Computing – How humans and technology connect

Assignment Task: Essay

“Actor Network theory is a suitable theory for describing how humans and technology connect” Discuss this statement by following the tasks below.

Select TWO computing news stories of your choice, published anytime between 01/09/2016 and 30/12/2016. Analyse these using Actor Network Theory.

Your analysis should be written as an essay, and include the following points:

• A definition of Actor Network Theory including the key terms actant, assemblage and network

? Name and categorise the main actants in your stories. Describe how they are connecting to and “acting” upon other actants in the assemblage. Include the connection between the hardware and software actants, as well as other types of actants.

? Describe how the actions of the software actants can enhance management functions for both computing news stories.

? Discuss some of advantages/disadvantages of the constant use of both computing and the internet in modern society. To do this, compare and contrast the viewpoints of a range of theorists and critics explored throughout the module.

? Conclude by summarising how your answers relate to the statement “Actor Network theory is a suitable theory for describing how humans and technology connect”.

? Add an appendix which includes definitions of at least four computing terms or concepts used in your assignment. One of these terms MUST be software.

Deliverables

Your content will follow the structure outlined on page 3.

Task 1 is worth 100% of the total marks for the module. The marking criteria is outlined on pages below.
Suggested essay structure

Cover Page
Assignment title, module code, student name, student number and submission date.

Table of Contents

A list of headings and page numbers.

Introduction
How will you introduce your essay?
Tell your reader the aim of this assignment and how you intend to go about discussing or proving this aim. What else will you be telling your reader. No definitions here. Just describe in very general terms what you will be doing.

Main Body
Define Actor Network Theory
What type of theory is it? Who developed it? What does the term actant mean? What does the term assemblage mean? Here you will need to include in-text citations with your references properly laid out in your references section. The format you must follow is Harvard Referencing format.

Apply Actor Network Theory to Computing Story 1
Don’t retell your story. State your story in one or two sentences with in-text citations. Include the news story in your references section using correct Harvard Referencing format. You must apply Actor Network Theory to your story now. This means that you are describing the connections between actants and what happens as a result of these connections. To do this identify your actants, and categorise their scale, i.e. digital, software, hardware, human, cultural, structural and describe and analyse how some of these actants are acting on each other (the push/pull of actants – when an actant ‘acts’ on another actant, how does this change/modify the behaviour of the actant being ‘acted upon’)  How does this affect the network of actants? Are the actants both human and non-human?

State how management (the coordinated efforts of humans/technology in order to achieve goals efficiently) has been enhanced in the story by the software. This could be management of self or management of an uprising or management of the business etc.

Apply Actor Network Theory to Computing Story 2
Don’t retell your story. State your story in one or two sentences with in-text citations. Include the news story in your references section using correct Harvard Referencing format. You must apply Actor Network Theory to your story now. This means that you are describing the connections between actants and what happens as a result of these connections. To do this identify your actants, and categorise their scale, i.e. digital, software, hardware, human, cultural, structural and describe and analyse how some of these actants are acting on each other (the push/pull of actants – when an actant ‘acts’ on another actant, how does this change/modify the behaviour of the actant being ‘acted upon’)  How does this affect the network of actants? Are the actants both human and non-human?

State how management (the coordinated efforts of humans/technology in order to achieve goals efficiently) has been enhanced in the story by the software. This could be management of self or management of an uprising or management of the business etc.

Contemporary Debate
What are the theorists saying about computing in general?
Discuss both sides of the argument from both a techno-optimistic and techno-pessimistic point of view. Use key terms from the course to add value here.

Limitations of Knowledge
Do we really know the long term effect of computing? Is ANT a perfect theory? What problems did you encounter with it?

Conclusion
What did you learn? Did you prove the assignment task. Summarise your findings. No new knowledge here. Link your conclusions or recommendations back to your title.

References
Citations are listed in alphabetical order by the author’s surname (last name).

Appendix
Include four definitions of key terms from this module. One of these MUST be software. The other three can be any three terms of your choice.

Further notes on the appendix for your guide: In your essay, you may have referred to an image or chart. Let’s say that in the main body, you have written something like “Appendix A shows that there are many actants connected in order to achieve the aims of the assemblage. This essay will focus on just a few of those actants” Now in your Appendix section, you include the image that you have drawn. Give it the title, for example, “Appendix A: A mind map showing how the actants are connected in the assemblage”
If you did not create the image/chart yourself, you will need to put a citation under the image/chart and include the original source in your references section.

N.B. For good academic practice, please ensure that the same font of the same size and colour is used throughout your essay, and that your document has the same line spacing throughout.

Assessment Criteria

Explanatory comments on the assessment criteria
Maximum marks for each section
Knowledge & Understanding

Clear definition of Actor Network Theory
Two relevant news stories outlined
Clear explanation provided of how management is enhanced by the software
Well written appendix with clear definitions of required terms

45
Intellectual & Cognitive Skills

Actor Network Theory well applied and connections between actants discussed
Contemporary debate uses relevant arguments from the techno-optimists and techno-pessimists to provide a balanced and well-formed argument that demonstrates understanding of how contemporary computing fits into the knowledge economy.
Correct use of key terms from the module

30
Graduate Skills

Demonstrates an understanding of limitations of knowledge
Essay format
Use of business English Use of Harvard referencing

25

Total
100
Learning outcomes
• Collect, analyse, present and comment upon business
to be examined in
data.
this assessment

• Identify the relationship between computer hardware

and software.

• Describe the most common types of software

programmes and explain how they may be used to

enhance management functions.

 

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