Linguistics 575: Societal Impacts of Language Technology

SciComm Assignment

This assignment was developed by Ryan Georgi, and modified only lightly here.

For this short assignment, choose one of the following:

"Letter to the Editor"/Response

This doesn't need to actually be a letter to the editor, but is rather a response to a news piece, blog post, or other piece of media portraying an NLP task in some way.

• Goals:
  • Highlight:
    • What you feel was incorrect or framed in a wrong way
    • A facet of the task that was not given adequate discussion
  • Offer a recommendation or alternative point of view
• Helpful resource:
  • Union of Concerned Scientists: Writing an Effective Letter to the Editor

Op-Ed

This option will be you presenting some kind of call to action, or proposal for policy. For instance, making a case for extending human subjects protections to social media.

• Goals:
  • Have a specific action or policy you are arguing for or against.
  • If pro:
    • Motivate why this policy is needed, and how it could be implemented.
  • If con:
    • Motivate why this policy is notneeded, and identify an alternative.
• Helpful resource:
  • Union of Concerned Scientists: Writing Op-Eds

Tech Explanation/Tutorial

This option will be taken if you would like to practice explaining an NLP technology to a lay audience.

• Goals:
  • Define the NLP task you want to explain.
  • Define the audience you are intending to address
  • Address any common misunderstandings, or risks that the audience should be aware of.

Ethics in NLP Lesson Plan

This option involves imagining how issues of ethics can be integrated into general NLP classes.

• Goals:
  • Determine the type of class (undergrad, grad, survey course, specific topics course)
  • Articulate learning objectives for the exercise
  • Describe what activity you would have the students carry out

Tweetorial

This option is inspired by Gero et al 2021.

• Goals:
  • Determine the concept/idea you want to explain.
  • Write the tweetorial
  • Write a couple of paragraphs reflecting on the exercise.
  • OPTIONAL: Consider posting your tweetorial to Twitter (and, if you choose to that, consider asking the instructor/others to retweet)

Requirements for All Options:

• In the ballpark of 700-1,500 words. (~1.5-3 pages, single-spaced).
  • (If you can make your case in slightly less space, that’s fine too)
• This should not be technical writing, but be sure to cite sources (via hyperlink, if convenient).
• For the letter to the editor, op-ed, tutorial or tweetorial options, if you regularly interact with a community for which English is not the primary language, you can choose to write your assignment in your community's language. In this case, please help me to evaluate/give feedback by a) providing a translation yourself, b) running your writing through an automated translation system and flagging any egregious errors, or c) writing a couple of paragraphs reflecting on the experience.
• Are all the goals addressed for your option?

Grading will be based on the requirements above, clarify of writing, and connection to the course material.