Data Exhaust

Information Literacy Reminders:
These assignments are open-ended by design and are meant to simulate the type of instructions you would get in a work environment. The goal is to get you comfortable working with datasets and interpreting information. In addition, these activities build the “critical thinking muscle” by requiring you to consider the information resource more critically than you may have previously done. When you are performing your analysis in any given assignment, remember to place context on all data and link it to the relevant course concepts. Your conclusions in any given assignment should be supported by your observations/analysis and demonstrate your comprehensive understanding of the topic(s). These assignments are submitted via D2L.
Instructions:
This assignment is designed to deepen one’s understanding of the proliferation of function creep and data exhaust – two concepts that are important to understand in today’s data-rich environment.

Function creep refers to data collected for one purpose and then used for another, unintended purpose.
Data exhaust (aka digital exhaust) is the term used to describe data generated as a byproduct of using digital products and services. This is not the data we self-report.

The activity is simple and scalable; just follow these rules:

1. Pick a time before the due-date, conduct this 48-hour experiment, and commit to living off-the-grid during that time.
2. Define the extent to which you will be off-the-grid. For example:
   • No social media
   • No ATM – bank teller only
   • No debit/credit cards or Venmo/PayPal digital transfer – cash only
   • No cell phones
   o If you can’t completely avoid cell phones, try making voice calls only
   • No online activities requiring a sign-in
   • No email, texting, video chatting
   • You may choose other options as well. The above are merely examples of ways students have gone off the grid in the past.
3. Keep a record of your activities and what it was like for you during the experiment.
4. Write up your findings in an Executive Summary that is 700 words or less (If you can fulfill the requirements with fewer words that is great, but be sure to address all the requirements). Be sure to follow the guidelines set in the BA 325 Information Literacy Expectations and the BA 325 Information Literacy Assessment Rubric. In this case, it is acceptable to use the first-person format in your assignment. You may use any font size/style/paragraph spacing/line spacing that you are comfortable with.
   Do not pretend to do this activity. When you upload your assignment to the D2L Assignments folder, you are stating that the work is your own. All assignments will be evaluated through TurnItIn, so any metadata that is not your own will flag an Academic Integrity Review.