Technology as a Public Good
Murali Venkatesh, associate professor at Syracuse University’s iSchool, and Linda Littlejohn, associate vice president of Community initiatives for Academic Affairs at SU, and South Side Community Coalition Project Manager, have been awarded an Enitiative grant for course development.
The course will equip professionals-in-training with the conceptual frameworks and practical social skills derived from an ethical and socially-responsible perspective on technology in order that they may effectively intervene in public technology initiatives as public-spirited citizens. Students will be exposed to key ideas and values of participatory democracy and citizen activism. They will work with local neighborhoods to develop (a) robust strategies for citizen participation in the design and ongoing development of local technology projects, and (b) three workshops to train citizen activists around technology access/use issues.