Academic Handbook Law and Criminology
Law and innovation: Digital, Online and Technology Law Course Descriptor
Last modified on February 17th, 2023 at 3:27 pm
| Course code | LLAW6233 | Discipline | Law |
| UK Credit | 15 | US Credit | 4 |
| FHEQ level | 6 | Date approved | November 2022 |
| Core attributes | Understanding Societies and Institutions (SI) | ||
| Pre-requisites | |||
| Co-requisites | |||
Course Overview
The course seeks to define, analyse and evaluate legal issues arising in relation to new technological markets, with specific emphasis on digital, online and technology law issues. It looks at the role of content moderation online and considers the interaction of competition, innovation, data protection and other relevant laws affecting online platforms. Students prepare a portfolio of case studies regarding contemporary legal issues.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
Knowledge and Understanding
| K1c | Deploy coherent and detailed knowledge of the way that the legal system uses existing tools to approach new challenges as technology outpaces legal development. |
| K2c | Critically appraise the approaches of different jurisdictions to similar issues and assess the quality of regulation in comparative perspective. |
| K3c | Demonstrate a systematic understanding of regulation across jurisdictions. |
Subject Specific Skills
| S1c | Apply, critique and evaluate quantitative evidence for the success or failure of the regulation and deregulation of technology. |
| S2c | Synthesise insights from cognate disciplines (e.g. history; economics; politics) as they pertain to the regulation and deregulation of technology. |
| S3c | Critically assess the development of legal doctrine in relation to new technology |
Transferable and Employability Skills
| T1c | Communicate persuasively in relation to complex technological systems. |
| T2c
|
Research and critically assess developing legal questions whose answers may not yet be determined. |
| T3c | Display an advanced level of technical proficiency in written English and competence in applying scholarly terminology, so as to be able to apply skills in critical evaluation, analysis and judgement effectively in a diverse range of contexts |
Teaching and Learning
This course has a dedicated Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) page with a syllabus and range of additional resources (e.g. readings, question prompts, tasks, assignment briefs, discussion boards) to orientate and engage students in their studies
The scheduled teaching and learning activities for this course are:
Interactive lectures/seminars
40 scheduled hours – typically including induction, consolidation or revision, and assessment activity hours.
- Version 1:all sessions in the same sized group
OR
- Version 2: most of the sessions in larger groups; some of the sessions in smaller groups
Faculty hold regular ‘office hours’, which are opportunities for students to drop in or sign up to explore ideas, raise questions, or seek targeted guidance or feedback, individually or in small groups.
Students are to attend and participate in all the scheduled teaching and learning activities for this course and to manage their directed learning and independent study.
Indicative total learning hours for this course: 150
Assessment
Both formative and summative assessment are used as part of this course, with purely formative opportunities typically embedded within interactive teaching sessions, office hours, and/or the VLE.
Summative Assessments
| AE: | Assessment Activity | Weighting (%) | Duration | Length |
| 1 | Presentation | 30% | 10 minutes | N/A |
| 2 | Portfolio | 70% | N/A | 2500 words |
Further information about the assessments can be found in the Course Syllabus.
Feedback
Students will receive formative and summative feedback in a variety of ways, written (e.g. marked up on assignments, through email or the VLE) or oral (e.g. as part of interactive teaching sessions or in office hours).
Indicative Reading
Note: Comprehensive and current reading lists are produced annually in the Course Syllabus or other documentation provided to students; the indicative reading list provided below is for a general guide and part of the approval/modification process only.
- The Wall Street Journal – Facebook Papers Investigation
- Ofcom Online Harms Proposals and associated documentation
- The Cairncross Review of Press Freedom
- UK Information Commissioner’s Office, AdTech Opinion (November 2021)
Indicative Topics
Note: Comprehensive and current topics for courses are produced annually in the Course Syllabus or other documentation provided to students; the indicative topics provided below are used as a general guide and part of the approval/modification process only.
- Content moderation online
- The role of market power and competition in media markets
- Free speech issues online: the role of legal immunities
- Data protection law and its interaction with competition law
- The application of developed legal doctrines to innovative technologies.
- Advertising technology and the law
| Title: LLAW6233 Law and innovation: Digital, online and technology law Course Descriptor
Approved by: Academic Board Location: Academic Handbook/Programme Specifications and Handbooks/ |
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| Version number | Date approved | Date published | Owner | Proposed next review date | Modification (As per AQF4) & category number |
| 1.0 | November 2022 | January 2023 | Stephen Dnes | November 2027 | |