There will be two required readings for a subset of sessions, as marked in the class schedule. Each reading will be selected by the discussion leads (3-5 students) assigned to that reading. Assignments will be made through a survey in which students will be asked to specify their preferred sessions to lead. All students are expected to lead the discussion for one reading during the course. Half of each session (~30-35 minutes) will be dedicated to the first reading, and the other half will be dedicated to the second reading (~30-35 minutes).
The responsibilities of the discussion lead teams are to: (1) select a paper they are interested in leading the discussion on (latest by one week prior to their session). The paper should be a full-length article from any of the flagship security, privacy, or HCI conferences, including USENIX Security, IEEE S&P, SOUPS, PETS, CHI, HRI, and CSCW; (2) present a short summary of the paper's most important points (~3-5 minutes); (3) lead an in-depth and lively discussion by proposing 1-2 discussion prompts (selected from prompts submitted by non-lead students) for small-group discussion in class (~10-15 minutes); and (4) design a short class activity related to the paper that involves the user research methods covered in the course (e.g., asking students to design a few survey questions related to a specific aspect of the paper, asking students to identify potential biases in interview questions used in the paper) (~10-15 minutes).
For each assigned reading, non-lead students are expected to submit an in-depth commentary demonstrating a clear understanding of the required reading (by 3 p.m. the day before the session). The TA will then share these prompts with the discussion leads (by 5 p.m. the day before the session), who will select a subset (1-2) to present to the class during their discussion. Students whose prompts are selected are expected to help initiate the discussion related to their prompts. Non-lead students are expected to have read the assigned papers in detail and to actively engage in these discussions. An example discussion prompt is: "The paper discusses the roles of designers and developers in ensuring AI safety. In your opinion, do policymakers have additional responsibilities in this area, and what might those responsibilities entail?"
In addition to the required readings, the teaching team has identified two optional readings that students may explore to deepen their understanding of the session's topic. Engaging with these supplementary materials may enhance students' understanding of the subject matter and provide broader perspectives. While not mandatory, reviewing these optional readings is encouraged for students interested in further exploration of the course content. The complete list of optional readings is available on the course schedule.
Digital Detox. In sessions with in-class discussions, we will have a digital detox. This means that students will be asked not to use any digital technologies, including phones, computers, and tablets, unless the activity designed by the discussion leads requires their use. Otherwise, the use of these technologies is not allowed in class. Students who need to use these tools for reasons unrelated to the class are asked to do so outside the classroom, to ensure that the discussion leads receive the attention they deserve for their awesome work leading the discussion. :)
The assigned grade for your submitted reading commentary will be one of the following:
There is no deadline extension for reading commentaries, and they are expected to be submitted by 7 p.m. the day before the class. However, life is full of surprises, which requires flexibility. So if, for any reason, you find it challenging to submit your assignments in time, please reach out to the instructor to discuss possible accommodations. Your health and happiness are my priorities, so if you are in distress about this class (or anything else) and you would like to talk about it, the instructor is always available to chat. Just let me know!
As a discussion lead, you do not need to submit a reading commentary for the paper whose discussion you are leading. However, you are still required to submit a commentary for the second paper in the session, for which you are not leading the discussion. The following criteria will be used to evaluate your reading grade: