Internet & Information Policy is a survey course relevant for students interested in understanding the varied components of Information Policy as related to the Internet and engaging in in-depth study or practical experience with an aspect of Information Policy of particular interest to the individual student. Topics covered in the course include Information Economics; Bitcoin and Internet Currencies; Data, Information, and Open Data and Applications in Planning and Policy Making; Interoperability; The Dark Web; Information Security; Cybersecurity and Global Internet Governance; Hacktivism and Social Media; The Information Organization and Complex Adaptive Systems Theory; Planning and Policy Applications for the Future of Information and the Internet of Things; and The Singularity; among others.
Students will engage in readings, blogging, practical experiences, and guest lectures to cover the subject matter and will be responsible for completing an individual or group project related to a topic of their choosing within the purview of Information Policy. Examples of student projects include engaging in Bitcoin exchange and documenting the experience to discern any policy applications, exploring the Dark Web for any potential uses for public good, conducting field research to understand how user design plays a role in open data and local policy making, researching cybersecurity policies and enhancements or hindrances to economic growth, designing a drone program to assist in food provision, designing an app for disease mitigation, discovering the regulatory barriers to financial inclusion in mobile banking, understanding and exploring any role 3D printing might play in affecting health and health informatics, connecting businesses and local organizations to open data to spur innovation, and those yet to be unleashed by the student imagination.