Exploring Digital Information Technologies for Non-Engineers
FALL 2023

NOTE: This is an older version of the course website. The current version can be found here.

Logistics

Lectures

Mondays & Wednesdays, 11:00am - 11:50am at 3081 Electrical & Computer Eng Bldg (ECEB)

See Lecture Schedule

Labs

Fridays, 11:00am-12:50am at 3081 Electrical & Computer Eng Bldg(ECEB)

We will use Wolfram Notebooks in the labs. You can access notebooks directly at www.wolframcloud.com by logging in with your netID and password. Or you can download and install Mathematica from here (again using your netID and password).

Office Hours

Instructor: Abrita Chakravarty

MW 11:50 AM-12:20 PM or by appointment

TA: Sattwik Basu

Monday 3:00-4:00 PM, ECEB 2036

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Recent Announcements

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Calendar

Introduction

Past & Present — Connecting the World

Intelligence & Implications

Future

Fun Week

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Course Staff

Instructors

Teaching Assistant

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Syllabus

This course will give students from outside of Engineering an under-the-hood view of 12 important technologies that will impact their daily lives in the next decade. For each technology, students will

1. understand the core technical challenges in realizing the technology,
2. gain intuition on how the challenges are being solved,
3. appreciate how such technologies translate to business and revenue, and
4. identify implications in areas such as privacy, fairness, policy, ethics, and other paradigm shifts.

Technical subjects to be considered include basics of sensing, computing, communication, and control, the 4 pillars of technology. To help students better relate to the topics discussed in the course, each technology will be highlighted using one or more well-established companies (e.g., Comcast, ATT, Google, Facebook, ADT, Amazon, Microsoft, Tesla, Verisign).

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Exam Information

The course has three midterm exams. There will not be any final exam. More information on midterm logistics, format, and grading will be released soon.

Exam 1

Exam 1 will be on Sep 27. The exam will be 1 hour long. You are allowed 1 letter-size (8.5" x 11") cheat sheet (you may use both sides). The exam is closed book/notes, and calculators are not allowed.
This exam will test concepts covered in the Past & Present module.

Study Guide

Here are some resources to help you prepare for Exam 1:

1. Professor Lumetta's Study Guide
2. Professor Roy Choudhury's Study Guide
3. Exam 1 Review Session Video

Exam 2

Exam 2 will be on Oct 27. The exam will be approximately 1 hour long. You are allowed 1 letter-size (8.5" x 11") cheat sheet (you may use both sides).  The exam is closed book/notes, and calculators are not allowed.
This exam will test concepts covered in the Intelligence & Implications module.

Study Guide

Please have a look at the Exam 2 Study Guide to prepare for the exam.

Exam 3

Exam 3 will be on Dec 1. The exam will be approximately 1 hour long. You are allowed 1 letter-size (8.5" x 11") cheat sheet (you may use both sides). The exam is closed book/notes, and calculators are not allowed.
This exam will test concepts covered in the Future module.

Study Guide

Here are some resources to help you prepare for Exam 3:

1. Professor Lumetta's Study Guide

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Grading Information

• Midterm exams: 3 x 20%
• Hands-on exercises / Labs: 30%
• Participation: 10%

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