| Unit name | Arts in the Age of Data |
|---|---|
| Unit code | AFAC20007 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. James Freeman |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Arts Faculty Office |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Twenty-first century society is awash with data. Whether collected by governments, technology companies, or individuals, we produce and interact with vast quantities of numerical information about almost every aspect of our lives. Indeed, the vastness of the data collected and our increasing reliance on it to make decisions has led some to claim that we are living through ‘the age of data’.
Yet this turn towards data has a much longer history, and the disciplines that make up the Liberal Arts have been just as affected by it as the social and physical sciences. This unit therefore encourages students to understand and contextualise recent developments as part of a longer story in which societies and Liberal Arts subjects both turned to quantification and revealed the limits of what we can know through data alone.
Students will primarily explore these issues by constructing their own data-based projects. They will have the opportunity to work in small groups with a tutor on projects which assemble a dataset and then use basic data science skills to answer research questions and visualise their findings.
The unit aims:
By the end of the unit students will be able to:
Teaching will be delivered through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous activities, including lecture content, interactive sessions, data challenges, and supporting activities for project work. Students will be expected to participate on a weekly basis. There will be opportunities for tutor and peer feedback.
Data challenges (Pass/Fail) [ILOs 2, 3 and 5]
Group Infographic (40%) [ILOs 2, 3, 4]
Individual 2,000-word Project Report (60%) [ILOs 1, 4, 5]
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. AFAC20007).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
