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Readings

Module 1 (Utilitarianism)

Reading: “Justice” Chapter 2, “The Greatest Happiness Principle/Utilitarianism”
Post reading response 1

Assignment Details
Post a short (~300 word) response connecting ideas from the reading to the design of modern technology. How might you use concepts from Utilitarianism to inform design decisions? Where might it fall short? Include specific examples of existing or future technologies. At the end of your response, add 1 or 2 discussion questions for your peers. Your peers' responses will be visible to you after you have submitted your response. General syllabus guidelines for reading responses can be found here.
Submit Utilitarianism summary
Assignment Details
In small groups, write a collaborative summary of this week's ethical framework. First, discuss your reading responses together, including sharing the examples of connections to modern technology that you wrote about. Discuss what you think are the main principles of this framework. Then, copy the template below into a collaborative doc. Write a single group response to each of the prompts below (suggested length of approximately one paragraph per prompt). Submit your summary on Canvas by the end of class as a word doc or pdf. Only one copy needs to be submitted per group. Summaries are graded credit/no credit based on a good-faith engagement with the course materials. In rare instances, exceptional write-ups may receive extra credit.
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Moral Reasoning Framework:
Group Members:
- Describe the essence of this framework in one paragraph.
- To what extent does this framework prioritize: welfare, freedom, virtue, or relationships? Explain.
- Describe one way in which you think modern technologies frequently violate the principles of this framework.
- Describe one misunderstanding you had about this framework and why this misconception was incorrect.
Studio 1 at-home preparation

Assignment Details
In this week's in-class studio, you will be designing a gig economy platform grounded in Utilitarian principles. In preparation, use the Judgment Call card deck from class to generate three product reviews. Each student should write and submit their three reviews independently. When envisioning your product, its impact, and stakeholders’ responses, keep in mind that the platform is grounded in Utilitarian principles. How might these principles translate into features and how might these features shape stakeholders' experiences? Submit on Canvas before class, and then bring your three reviews to class to share with your group during studio.

Module 2 (Capabilities Approach)

Reading: “Creating Capabilities”
Post reading response 2

Assignment Details
Post a short (~300 word) response connecting ideas from the reading to the design of modern technology. How might you use concepts from the Capabilities Approach to inform design decisions? Where might it fall short? Include specific examples of existing or future technologies. At the end of your response, add 1 or 2 discussion questions for your peers. Your peers' responses will be visible to you after you have submitted your response. General syllabus guidelines for reading responses can be found here.
Submit Capabilities Approach summary
Assignment Details
In small groups, write a collaborative summary of this week's ethical framework. First, discuss your reading responses together, including sharing the examples of connections to modern technology that you wrote about. Discuss what you think are the main principles of this framework. Then, copy the template below into a collaborative doc. Write a single group response to each of the prompts below (suggested length of approximately one paragraph per prompt). Submit your summary on Canvas by the end of class as a word doc or pdf. Only one copy needs to be submitted per group. Summaries are graded credit/no credit based on a good-faith engagement with the course materials. In rare instances, exceptional write-ups may receive extra credit.
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Moral Reasoning Framework:
Group Members:
- Describe the essence of this framework in one paragraph.
- To what extent does this framework prioritize: welfare, freedom, virtue, or relationships? Explain.
- Contrast this framework to at least one other we have discussed this quarter.
- Describe one way in which you think modern technologies frequently violate the principles of this framework.
- Describe one misunderstanding you had about this framework and why this misconception was incorrect.
Studio 2 at-home preparation

Assignment Details
For your assigned stakeholder group, go through each of Nussbaum’s 10 capabilities and brainstorm how the type of IoT device you selected might impact this capability for this group. Submit your brainstorm as a single file. This can include a screenshot or photo of a wall of clustered post-its, a doc with a set of bulleted lists (one for each capability), a photo of a set of index cards, or any other form that captures your ideas. Make sure your ideas are all visible and legible. Submit this file on Canvas and bring it to the next class session to share with your group.

Module 3 (Libertarianism)

Reading: “Justice” Chapter 3, “Do We Own Ourselves?”
Post reading response 3

Assignment Details
Post a short (~300 word) response connecting ideas from the reading to the design of modern technology. How might you use concepts from Libertarianism to inform design decisions? Where might it fall short? Include specific examples of existing or future technologies. At the end of your response, add 1 or 2 discussion questions for your peers. Your peers' responses will be visible to you after you have submitted your response. General syllabus guidelines for reading responses can be found here.
Submit Libertarianism summary
Assignment Details
In small groups, write a collaborative summary of this week's ethical framework. First, discuss your reading responses together, including sharing the examples of connections to modern technology that you wrote about. Discuss what you think are the main principles of this framework. Then, copy the template below into a collaborative doc. Write a single group response to each of the prompts below (suggested length of approximately one paragraph per prompt). Submit your summary on Canvas by the end of class as a word doc or pdf. Only one copy needs to be submitted per group. Summaries are graded credit/no credit based on a good-faith engagement with the course materials. In rare instances, exceptional write-ups may receive extra credit.
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Moral Reasoning Framework:
Group Members:
- Describe the essence of this framework in one paragraph.
- To what extent does this framework prioritize: welfare, freedom, virtue, or relationships? Explain.
- Contrast this framework to at least one other we have discussed this quarter.
- Describe one way in which you think modern technologies frequently violate the principles of this framework.
- Describe one misunderstanding you had about this framework and why this misconception was incorrect.
Studio 3 at-home preparation
Assignment Details
This week, you will be designing a neighborhood safety app grounded in Libertarian principles. In preparation for studio, collect some data from potential users or indirect stakeholders:
- Write out all of prompts that your group selected during the warm-up activity in class. Write down the two options for each prompt so that it easy to vote for one or the other
- Ask at least five (and preferably more!) people to vote on your scenarios. Have each person cast a vote for each scenario. If they are willing to share their thoughts, ask them to describe their reasoning and take notes on why they voted the way they did
Submit a photo, table, or other documentation on Canvas that shows your prompts and the votes for each. Bring this data to class to share during studio, along with any notes you took about people’s perspectives.

Module 4 (Deontology)

Reading: “Justice” Chapter 5, “What Matters is the Motive”
Post reading response 4

Assignment Details
Post a short (~300 word) response connecting ideas from the reading to the design of modern technology. How might you use concepts from Deontology (Kantian Ethics) to inform design decisions? Where might it fall short? Include specific examples of existing or future technologies. At the end of your response, add 1 or 2 discussion questions for your peers. Your peers' responses will be visible to you after you have submitted your response. General syllabus guidelines for reading responses can be found here.
Submit Deontology summary
Assignment Details
In small groups, write a collaborative summary of this week's ethical framework. First, discuss your reading responses together, including sharing the examples of connections to modern technology that you wrote about. Discuss what you think are the main principles of this framework. Then, copy the template below into a collaborative doc. Write a single group response to each of the prompts below (suggested length of approximately one paragraph per prompt). Submit your summary on Canvas by the end of class as a word doc or pdf. Only one copy needs to be submitted per group. Summaries are graded credit/no credit based on a good-faith engagement with the course materials. In rare instances, exceptional write-ups may receive extra credit.
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Moral Reasoning Framework:
Group Members:
- Describe the essence of this framework in one paragraph.
- To what extent does this framework prioritize: welfare, freedom, virtue, or relationships? Explain.
- Contrast this framework to at least one other we have discussed this quarter.
- Describe one way in which you think modern technologies frequently violate the principles of this framework.
- Describe one misunderstanding you had about this framework and why this misconception was incorrect.
Studio 4 at-home preparation

Assignment Details
This week, you will be designing an online dating app grounded in the principles of deontology. In preparation for studio, from the end of class on Tuesday until the start of class on Thursday, keep a sketch journal. Throughout the day, think of features or design concepts that would (or wouldn’t!) be a good fit for your app. When ideas come to you, quickly sketch them in your journal. Add a few words to help you remember the most important parts of your idea. Your drawings do not need to look nice! The goal is to think expansively and to capture your thoughts.
Your journal should include at least 20 sketches. Before class on Thursday, choose three designs and apply the universalize-your-maxim test to each one. For each one, write one sentence describing whether you think the feature passes or fails the test and why. Submit a single file on Canvas that includes photos of all sketches, indicates which three features you attempted to universalize, and the results of each of these three tests. Bring this content to class on Thursday to share with your teammates.
Select final project team
- See this page for full final project details.

Module 5 (Virtue Ethics)

Technology and the Virtues, Introduction
PLUS, choose on of:
- Aristotelian Ethics: “Justice” Chapter 8, “Who Deserves What?/Aristotle”
- Confucian Ethics: “Kongzi and Virtue Ethics”
Post reading response 5

Assignment Details
Post a short (~300 word) response connecting ideas from the reading to the design of modern technology. How might you use concepts from Virtue Ethics to inform design decisions? Where might it fall short? Include specific examples of existing or future technologies. At the end of your response, add 1 or 2 discussion questions for your peers. Your peers' responses will be visible to you after you have submitted your response. General syllabus guidelines for reading responses can be found here.
Submit Virtue Ethics summary
Assignment Details
In small groups, write a collaborative summary of this week's ethical framework. First, discuss your reading responses together, including sharing the examples of connections to modern technology that you wrote about. Discuss what you think are the main principles of this framework. Then, copy the template below into a collaborative doc. Write a single group response to each of the prompts below (suggested length of approximately one paragraph per prompt). Submit your summary on Canvas by the end of class as a word doc or pdf. Only one copy needs to be submitted per group. Summaries are graded credit/no credit based on a good-faith engagement with the course materials. In rare instances, exceptional write-ups may receive extra credit.
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Moral Reasoning Framework:
Group Members:
- Describe the essence of this framework in one paragraph.
- To what extent does this framework prioritize: welfare, freedom, virtue, or relationships? Explain.
- Contrast this framework to at least one other we have discussed this quarter.
- Describe one way in which you think modern technologies frequently violate the principles of this framework.
- Describe one misunderstanding you had about this framework and why this misconception was incorrect.
Studio 5 at-home preparation

Assignment Details
This week in studio, you will be designing a social media platform that supports people in cultivating virtue according to a telos specified by your group. In preparation for studio, your team will collect data from potential users of your platform.
Interview at least one person using the interview protocol you designed in class. Your interview should take between 10 and 25 minutes. Record and transcribe your interviewee’s responses, removing anything that is personally identifiable from the transcript. Submit your transcript as a document on Canvas. Bring your transcript to class to share with your team.
Select final project target technology
- See this page for full final project details.

Module 6 (Ethics of Care)

Readings: An Ethic of Care
Post reading response 6

Assignment Details
Post a short (~300 word) response connecting ideas from the reading to the design of modern technology. How might you use concepts from Ethics of Care inform design decisions? Where might it fall short? Include specific examples of existing or future technologies. At the end of your response, add 1 or 2 discussion questions for your peers. Your peers' responses will be visible to you after you have submitted your response. General syllabus guidelines for reading responses can be found here.
Submit Virtue Ethics summary
Assignment Details
In small groups, write a collaborative summary of this week's ethical framework. First, discuss your reading responses together, including sharing the examples of connections to modern technology that you wrote about. Discuss what you think are the main principles of this framework. Then, copy the template below into a collaborative doc. Write a single group response to each of the prompts below (suggested length of approximately one paragraph per prompt). Submit your summary on Canvas by the end of class as a word doc or pdf. Only one copy needs to be submitted per group. Summaries are graded credit/no credit based on a good-faith engagement with the course materials. In rare instances, exceptional write-ups may receive extra credit.
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Moral Reasoning Framework:
Group Members:
- Describe the essence of this framework in one paragraph.
- To what extent does this framework prioritize: welfare, freedom, virtue, or relationships? Explain.
- Contrast this framework to at least one other we have discussed this quarter.
- Describe one way in which you think modern technologies frequently violate the principles of this framework.
- Describe one misunderstanding you had about this framework and why this misconception was incorrect.
Studio 6 at-home preparation
Assignment Details
This week in studio, you will be designing an eCommerce platform (like Amazon, eBay, Etsy, or Target) with consideration for Care Ethic principles. In preparation, complete this mindful usage exercise in which you observe your own interactions with the eCommerce platform you use most frequently.
- Print or open the Mindful Usage template on Canvas and use it to take notes
- Go to the eCommerce app or website you use most frequently (if you never make purchases online use Amazon for this exercise)
- Use the platform as you normally do, paying attention both to the activities you are performing and to what you are experiencing in your mind and body as you perform them. Use this information to notice your habitual patterns of behavior, what motivates them, and how these patterns affect you. Take notes as you do so
- After you have finished, go back and reflect on how your usage experience might affect your ability to practice a Care Ethic. For example, at each step, what care are you receiving and from whom? What care needs are you noticing and what care needs are you oblivious to? Who are you connected to through your usage? How does the platform support or impeded your ability to practice attentiveness, responsibility, competence, responsiveness?
Submit a single file on Canvas with your template and your reflection. If you feel that anything you have written is too personal to share, you may redact it from the version you submit. Bring this output to class to use during studio.
Final project proposal
Assignment Details
Next, submit a proposal that includes:
- The name of the technology you will redesigning
- A summary why you feel the product is evil, drawing on the frameworks we have covered so far
- Your plan for (remotely) soliciting user input to guide your redesign remotely with a few users
- A copy of the materials you will use for gathering user input (e.g., interview guides, survey questions, observation procedures, etc.)
Your proposal report should be less than 2 pages. The accompanying materials should be added at the end as an appendix and can be any length.
See this page for full final project details.

Module 7 (Pragmatism)

Readings: How to be a Pragmatist
Post reading response 7

Assignment Details
Post a short (~300 word) response connecting ideas from the reading to the design of modern technology. How might you use pragmatism to inform design decisions? Include specific examples of existing or future technologies. At the end of your response, add 1 or 2 discussion questions for your peers. Your peers' responses will be visible to you after you have submitted your response. General syllabus guidelines for reading responses can be found here.
Submit Pragmatism summary
Assignment Details
In small groups, write a collaborative summary of this week's ethical framework. First, discuss your reading responses together, including sharing the examples of connections to modern technology that you wrote about. Discuss what you think are the main principles of this framework. Then, copy the template below into a collaborative doc. Write a single group response to each of the prompts below (suggested length of approximately one paragraph per prompt). Submit your summary on Canvas by the end of class as a word doc or pdf. Only one copy needs to be submitted per group. Summaries are graded credit/no credit based on a good-faith engagement with the course materials. In rare instances, exceptional write-ups may receive extra credit.
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Moral Reasoning Framework:
Group Members:
- Describe the essence of this framework in one paragraph.
- To what extent does this framework prioritize: welfare, freedom, virtue, or relationships? Explain.
- Contrast this framework to at least one other we have discussed this quarter.
- Describe one way in which you think modern technologies frequently violate the principles of this framework.
- Describe one misunderstanding you had about this framework and why this misconception was incorrect.
Studio 7 at-home preparation

Assignment Details
Take the questions you drafted in class and pose them to two different people. Do your best to solicit opinions from a diverse group of people. Take notes on their responses. Submit a single file on Canvas describing who you talked to (keeping this not personally identifiable) and each person’s responses. Bring this data to class to use during studio.
Final project draft
Assignment Details
Submit a working draft of your final project poster and report that includes:
- A first draft of your design critique
- A summary of input from users
- Sketches or other representations of your design progress
See this page for full final project details.

Design Pattern Presentation

In your introductory classes, you delved into the concept of dark patterns in design. Leveraging that knowledge, your task is to identify and analyze real-world examples of these dark patterns. You will showcase your findings in a detailed presentation. For guidance on the presentation format and requirements, please refer to this page.

Final Project

Your final project is a culmination of the skills and knowledge you’ve acquired. As laid out below, it consists of several key components, each integral to your overall assessment. To ensure you meet all the criteria and understand the expectations, please see this page for a complete breakdown of the project requirements and submission details.

Final project presentation slides
Final project report: There is no mandatory word count, but it is suggested that your report be between 2000-3000 words.
Final project peer feedback: Fill out one paper copy of the peer feedback form for EACH team that is presenting on the day you are not presenting (i.e., either 5 or 6 forms). Take one or more photos and upload them on Canvas before handing the feedback form to the presenting team.