oral assessment, Assignment
Examination methods in case of permanent assessment
Participation, Assignment
Possibilities of retake in case of permanent assessment
examination during the second examination period is possible
Extra information on the examination methods• Periodic evaluation: presentation of the group assignment (in a video format)• Non-periodic evaluation: assessment of group work and interim assignments.
Calculation of the examination mark• Examination 20%• Group work: 80%(Approved)3