= ML310C - IT for Cooperative Communication = == Aim == Students will learn to apply communication theory and ICT while solving communication problems between the Middle East and the west. They will learn to analyze the conceptual structures behind communication and how can one become aware of faulty assumptions and inaccurate stereotypes in an intercultural setting. The students also learn in what ways one can utilize the differences among nations in order to tackle the world’s problems, and how can use ICT as a driver to arrive at better communication and more tolerant societies. The course will teach the students how to appreciate cultural differences, work in virtual teams in order to achieve goals irrespective of geographical boundaries, various languages and ways of working. Students will get to compare their experiences, values, motivations, and leadership practices, to others in the world, and develop their own leadership principles and practices, and be a more effective player on cross cultural teams. Students will also learn theories about belief systems, game theories, power and mind games, how to counter different personalities. This new experience will require flexibility, teamwork and individual initiatives. After having completed the course the student shall be able to demonstrate basic skills in: 1. Contribute to design of novel ICT that can more easily facilitate meaningful cross-cultural dialog 2. Designing communication with people from different cultural backgrounds 3. Display skill in utilizing emerging technologies for inter-cultural collaboration 4. Designing communication to be suited for being published in ICT – media 5. Publishing well structured messages on the Web 6. Applying game theory to intercultural communication 7. Enforcing a feeling of mutual respect in the communication 8. Assigning priority to sensitive information 9. Conflict resolution 10. Compressing information to its essentials 11. Generalizing information in order to discover similarities that enables information fusion 12. Classifying information in a way that makes it neutral in a power game 13. Handling communication deadlocks that may result in destructive conflicts 14. Handle negotiations that creates agreements between people with different belief systems 15. Secure that the communication creates co-operation in a multi-cultural environment. 16. Handling competitive communication on a Internet based platforms like Moodle, LinkedIn, iGoogle, Adobe acrobat, Face book, First Class, 17. Displaying skills in an ability to identify with other peoples beliefs and be able to talk about these beliefs in a way that makes other people feel understood on a deeper level. 18. Displaying skills in diplomatic communication without offending your adversary (offending anybody in an unsophisticated way would bring negative credits to the final grading of student performance) After having completed the course the student shall be able to prove that s/he understands the basics of: 1. Principles of communication theory 2. Principles of game theory 3. Principles of diplomacy 4. Principles of advocacy 5. Theories of how to create peace agreements 6. Theories of political alliances 7. Theories of how international conflicts can be solved 8. Theories of mass communication 9. Theories of how propaganda works 10. Economical principles behind international conflicts == Syllabus == A brief description of course contents: 1. Introduction of principles of communication theory, game theory, diplomacy, advocacy 2. Introduction of theories of mass communication and the role of media in world affairs 3. Introduction to theories of propaganda and international conflicts 4. Introduction to theories of how to create peace agreements and how to create political alliances 5. Basic theories and questions including mental representations, learning, memory, language and thought, as well as problem solving 6. Introduction to Economical principles behind international conflicts and the importance of oil in international conflicts == Outline == Communication theory and ICT is combined in a leadership training course at DSV, Stockholm University. The assignment in the course is based on the co-operation between a set of universities in USA, Europe, and Middle East. The mutual assignment is based on the use of ICT for Inter-Cultural and Inter-Faith Development Via the use of ICT the students will train their communication skills with students from Stockholm University who come from different countries. The students will learn a type of leadership that is focused on a cooperative communication in intercultural environments. They will work with ICT to design the communication that is needed for reaching agreements with people that have entirely different views of the world. Forms of teaching An overarching goal with the course is that students shall be able to use theories and methodologies from a variety of disciplines in order to be able to design competitive communication. The student shall use ICT-tools for designing the communication and for communicating with the teacher and with other students. The student should be able to design the communication so that it creates agreements and co-operation in a multi-cultural environment. Through the use of distance learning, and blended education, participants will learn from examples in Europe, USA, and the Middle East, and listen to what guest speakers have to say about resolving conflicts and appreciating cultural differences. Students will compare the ideas provided by the course with those ideas in their own regions, and develop a personal philosophy and behavior as the next generation citizens of the world. The teaching consists of lectures and seminars where both the lectures and the seminars can be completed online, i.e. the course can be taken as a distant course. Outside of ordinary scheduled teaching the student will also participate in group work consisting of reaching agreements with students from different cultures, different backgrounds and with different beliefs. The student can complete the course by taking part of lectures and seminars at the department of computer and system sciences or the student can complete the course as a distant online course.