E-SPEAIT

In Short

• The course is an English-language counterpart to the Estonian-language original that ran on Wikiversity from 2009 to 2020 and continues here since Autumn 2020. Originally born of necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spring 2020 (before, it was only offered by conventional means), it will likely go on (as an option) in future as well.
• T IT College wiki is open for anyone to read, but editing requires logging in with the Uni-ID. Those who do not possess it (e.g. short-time exchange students) should send their edits to the lecturer via e-mail instead.
• In the Spring term of 2021, the course will be offered to the students of Cyber Security Engineering B.Sc. programme at the IT College of Tallinn University of Technology (Tallinn, Estonia).
• The typical form is almost pure e-course with a face-to-face kick-off meeting (to explain the course system and answer potential questions right away) and face-to-face exams at the end (see the course guide below). During the Spring 2021 run, the volatile circumstances with COVID-19 will possibly mandate turning both of these events into full-scale distance versions as well - the opening lecture will go online and the format of the final exam will be decided later on.
• Supervisor/lecturerː Kaido Kikkas
• Course code: ICS0006
• Programmeː at the TTU Study Information System
• Volume: 6 ECTS credit points

Course information

See the following:

• Course Guide
• Why Such a Course?
• Netiquette Guide
• Reading List
• Participants' list
• Exam enrolment list
• [Wiki teams and topics]
• [Course Forum]

The most important document here is the Course Guide - it should have everything you need to know about the course.

Announcements

• 25.01 - The usual kick-off meeting goes virtual in Spring 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic - the opening lecture will be recorded (and hopefully also broadcast live) on Wednesday, at noon (12:00) from ICO-316. The course information will also be e-mailed to the students who have registered for the course in the ÕIS (study information system) by now.

Weekly Topics

1. From ENIAC to iPad: Moments from IT History January 25 - February 1
2. From ARPAnet to Facebook: the Story of Cyberspace February 1 - February 8
3. From Usenet to Twitter: The (Not So) New Media February 8 - February 15
4. Information Society: What's the Difference? February 15 - February 22
5. Computers and Laws I: Can Property Be Intellectual? February 22 - March 1
6. Computers and Laws II: Software and Content Licensing March 1 - March 8
7. Tarzan in New York: The Quirks of Online Communication March 8 - March 15
8. The IT Pro March 15 - March 22
9. IT, Risks and Ergonomics March 22 - March 29
10. "The Fool Gets Beaten Even in Internet" March 29 - April 5
11. Censorship, Privacy and the Internet April 5 - April 12
12. The Historical Hackerdom April 12 - April 19
13. A Practical Example: the Story of Linux April 19 - April 26
14. A Different Kind of IT: Accessibility and Assistive Technology April 26 - May 3
15. IT and Ethics - May 3 - May 10

Noteː these texts contain many links to Wikipedia articles. These are not meant as actual sources (references are used separately) but rather as quick pointers for further finding reading and sources. Remember that Wikipedia articles should not be used as direct references - they are a secondary source by definition. Using them to get a quick overview and find some links about the issue is fine, but do not point to them as sources.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: Where can I find information about the course system, tasks etc?
• A: From the Course Guide

• Q: Where can I find the weekly blogging tasks?
• A: At the end of each weekly text ("Study & Write")

• Q: Where can I find the weekly points?
• A: This is agreed upon at the kick-off meeting in every course. In the Spring 2021 run with no physical meeting at the start, the location of the points table will be mentioned in the initial lecture, the password will be sent out for potential participants in the initial e-mail letter.

• Q: I have zero points for the Week X, but I did write something!
• A: Any sensible on-topic post will not receive zero points - therefore, please send an e-mail to the supervisor and let him know. It is probably his mistake (unfortunately it sometimes happens during large courses and workloads) and will be fixed ASAP.