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Just Imagine…Microtargeting a Jury
Imagine the following fictional case. Andre is being tried in federal court on charges of money laundering. The case is mostly circumstantial. Normally prosecutors wouldn't even take a case like this to trial, but they hoped that Andre would flip and provide leads...
Values in Context
Greg Andrews was a contingent instructor in the Information Technology program. With 30 years of experience in designing IT systems, he had seen the good and bad uses of technology. His course was focused on the human dimensions of IT. At the beginning of the...
The Heart of Democratic Citizenship–a discussion summary for IF’s online community conversation
An exploratory discussion of the meaning of the office of citizen in a self-governing society. "In a democracy, the highest office is the office of citizen."– Felix Frankfurter, Supreme Court Justice A diverse group of citizens from all across the country and the...
Just Imagine…Who’s Listening?
For years, Chinese hackers dominated one of the most prestigious hacking competitions in the world. They were able to consistently find flaws in systems from America’s largest tech companies. They would then turn these flaws over to the companies. For their efforts...
When Disagreement is Good
Dr. Gretchen Whitmore was in her first year of teaching an upper-level social science course. She had decided to use a student-centered discussion approach as her primary teaching strategy. She believed that students would learn the course material better if they...
Just Imagine…Your Digital Accuser
Imagine that you are a longstanding local postmaster. You’ve always prided yourself on your job and have been very careful as a custodian of public resources. That’s why you can’t believe it when you are arrested for stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the...
Managing Emotions in Discussions
Dr. Marc Jeffers was teaching a section of the Diversity and Inclusion class which was a required orientation course at his college. The course had a secondary role: teaching students how to be productive contributors to collaborative discussions. On his first day,...
Just Imagine…Algorithmic Parenting
[Trigger Warning: this post mentions suicide. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255] The Myers* family was devastated. Their teenage son Herbie died by suicide. He left no note, but a good look at his computer told the story. Herbie had visited...
Five-Minute Interventions
Majid Alimani could sense from the moment students entered class that they were down. It was mid-semester week and students were exhausted and worried about their grades. He knew that today’s discussions were unlikely to be successful. Complicating the situation...
Just Imagine…Data Trusts, for the People?
Imagine a gathering of old friends. As usual they were reminiscing about fun times together. Then unexpectedly, one of the women asked, “Do you find it difficult to find items in stores that you’ve used forever?” That question triggered one of the most spirited...
