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2025/2026  KAN-CDIBV2501U  Critical Perspectives on Digitalisation

English Title
Critical Perspectives on Digitalisation

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Elective
Level Full Degree Master
Duration One Semester
Start time of the course Autumn
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Min. participants 30
Max. participants 80
Study board
Study Board of Technology & Digitalisation
Course coordinator
  • Anoush Margaryan - Department of Digitalisation (DIGI)
Main academic disciplines
  • Information technology
  • Organisation
  • Sociology
Teaching methods
  • Blended learning
Last updated on 06-02-2025

Relevant links
Learning objectives
Students who complete this course will be able to:
  • Critically evaluate current technological trends, technical solutions and technology-focused policy interventions based on a nuanced and balanced understanding of the challenges as well as opportunities presented by digitalisation
  • Map key issues and contentious trends/practices that arise from digitalisation
  • Devise potential solutions and interventions for addressing the challenges of digitalisation
  • Articulate in a theoretically-grounded and practically-relevant manner the advantages and disadvantages of digital technologies for indviduals, organisations, and the society
  • Formulate theoretically-grounded and practically-relevant research questions on topics related to the impact of digitalisation at various levels (individual, organisational, societal)
  • Demonstrate familiarity with key debates relating to the challenges of digitalisation
  • Identify where insights from this course overlap with or diverge from insights and learning from other courses in your programme of study
Prerequisites for registering for the exam (activities during the teaching period)
Number of compulsory activities which must be approved (see section 13 of the Programme Regulations): 3
Compulsory home assignments
Each student has to get 3 out of 5 activities approved in order to qualify for the final exam.

Brief, max 2 page long, reflective critical summaries synthesising and concept-mapping key readings within each of the five thematic blocks of the course outlined in the course content: (1) Big Data and Datafication; (2) AI and Automation; (3) Privacy; (4) Digital work and its discontents; (5) Human capabilities and human-centred digitalisation. For each thematic area, a reading list of essentail and optional resources will be provided. Literature listed under essential readings must be read by all students; optional readings are not mandatory, although students may find it useful to at least review their abstracts/conclusions. The reflective summaries should compare and contrast the key arguments in the readings and include student's own reflections on the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments and experiences from practice. Each reflective summary should be supplmented by a concept map of the readings. At least 3 out of these 5 mandatory assignments have to be approved.

There will not be any extra attempts provided to the students before the ordinary exam. If a student cannot participate in the compulsory activities due to documented illness, or if a student does not have the activities approved in spite of making a real attempt, then the student will be given one extra attempt before the re-exam: one home assignment (max.10 pages) which will cover 3 mandatory activities.
Examination
Critical Perspectives on Digitalisation:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Oral exam based on written product

In order to participate in the oral exam, the written product must be handed in before the oral exam; by the set deadline. The grade is based on an overall assessment of the written product and the individual oral performance, see also the rules about examination forms in the programme regulations.
Individual or group exam Individual exam
Size of written product Max. 10 pages
Assignment type Written assignment
Release of assignment Subject chosen by students themselves, see guidelines if any
Duration
Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
15 min. per student, including examiners' discussion of grade, and informing plus explaining the grade
Grading scale 7-point grading scale
Examiner(s) Internal examiner and second internal examiner
Exam period Autumn and Winter
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

Digitalisation creates positive opportunities but also systemic challenges for indviduals, organisations, and the society. The course enables students to develop critical insights into the problematic dimensions of digitalization, addressing their contentious and adverse effects on the various levels.  The course helps students identify simplistic, naïve, technologically-determinst arguments around digital technologies in order to guide organisations and the society in developing more nuanced, complex and multidimensional strategies, policies, approaches, and practices that address the problematic as well as positive aspects of digitalization. The course prepares students to be able to critically assess the proposed technical solutions and policy interventions to reshaping the future of digitalisation in business and society.

 

The course draws on foundational and emergent conceptual frameworks and practice-based examples from Internet Studies, Critical Data/AI Studies, Science and Technology Studies, Sociology, Platform Studies, and Human Development. The course will cover the following key topics within the overall theme of impacts of digitalisation on individuals, organisations and society: (1) Big Data and Datafication; (2) AI and Automation; (3) Privacy; (4) Digital work and its discontents; (5) Human capabilities and human-centred digitalisation.

 

The course will follow a highly interactive approach, where students' active participation throughout is required. Students will be expected not just to consume knowledge offered by this course, but to actively co-create, connect and contribute knowledge, individually and collectively.  To evidence active participation and ongoing learning activity throughout the course, students will be expected to present the outcomes of their reflective summaries of readings and participate in plenary discussions in class. 

 

The key assignment of the course is a max 10 pages long paper covering one or several of the course topics. Students will choose a topic in consultation with the course convenor. As an option, a selection of possible topics will be offered by the course convenor, based on her current ongoing research projects, where relevant. The paper will make an original contribution to the topic. Given the short nature of the paper, it is unlikely that there will be enough time to engage in extensive primary data collection, therefore, there will be no expectation that students will do so. A feasible written output may instead test/refute an argument with literature-based evidence or unpack assumptions in powerful discourses. It may alternatively include students researching and developing concrete solutions to how the challenging trends and practices of digitalisation could be addressed at various levels (individual, organisational, societal) and within different domains (technology, business, legal/policy). This would involve a critical review of existing literature and solutions, and offering students' own solutions based on their analysis. The paper should be clearly related to the topics of the course and demonstrate achievement of the course objectives by the student.

 

Students will have an opportunity to get formative feedback on their writen assignment from the course convener and their peers prior to the exam, by presenting their paper in class at 2 points during the course: mid-way through the course and towards the end of the course (timeline to be specified on Canvas prior to the start of the course).  
Research-based teaching
CBS’ programmes and teaching are research-based. The following types of research-based knowledge and research-like activities are included in this course:
Research-based knowledge
  • Classic and basic theory
  • New theory
  • Teacher’s own research
Research-like activities
  • Development of research questions
  • Analysis
  • Discussion, critical reflection, modelling
  • Peer review including Peer-to-peer
  • Activities that contribute to new or existing research projects
Description of the teaching methods
The course is designed as an infrastructure and resource for students to be able to build on their existing knowledge frameworks through reading, reflection, writing and debate with course colleagues and the course convenor.

There will be no long lectures, although sessions may involve a short opening outline of the relevant topic by the course convenor or the students as a stimulus for the plenary discussion and group work.

The classes will be highly interactive, with active ongoing participation and contributions by students as outlined within the list of learning activities and assignments above, such as in-class presentations of reflective summaries of assigned readings by students and contribution to subsequent plenary discussions and group work.
Feedback during the teaching period
*Feedback by course convenor and course participants on reflective summaries and concept maps of course readings, in class and on Canvas
*Discussion and presentation of the papers in class
*Formative feedback on the draft assignment by course convenor and fellow students
*Personal consultation via office hours, in person at CBS, on Teams, and/or via email as required
Student workload
Active participation and preparation (mandatory activities, in-class presentations, written assignment) 166 hours
Teaching 40 hours
Expected literature

The following literature list is indicative. A finalised list of essential and optional readings will be made available on Canvas prior to the start of the course. Students are advised to wait until the definitive list is published on Canvas before purchasing any course materials.

 

  • Trittin-Ulbrich et al (2020) (Eds). Exploring the dark and unexpected sides of digitalization: Toward a critical agenda. Special Issue of Organization. https:/​/​journals.sagepub.com/​doi/​10.1177/​1350508420968184
  • Veliz, C. (2021). Privacy is power: Why and how you should take back control of your data. Brookly/London: Melville House.
  • Joseph Weizenbaum (1976). Computer Power and Human Reason.
  • Madhumita Murgia (2024). Code Dependent.
  • Meredith Broussard (2018). Artificial Unintelligence: How computers misunderstand the world.
  • Harry Collins (2018). Artifictional Intelligence: Against humanity’s surrender to computers.
  • Vili Lehdonvirta (2022). Cloud Empires: How digital platforms are overtaking the state and how we can regain control.
  • Newlands, G. (2021). Lifting the curtain: Strategic visibility of human labour in AI-as-a-Service. Big Data and Society, 8(1).
Last updated on 06-02-2025