The role of digitalization in the sustainable society

<p>The course aims to introduce basic knowledge in the field of sustainable development, as well as methods and tools for more sustainable ICT development and use.<br /> <br /> The course also aims both to provide an understanding of the complex relationships that affect, from a life cycle perspective, the sustainability of the adaptation of products and services, and to reflect on the opportunities of a computer scientist to contribute, at different levels and areas, to a sustainable society.<br /> <br /> The different parts of the course will provide knowledge and opportunities to practice the breaking down of complex sustainability aspects into manageable sub-problems that are within the areas a computer scientist can influence.<br /> <br /> The course content is:</p> <ul> <li>Principles in sustainable development.</li> <li>The role of the computer scientist in a sustainable society.</li> <li>Formulating a sustainable development project on the basis of principles for sustainability.</li> <li>Historical perspectives on IT and sustainable development.</li> <li>Current situation analysis.</li> <li>Case studies of ongoing IT and sustainability projects.</li> <li>Life Cycle Analysis.</li> <li>The challenge of rebound effects.</li> <li>Methods for selection and execution of IT and sustainability projects.</li> </ul> <p><em>Sub-courses</em><br /> <strong>1. Take-home exam</strong> <em>(Hemtentamen)</em>, 4.5 credits<br /> Grading scale: Pass with Distinction (VG), Pass (G) and Fail (U)<br /> One part of the course focuses on theoretical principles in sustainable development and serves as the basis for the formulation of a vision for the project. This part is accounted for in an individual take-home exam submitted after the end of the course.<br /> <br /> <strong>2. Project </strong><em>(Projektarbete)</em>, 3 credits<br /> Grading scale: Pass with Distinction (VG), Pass (G) and Fail (U)<br /> The other part of the course is a group project comprising the formulation of a sustanability vision, tools for analysng the current situation, developing and prioritising IT-based solutions to a sustainability challenge identified by the groups. The group project is accounted for in a written report and an oral presentation.</p>