DS 1300 — Knowledge in a Digital World
4 semester hoursUndergraduateLectureNUpath ERNUpath SIusually offered: fall, springtypical days: T/FBostonHybridTraditional
Examines the impact that information technologies (such as the internet, search engines, blogs, wikis, and smartphones); information processing techniques (such as big data analysis, machine learning, crowdsourcing, and cryptography); and information policies (such as privacy norms and speech restrictions) have on what we know and how much we know, as individuals and as a society. The digital world can enhance our ability to acquire knowledge by providing us with fast and cheap access to huge amounts of information. However, it can also undermine our cognitive abilities and provide us with inaccurate or misleading information. Studies normative frameworks from epistemology and ethics (such as epistemic value theory, the extended mind hypothesis, and moral rights) to evaluate these technologies and policies.
Offering history
| Term | Sections | Enrolled | Capacity | Full | Open seats/section |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | 2 | 39 | 40 | 98% | 0.5 |
| Spring 2026 | 2 | 40 | 40 | 100% | 0.0 |
Snapshots from scheduled scrapes — not live seat availability. "Full" can exceed 100% when sections over-enroll.
Meeting times
Share of recent sections by weekday: M 25% · T 51% · W 24% · Th 25% · F 51%
Common patterns: TF (51% of sections), MR (25% of sections), W (24% of sections) — in patterns, R means Thursday
Professors
Fall
- Brian Hanley (51% of students) · reviews
- Kathleen Creel (49% of students) · reviews
Spring
- Don Fallis (50% of students) · reviews
- Brian Hanley (50% of students) · reviews
Percentages are each professor's average share of the season's enrolled students in recent terms.
Links
Official catalog (DS course descriptions) · All DS courses · Plan it at numap.app