Essay questions
Write an essay on ONE (1) of the questions/statements below. Your assignment must include an essay plan that you have written in the process of preparing the essay. Do not just say what an essay plan is, you need to include concise details in the plan about the line of argument that your essay will follow, and mention at least one or two scholars from the unit materials provided. You will need to deconstruct the question/statement as part of the process towards writing an essay plan, but do NOT submit brainstorming.
The essay plan should be presented at the front of your assignment. It should be approximately 500 words, and is part of the overall word count for the assignment. You should write and present this plan based on the steps for writing an essay plan set out in the fact sheet on essay writing at:http://www.une.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/10490/WE_Writing-an-essay.pdf Please refer to the study guides and relevant readings from the unit material as primary sources for your essay, and check the marking criteria below before you start your assignment.
1. Alan Turing conceived digital computing in 1936 and the first Automatic Computing Engine (ACE) was built in the late 1940s. Since then digital technology has been used to ‘automate’ tasks once carried out by humans. Digital technologies sometimes ‘mimic’ human senses and human nature. For example, cameras simulate human sight in robotics, such as the Mars Rover, and Internet searches rely on Indexing, logic and cross-referencing for mobile and Semantic Web applications. Could these be examples of what Turing called `thinking machines` and how do these concepts relate to collective intelligence and a theory of Singularity? Discuss, drawing on the sources provided in the unit materials. In your answer explain what Turing meant by the `Imitation Game`.
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2. Social Media, location-based media and civilian drones, are used by individuals and organisations for many different purposes. Meikle claims that `Facebook is always careful to frame its relationship with its users as a matter of choice and is built on the strategic lexical selection ofshare". (Meikle, 2016, p.38). What does this mean, and how and why are these points controversial? Explain two key principles and technologies for each of the following: social media, location-based media and civilian drones. Include the technologies and principles of newsfeeds, GPS, surveillance & the panopticon in your answer. Draw primarily on the readings and links provided in the unit materials for this essay.
3. Location-based media depends on maps overlayed with other information, as well as procedural thinking. The idea of combining maps and data is not new - it was used in the 1800s to learn about the spread of disease in urban environments, notably in London (Gordon and De Souza). Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality in the 21st century continue to use maps and cross-referenced data via smartphones e.g. for indoor navigation apps and software for flying civilian drones and aerial filming. How do GPS apps work, including the integration of maps, and what are some of the human costs of smartphones? Draw primarily on the readings and links provided in the unit for this essay.
