ISY10212 Contemporary Issues in MM & IT 2017
Some Options for Assignment 3: Report Topic and Presentation
The following offers a list of about 70 broad ideas suitable for students to consider as a Report Topic for this unit in 2017.
Students are encouraged to select an area to specialise in for their Report. The focus should be to define a narrow, but deep (detailed), area of research. It is anticipated that pursuing such a “narrow and deep” topic area is likely to provide students with high levels of autonomy, ownership, motivation and personalised learning outcomes.
The list is only intended as an idea prompt. Students are encouraged to identify alternative topic areas to pursue if they wish, but these must be submitted to their tutor for consideration and authority to proceed.
Each of the topics identified below contains ethical considerations. Each is open to be viewed for its relative strengths and weaknesses (positive and negative effects). Such a balanced consideration of strengths and weakness must be incorporated into the Report.
Areas which do not hold such “two-way” arguments are not suitable as a Report Topic area. For example, the incidence of malware (such as viruses) is not a suitable report topic area as it is “all bad” in its effect on society…unless a student can clearly argue some positive effects.
- Communicating with IT
Social networking sites; user groups, Twitter, Facebook
Social networks and age restrictions
Mobile computing: Laptops, tablets and smart phones; work from anywhere
Apps…new world applications for mobile consumers
- IT is a whole new Industry
Who pays; business models for the internet
Australian National Broad Band Network; costs, benefits and roll-out
- Weather IT is good
Weather forecasting; for tomorrow or for next year
Real time updates; Warnings and Alert Systems
- IT can get f$#@ed!
Pornography industry; early adopter of on-line technology and business
Issues of cross boarder jurisdiction. Host country laws, but delivery is global.
Filtering is coming; by governments or ISPs?
On-line gambling. New business opportunities or new social problems?
- Kill IT
Violence in video games; does this induce violence in individuals and society?
Risks to national security from cyberterrorism and cyberwarfare.
- IT is just like me
Usability – Human Computer Interface and interactions (visual, aural, touch, gesture, thought).
Interface agents
- IT is child’s play!
Educational applications in schools and universities. What has changed?
Gamification and its role as homework.
- IT is role play
Training applications in industry.
Simulations – from low level flight simulators to complete control rooms.
- IT is just a game
The evolution of computer games and where to next?
Dedicated consoles – PlayStations, X-Boxes, Nintendo …and Interfaces
Multi-player on-line games
- IT is cheap as chips
E-waste.; Cheaper to throw away than modularize to aid recycling
- Can you trust IT?
Online banking and purchases; can they be trusted?
Cryptocurrencies as a method for payment.
- Is IT safe?
Security & encryption. How to keep secrets
Biometrics; finger prints to face recognition
Geo tracking…a study in time and space
- IT is the law
Overlap and tensions between national and international laws
Privacy and confidentiality – what implications for data management?
- Protecting the worth of IT
Intellectual Property in IT is worth how much?
Options for protecting against Pirating
- Find IT and Attack IT
Unmanned military drones
Spying and eavesdropping; government surveillance of ICT
Google Earth and Street View
- Tomorrow the World [Wide Web]!
Internet of Things
Media convergence, media control and media monopolies
- “Everything is going extremely well” (HAL, 2001)
Computer control; operation, monitoring and management
Robotics and Artificial Intelligence
- I’ll buy IT
PC or Apple? : History, now and future of computer hardware
Open source and freeware
- Congratulations! IT is a girl!
Gender bias in the IT industry and in games
Equity and accessibility
- IT has health implications
Health risks; eye strain, RSI, UV radiation, games and internet addiction
Games to keep you healthy and to aid rehabilitation
- Understanding IT
Using IT and multimedia to make complex information simple
- IT has its own culture
Chat groups and gamers
Anonymity and other persona; from escapism to sanctuary from social awkwardness
- We can make a show on IT
Influence of multimedia and IT in popular movies – 2001, Star Wars, I robot, Her, ex Machina
Uptake of multimedia cartooning and 3D modeling; From The Simpson’s, to Lord of the Rings and beyond
- IT can cause a clash of cultures
Issues of intercultural and indigenous perspectives
- IT has a future
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
Mobile computing, clouds and ubiquitous computing
- Joe Blogs about IT
Web logs; documenting life in a war zone
You Tube; from entertainment to education
- IT was always going to be about politics
Politics and the use of new media.
Whistle blowing through Wikileaks and other sites
Anonymous
- IT prints in 3D
Printing physical objects
- IT provides free knowledge to the masses
Free information sources; Wikipedia, the Khan Academy and TED talks
- Face (book) up to IT
Facebook and social experiments conducted upon their users
- Look out for IT above
Drones for the consumers; air borne cameras or invaders of personal space
Micro Satellites for daily updates of images of Earth
- IT has a special role
Impact of IT in the music industry
Impact of IT in the film industry
Impact of IT in the tourism industry
Impact of IT in the sports industry
Impact of IT in science
