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requirements

Peering Through the Artificial Looking Glass: AI and the Middle East

registration

Registration in Campus Management (or if applicable via your dedicated Office for Academic Affairs) is required in order to attend the course.

attendance and participation

Technically and administratively, there is a difference between regular and active attendance at Freie Universität’s courses. For this course, no regular attendance is required; however, it is strongly recommended to not miss more than three sessions – act on your own responsibility. Active participation in the discussions and contributions to the respective assignments are required; no less than 3 discussion sessions may be missed for active participation. Being “active” means paying attention and participating within your own capabilities, not being “talkative.”

Given that there is no attendance requirement, you also don’t have to apologize for an absence from a meeting in advance or after.

readings

For each discussion session, students are expected to complete the required reading.

Kate Crawford’s text is recommended for physical or digital purchase. The goal is to have read the text in its entirety by the end of the semester – we will negotiate during our sessions what “reading” means 😉

The “topics” given for each session are suggestions that may facilitate reading and discussion. Students are not required to follow them.

active participation – contributions

Student contributions on the course blog are required to get the most out of this seminar. For active participation, students would need to do 7 out of 10 assignments. By actively posting your own analysis and engaging with your peers, you will deepen your critical thinking and find opportunities to apply course concepts beyond our discussions.

Apart from the weekly assignements, please consider making a few of the following contributions over the term:

  • before session blog comments: students post a substantive comment on the upcoming week’s reading by Monday 6 PM before we meet; this previews issues to discuss.
  • after session blog comments: students post a follow-up comment connecting the reading/discussion by Wednesday 6 PM after we met; this extends the conversation.
  • critical response comments: after major discussions, students post a reflection responding to a point/critique raised during the session that they want to analyze further.
  • discussion questions: students post thoughtful discussion questions on the readings to keep the conversation going online between sessions.
  • multimedia: students find and analyze relevant multimedia (podcasts, videos, art, etc) through blog posts to connect themes to current issues.
  • profile posts: students research and profile disability advocacy groups or activists working in the region; this sheds light on strategies for change.
  • case study posts: students select a country or issue and reflect on it using Crawford’s framework, sharing their thoughts in a blog post.
  • book review: students read and review a supplementary scholarly text relevant to the themes of the course, summarizing key ideas in a blog post.
  • end-of-course reflection blog comment: by Wednesday 24.7.2024 6 PM, please post a reflective comment synthesizing your key learnings and takeaways from the course. You may reflect on course themes and texts, session discussions, your own contributions, open questions you still have, and how this seminar has impacted your perspectives and thinking. These reflections will provide closure to our learning community and capture growth over the term.

forms of blog contributions

This blog serves as a platform for sharing thoughts and opinions on the topics discussed. You are welcome to share your insights, reflections and views on the content discussed in the blog. Posts may be made anonymously or by name and should be concise, with a recommended length of approximately 200–300 words to promote focused discussion. Please keep in mind that posts should be critical and questioning to allow for a diverse discussion of the topics.

Weekly contributions are to be submitted in the form of comments on the respective blog posts. The comment feature allows you to share your ideas, respond to other posts, and add depth to discussions. Reading and questioning the thoughts and viewpoints of fellow students and engaging in respectful dialogue is encouraged. Blog discussions help to gather diverse perspectives and insights, and to broaden shared understanding of the issues being addressed.

Thank you for your active participation and I look forward to following your posts and discussions here.

flow of he course

The course is designed with weeks dedicated to readings. This means, we – the group of students and me – only meet for the discussion sessions on campus in 2.2058.

I imagine the on-campus sessions with me as in-depth discussion – primarily among the students and not only with the lecturer – of the reading including individual terms as well as the blog comments. There will be no presentations or other supporting material from my end, except for the blog.

module examination

None. As per the new examination regulations valid as of winter semester 2023/2024.