Thriving in a Digital World (Advanced)

Eligibility: Open to Ei ASSET Talent Search Gold, Silver and Bronze scholars; Students currently in grade 8, 9 or 10

As this generation grows up, more and more of their social life is mediated by the internet, and now it appears that a lot of their work life will also be online. It is important for them to understand the internet well: how it works, what is the underlying technology, what are its strengths and weaknesses, so they know how to leverage the former and avoid the latter.

In a world of teenage social media stars, app developers, video gamers, internet entrepreneurs, manipulative advertising, information warfare and cyber-predators, a better understanding of different aspects of the internet can open up a world of opportunity to young students. At the same time, it helps them better sift the realities and the illusions of the internet world.

This course will help the students understand the following aspects of the modern internet:

- Technology: an overview of how the internet works; browsers, mobile phone apps, servers, the network infrastructure, how these all interact, which direction the technology is moving, and how to position themselves to best benefit from the trends

- Economics: How is it that we get so much software/services/apps for free? How do Google, Facebook, Amazon etc make money? How is this different from non-internet businesses and older ways of making money, and how does this affect us? How and why the internet is eating the world of business and how to be prepared for those changes

- Psychology: The structure and economics of the internet ensure that people's behavior on the internet is not the same as their behavior in real life. People who understand this and use it effectively find that the internet is one of the most powerful tools at their disposal. People who don't quite get this find the internet to be either toxic, addictive, dangerous, or a waste of time. This course will teach the students to be in the former bucket.

- Security: With our identities, reputation, and finances being tied to the internet, it is important to understand the steps to be taken to be safe on the internet.

This will be an interactive online course consisting of 12 sessions 1½ hours every Saturday at 5:30pm, supplemented by hands-on activities, group projects, do-it-yourself exploration ideas and homework assignments focusing on applying the concepts learnt in class to realistic scenarios.

Testimonials

“On online courses, my son has issued a blanket instruction to sign up for every course/workshop by @NGKabra on @GenWise_   So if the date & time can work out, we sign up for @NGKabra learning, whatever the topic.”

- Harshad Oak, Parent

"@NGKabra is one of the most intelligent people I have met and a great instructor."

- Sayali, Parent

"I have enrolled my son for two of Navin’s courses scheduled in May - Critical thinking and Understanding AI. Highly recommended."

- Amit Yadwad, Parent