"Academic writing has never simply been about producing good papers. It’s about ordering one’s world, taking the confusion that confronts us and turning it into something intelligible, wresting coherence from chaos. And knowing that that doesn’t happen spontaneously or instinctively. That’s not a skill for college only. It’s a lifelong practice. " Corey Robin, "The End of the Take-Home Essay?" The Chronicle of Higher Education, 24 Aug 2023. [link]

Overview of Assignments [DRAFT9]

I have designed the assignments to encourage you to engage the course materials and to actively make sense of the rapidly changing world of cities and technology. Students will each develop their own work, but collaborate with others (through discussions and feedback from presentations and reading each other's work in small "editing groups.") Also: we now live in a world infused with AI. Our challenge in the course is to both (a) critically understand how AI is transforming society (technologies, information, cities, your college education, your future professional life) and (b) put AI aside when pursuing our central task: developing "HI" (your human intelligence). [I encourage us to openly discuss how and when we should use -- and not use -- AI in this course.]

Assignments 1 & 2: Case Studies:
To collectively produce a web-based anthology of case studies. Each student will select two case studies to complete: one on a tech cluster (e.g., a neighborhood, city, region, innovation district, etc.); and one on either a new urban technology or the impact/consequence of new urban technologies (e.g., social, environmental, economic, etc.). You will complete each case study in stages, from selecting your case study, developing an outline, writing a draft, presenting your initial findings, getting feedback from other students, and then adding your final version to a web page anthology. We will develop a standard template for each entry (so that the collection of cases has a consistent format/look). We will publish the final results on the web at the end of the semester.

3. Course Synthesis:
Each student will create a short presentation (with one or several slides). This session will provide an opportunity to reflect on the course, and develop a set of conclusions and/or principles that you learned and explored in the course this semester.

4. Exam:
This exam will encourage you to synthesize the course materials over the semester and identify the key elements, concepts and terminology/tools that we learned. I will aim to write an exam that can be completed in 45 minutes or less (but you will have the full class time if needed). Details below.

Students are expected to

• Attend all course sessions. (As a courtesy, please email me if you will miss class.)
• Complete all the required readings before the start of class and be ready to actively participate in class discussions.
• Research, write, edit and present two case studies -- to be compiled into a class web site (that we will publish on the web by the end of the semester). [You will also assist other students in editing and improving their case study projects on "editing teams".] These two projects have multiple steps/deadlines.
• Complete an in-class exam on the last day of class (Dec 4)
• Carefully read these guidelines about writing, coursework and academic integrity. [and ask me for any advice or clarification if needed]

Timeline of Assignments

Detailed Instructions below:

Project #1: Web Entry on Case Study of a Place;

• As with all assignments, please provide sources for all borrowed quotes, data, etc. [Please see this site for guidance]. When in doubt, LIST YOUR SOURCES! Provide links to outside sources.
• If you find more information than you can include, feel free to create an appendix document

A concise proposal/outline (due Thursday Oct 9)

Your one page proposal/outline should contain the following elements. (Note: feel free to add other information if useful. If you need more than one page, that's fine.)

1. Your name
2. location of the case study (e.g., a neighborhood, city, region, innovation district, etc.)
3. the key economic sector(s) of the cluster (e.g., Software & IT Services, Hardware & Equipment, Telecommunications, Media & Entertainment, pharmaceuticals, energy, food processing, AI, transportation, aerospace, etc. Note; some clusters will be known for one specific sector. Others are known for multiple sectors, perhaps all interrelated, or perhaps rather distinct.)
4. the largest firms in this cluster (Note: in some clusters, there may be one big player; in others several or many.) This will be a short, partial list. You will go into more detail in your final product.
5. One or several central question(s) that guide your project case study (i.e., the reason why you picked this case, why you think it's an important and interesting case for others to know about)
6. an initial short list of sources (e.g., books, articles, reports, web pages) [5-7 will do; one purpose of this initial source search/literature review is to test whether you can find enough reliable information on your case study]

Upload your proposal to TWO LOCATIONS:

1. shared google folder
2. Canvas

a draft of your web entry (due Sunday Nov 2)

Your draft entry should contain these elements. (Some of these are already identified in the Oct 9 proposal list above.)

1. Your name
2. location of the case study (e.g., a neighborhood, city, region, innovation district, etc.)
3. A brief introduction to set the context (e.g., why it's an important and interesting case for others to know about)
4. the key economic sector(s) of the cluster (e.g., Software & IT Services, Hardware & Equipment, Telecommunications, Media & Entertainment, pharmaceuticals, energy, food processing, AI, transportation, aerospace, etc.) Note: some clusters will be known for one specific sector. Others are known for multiple sectors, perhaps all interrelated, or perhaps rather distinct.)
5. the largest firms in this cluster (Note: in some clusters, there may be one big player; in others several or many.) Where available, recent employment numbers for individual firms and/or the total sector. You could note some of the biggest establishments on your map.
6. The characteristics of the cluster: e.g., new or old, a new sector built on older sectors in the area (e.g., think of Silicon Valley as new tech on top of older sectors in the area: from telegraphs and tubs to transistors to ICs to personal computers to social networks to AI, etc.)
7. The geography of the cluster: concentrated in the central city or a single neighborhood; a single suburban location; spread throughout the suburbs of a larger metro area; small town; concentrated vs. dispersed; monocentric vs. multiple clusters within a region; etc.
8. a simple timeline of the key dates in the cluster's history
9. a map of the cluster
10. one or several photos (be sure to give photo credits)
11. A concise summary/analysis about the cluster, including such elements as:
• when and why it formed
• was it the first location of this sector (e.g., aviation in Dayton, OH) , or did it come later in the history of the sector (e.g., aviation/aerospace in Los Angeles?)
• key institutions/players in the cluster's development (e.g., universities, national labs, military bases, government offices, a mayor or governor, etc.)
• What have been the impacts of the sector on its city or region? (e.g., on the local economy; on the urban development; social and environmental impacts).
• what is the future of the cluster? (No need for wild speculation, but you can note recent trends and cite predictions/forecasts by others)
• [optional] Are there any myths/misconceptions about the cluster that you want to counter?
12. a complete set of sources (with correct citations) and perhaps also a short list of further readings. Use either inline citations OR footnotes to directly indicate the sources of specific data, text, images, graphics, photos, etc.

Somewhere in your draft, clearly, concisely explain to the reader:

• What the basic, essential information to know about the case (a simple, short, no-nonsense briefing).
• A clear sense of why this case is interesting/important to know about
• The key takeaway lessons from this case.

Presentations of your Draft: Nov. 4 (editing groups ONE and TWO) and Nov 6 (editing groups THREE and FOUR)

Six students will present each day. Plan on a 5 minute presentation, with the 5 minutes of question and answer and suggestions from other students. (Each student will then have a total of 10 minutes)

Note: if you need to leave class early, let me know so that we don't schedule you as the final presentation.

upload slides to this shared google folder. [Please add your slides AFTER the colored separation slide with your name highlighted]

Creating your web page of your case study:

1. We will use google sites to create a collection of web pages. Here is a link to the project web site
2. Each case study will be an individual web page.
3. I will create a basic template that you can then copy and add your case study information (title, your name, text, images, sources, bibliography, links). We will aim for a fairly consistent look to each page (especially the opening section of each case study page), including a consistent font type and size. That said, you also have the option of modestly customizing the formatting of your page to suit your specific case.
4. IMAGES, etc.: be sure to add complete sources for all your borrowed data, images, maps, graphics, etc. I would recommend using publicly available, royalty-free images where possible. The University of Michigan has "unlimited access to Adobe Stock photos, vectors, and illustrations." Here is the link to use: https://its.umich.edu/computing/computers-software/software-services/software-information/adobe-stock. Be sure to cite Adobe Stock as source. (e.g., [Photographer's Name] / Adobe Stock). If you use your own images, do also list that. (e.g., Source: author).

Project #2. Web Entry on Case Study of either an Urban Technology or on the Impact/Consequences of new urban technologies or tech clusters
(instructions updated Nov 16)

A concise proposal/outline (due Nov 6)

Your one page proposal/outline should contain the following elements. (Note: feel free to add other information if useful. If you need more than one page, that's fine.)

1. Your name
2. Concisely describe your topic.
3. Also explain the nature of the object you are examining. That is, what is the unit of analysis? (It could be a technology; a social, economic or environmental impact; a government program/policy; a social problem (to be solved); etc.]
4. The boundaries of your case study: What will you include (and NOT include) in your analysis? (This helps keep your case study focused and of manageable size).
5. Your research question(s): List one or several central question(s) that guide your project case study (i.e., the reason why you picked this case/theme/technology/issue/problem, why you think it's an important and interesting case for others to know about)
6. What do you expect to find/conclude in your case study? That is, what are your hypotheses?)
7. Methodology: How will you go about analyzing this situation and answering your question?
8. an initial short list of sources (e.g., books, articles, reports, web pages) [5-7 will do; one purpose of this initial source search/literature review is to test whether you can find enough reliable information on your case study]

a draft of your case study #2 (Due Nov 20)

Your draft entry should contain these elements. (Some of these are already identified in the Nov 6 proposal list above.)

1. Your name
2. your topic and how it is defined (e.g., case, theme, smart city technology, issue, problem -- perhaps a social or environmental impact). In other words, what is the "unit of analysis"? (
3. A brief introduction to set the context (e.g., why it's an important and interesting question/case etc. for others to know about)
4. What is the current state of knowledge is about this question/challenge/problem? [i.e., what do we know? what do we not yet know?]
5. a simple timeline of the key dates [if relevant]
6. key institutions/players involved (e.g., governments, NGOs/non-profits; social movements; universities, national labs, military bases, government offices, a mayor or governor, etc.)
7. visuals (where relevant): e.g., charts, diagrams, photos, etc.
8. Your answer to the question and/or concise diagnosis of the problem
9. a complete set of sources (with correct citations) and perhaps also a short list of further readings. Use either inline citations OR footnotes to directly indicate the sources of specific data, text, images, graphics, photos, etc.

As with Case Study #1: Somewhere in your draft, clearly, concisely explain to the reader:

• What the basic, essential information to know about the case (a simple, short, no-nonsense briefing).
• A clear sense of why this case is interesting/important to know about
• The key takeaway lessons from this case.

3. Final week (Tuesday, Dec 2) - lessons learned

This last session will provide an opportunity to reflect on the course, and develop a set of conclusions and/or principles that you learned and explored in the course this semester.

TASK: Each student is to prepare a concise, insightful distillation of what have been, for you, the most important or resonant (or disconcerting) lessons/principles/ideas/themes in your encounters with technology, urbanization, tech districts, innovation, smart cities. I welcome a range of approaches and themes, and I encourage you to be rigorous and creative.

Advice: To refresh your memories of the topics over the semester, review the syllabus, your class lecture notes, copies of the class lecture slides in Canvas.

You are to prepare several items:
(a) a brief (3-4 minute) oral presentation that concisely highlights your central points.
(b) prepare a slide to be shared with the class on this shared google slide file.
[NOTE:  one slide will do, but if you find it easier to present your materials on two slides, that is also an option.] Consider various formats, including diagrams, maps, tables, illustrations, a concept map, a flow chart, a numbered list.,a storyboard, a comic strip, a Socratic dialogue. Use supplementary text where appropriate to elaborate specific ideas/points.

4. Exam (Thursday, Dec 4)

This will be an in-class exam, held during the final course session.

Format:

• a mixture of short-answer, multiple-choice, compare-and-contrast, matching and perhaps a short essay.
• Closed book/notes/devices. (Please leave those behind.)
• I will aim to write an exam that can be completed in 45 minutes or less (but you will have the full 80 minute class time if needed).
• You will write the exam on the exam copy I will pass out at the beginning of class: no need to bring blue books, just a pencil and/or pen.

Please see the course overview page for a list of key concepts and case studies to know (these are from lectures and readings).