DIGC

2026-27 Catalog | Generated 08/03/26

Subject

DIGC

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

2 DIGC 2000 Coding Foundations for Digital Strategies

Subject

DIGC

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Select from one of the following

Subject

DIGC

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Design thinking as a strategy and toolkit is usually defined as having five stages: Empathize, Define the problem, Ideate, Prototyping, and Testing. A crucial step in effective use of this toolkit is learning how to use empathizing with an audience or public, and learning what questions to ask in order to ideate. Students in DIGC 2200 will build on critical thinking and technological context from DIGC 1200 and DIGC 1600, applying these skills to understanding specific problems in digital spaces. We will examine case studies from this perspective, and unpack both the strengths and weaknesses of how each scenario was developed and executed, to build a lens students can apply to their own Design Thinking project, the culmination of the course. We will build on skills using an ethnographic approach to understanding communities and their diverse needs.

Subject

DIGC

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Narratives matter. They encourage imagination and creativity through visions of what could be, even as they challenge us to think critically about the practical realities of everyday professional life. Narratives also connect us within a web of social and cultural relationships that shape the world around us. But some narratives are historically given more attention than others. This practice often leads to marginalization in digital public spaces. In response, DIGC 2600 centers a selection of diverse narratives that exemplify inclusive digital projects. This course invites students to explore how historically underrepresented narratives are created, curated, and shared in a range of digital formats using diverse forms of data. Surveying the broad concept of digital publics, I'll invite students to reflect on the ways race, gender, and sexuality intersect in a variety of digital environments. We'll examine interactive journalism, public scholarship, digital literature, and other types of media. Students will also have a chance to produce, workshop, and revise their own data-informed digital projects--from personal portfolios, to professional narratives--that communicate their perspectives as consumers, critics, and creators in digital publics. Prerequisite: Recommended - DIGC 1200 provides helpful foundational knowledge for materials and activities in this course 1 Course Unit

Subject

DIGC

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Building on the foundational concepts and approaches from experience gained through introductory coursework or prior coding experience, this course provides students with strategies for using Python to solve more complex problems. Students engage with applications of Python that help them expand their contextual knowledge and critical thinking skills, which are central to all DIGC certificate courses. By the end of the DIGC 3000 course, students can perform a functional analysis of a real- world problem and use Python to present results. Prior completion of DIGC 2000 or equivalent Python experience is required to enroll in this course.

Subject

DIGC

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Any course with Attribute = BCSD (https:// catalog.upenn.edu/attributes/bcsd/)

Subject

DIGC

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

The rapid pace of technological changes since the invention of the microchip in the 1970s has by some accounts outstripped society’s mechanisms for evaluating and managing the way we engage with one another and social systems in the larger world. When cell phones first became common in the early 2000s, taking a personal call in a restaurant was rude behavior—today it is rare that this same activity would be questioned or challenged. In short, the social, economic, and cultural parameters that define how we understand ourselves and our place in the world have been challenged and, in many cases, overthrown at all levels in our society. In this class, students take a deep dive into the implications and consequences of digital ethics and digital literacy as engaged citizens in four arenas: ethics and algorithms, ethics of privacy, ethics of identity, and ethics and professional practices. At the conclusion of the course, students work on developing a deeper understanding of ethical practices as they pertain to specialized arenas of digital culture with a framework and tools for engaging with technological change as a living component of their daily lives. Prerequisites: Students are expected to either have taken a minimum of either DIGC 1200 or DIGC 1600, or bring sufficient prior expertise to analyze the social implications of technological change.

Subject

DIGC

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

This course teaches you to understand code using Python at the 10,000 foot level. You'll develop competencies to communicate with programmers and software engineers, to bridge the gap between the programmer and the client. It reinforces and builds upon the skills learned in previous coding courses in the DIGC cluster. Students will gain a deeper understanding of Python programming and develop the skills necessary to comprehend more complex Python programs. Throughout the course, students will develop a rudimentary understanding of specifications for code, which can be utilized to bridge the gap between knowledge domain experts and programmers. They will learn to discuss types and assignment, evaluate expressions, and practice logical reasoning through branches and loops. In addition, students will explore the development of small but structured programs, emphasizing ease of design, testing, and debugging through the formal description, and use, of functions. The course will also cover writing simple classes, which will help students to develop more complex programs and solve real-world problems. Upon completion of the course, students will have sufficient skills to understand, at a higher level, what a more professional Python program is doing. They will be able to read basic code and discuss it in detail. The course will provide students with a solid foundation for interfacing with programmers in a professional environment.

Subject

DIGC

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Understanding literacy, having context for technocultures, telling stories, and exploring ethics are critical to being an informed individual in contemporary life; but becoming an active citizen in society requires the skills to engage on a deeper level with technologies. In this class, students will focus on living technocultures from 1970-present and engage in critical evaluation and analysis of technocultures in the modern and postmodern eras. Over the course of the term, students will focus on a particular technological category, located in its own cultural setting. They will develop, and implement their own project proposal for in-depth study of a specific technology or use-case that has application for their own interests or goals. Students will begin their exploration using grounded theory, though the nature of their projects will dictate what methodology they will employ. During the class, they will work in small groups with others using similar methods in the exploration of their research and course content. Students will be incorporating tools and skills developed in at least two of the DIGC track courses in their projects. Students are expected to either have taken at least two of the following: DIGC 1200, DIGC 1600, and/or DIGC 2000 or bring sufficient prior expertise to analyze and problematize a technological practice or arena in a real world setting with the guidance of the instructors of those courses. The full cluster is recommended.

Subject

DIGC

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu