Topic outline

  • This Year's Theme: Data as the Lifeblood of Digital Revolution

    Data is the lifeblood of all digital systems, yet we often tend to think about data narrowly as facts that are fed into analytics or, more generally, information systems. Such a ‘standard’ view is useful for analyzing phenomena through data but it obscures the diversity of ways in which data are involved and implicated in human practices. In this course, we learn about two key ways in which information systems discipline perceives data and how different ways to study data and data-based phenomena allow us to answer important questions that emerge in increasingly datafied settings.

    In particular, we approach data as technological artifacts and look for ways to answer questions such as:

    • How are new kinds of valuable data created?
    • How do data give rise to novel commodities?
    • How do employees cope with data in their environment?
    • How do data render important social categories such as gender differently?

    You will study these and other similar questions to understand how data renders our world in new ways and how to design better data for business and society.

    Course Teacher: Assistant professor Aleksi Aaltonen, Temple University. 

    NOTE! This course is not about how to do data science and analytics; although we touch upon these topics and activities to some extent, our interest is in the stuff that feeds these activities among other things.

    Program

    Thursday, 5 May: Approaches to studying data, 

    Place: Konemiehentie 2, Tietotekniikka, T6 A136

    10:00–10:15

    Introduction and administrative matters

    10:15–12:00

    What is the study of data? Why should we study data? How does it differ from data science and analytics?

    12:00–13:00

    Lunch break

    13:00–13:30

    The factual view of data and its shortcomings

    13:30–14:00

    Individual ideation session: Think differently about a particular data source or data

    14:00–14:30

    One slide presentations and discussion

    14:30–14:45

    Short break

    14:45–15:45

    The artifactual view of data

    15:45–16:00

    Expectations for the final report and presentation, group formation

    Friday, 6 May: Developing your own take on data

    Place: Väre, School of Arts, M202

    10:00–11:00

    Emerging questions in datafied society

    11:00–11:30

    Research paper as academic storytelling

    11:30–12:30

    Lunch break

    12:30–13:30

    Group ideation session: Homing in on the group report topic

    13:30–14:00

    One slide presentations and discussion

    14:00–14:15

    Short break

    14:15–14:45

    Toward managerially and societally relevant data research

    14:45–15:00

    Assigning homework readings for Monday

    Monday, 9 May: Feedback on your initial group ideas to be developed further

    Place: Konemiehentie 2, Tietotekniikka, T6 A136

    10:00–10:15

    Expectations for the day

    10:15–12:00

    Homework presentations

    12:00–13:00

    Lunch break

    13:00–13:30

    Instructor feedback on the group ideas

    13:30–15:00

    Group ideation session: Improving the group report ideas

    15:00–15:45

    One slide presentations and discussion

    15:45–16:00

    Closing and plan for the rest of the course

    Friday, 20 May: Team presentations

    Place: Ekonominaukio 1, Business School, T004 - T004

    9 – 13:00

    Draft Paper Presentations (actual length depends on the number of groups)

     

    You will present your draft paper on Friday, 20 May and I will give you further feedback. The final report is due on Friday, 3 June.