Exploring Digital Information Technologies for Non-Engineers
Spring 2024

Logistics

Lectures

Mondays & Wednesdays, 2:00pm - 2:50pm at 3020 Electrical & Computer Eng Bldg (ECEB)

See Lecture Schedule

Labs

Fridays, 10:00am - 11:50am or 12:00pm - 1:50pm at 3020 Electrical & Computer Eng Bldg (ECEB)

We will use Mathematica in the labs. To work on the labs, you will have to download and install Mathematica on your computers from here (using your netID and password).

You can also access notebooks directly from within your browser at www.wolframcloud.com by logging in with your netID and password. However some of the more code-intensive exercises can run into issues on the cloud. We recommend installing the desktop application for a better experience

Labs will be submitted and graded using Gradescope. Details about the submission process will be provided during class.

Communication

We will use the ECE 101 workspace on Slack for communication in this course. We will post important announcements, links to interesting resources, ask questions (responses to which will count as class participation) and respond to student questions on Slack.

We will also respond to student emails. However a Slack message will probably get you a quicker response.

Office Hours

Instructor: Abrita Chakravarty

Mondays & Wednesdays, 2:50pm - 3:20pm or by appointment

TA: Sattwik Basu

Tuesdays, 3:00pm - 4:00pm at 2036 Electrical & Computer Eng Bldg

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Calendar

Introduction

Past & Present — Connecting the World

Intelligence & Implications

Future

Final Week

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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 topics 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 highlight one or more well-established companies (e.g., Comcast, ATT, Google, Meta, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Tesla, OpenAI).

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Exercises

Exercises are optional, but they will help you with your preparation for exams by testing your understanding of the material. Exercises will be posted as the semester progresses.

• Exercise 1 (solutions)
• Exercise 2 (solutions)
• Exercise 3 (solutions)
• Exercise 4 (solutions)
• Exercise 5 (solutions)
• Exercise 7 (solutions)
• Exercise 8 (solutions)
• Exercise 9 (solutions)

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Exam Information

The course has three midterm exams. There will NOT be any final exam.

Each exam will be 50 mins long. You are allowed 1 letter-size (8.5" x 11") handwritten cheatsheet (you may use both sides). The exam is closed book/notes, and calculators are not allowed.
Detailed information on logistics, format, and grading will be provided during exam review sessions.

Exam 1

Exam 1 will be on Feb 28. This exam will test concepts covered in the Past & Present module.

Exam 2

Exam 2 will be on April 5. This exam will test concepts covered in the Intelligence & Implications module.

Exam 3

Exam 3 will be on May 1. This exam will test concepts covered in the Future module.

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Grading Information

Your final grade will be based on a weighted combination of the following:

• Classroom participation: 20% (6 absences allowed)
• Weekly Labs (best 8 out of 10): 35%
• Three Midterm Exams: 3 x 15 = 45%
  (Regrade policy: Correct mistakes and turn in for half of the points lost.)

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