851-0586-02L  The Spectacles of Measurement

SemesterSpring Semester 2020
LecturersU. Brandes
Periodicityyearly recurring course
Language of instructionEnglish


AbstractIf you can't measure it, you can't manage it. Explorations into mathematical foundations and societal implications of measuring humans, processes, and things in an increasingly datafied world.
ObjectiveStudents have a basic understanding of what makes a property quantifiable. They know the difference between operational and representational measurement, and the consequences this has for both, the collection of data and its use in decision making and control. With a critical attitude toward datafication, contextual differences are appreciated across domains such as science and engineering, health and sports, or governance and policy making.
ContentMeasurement Theory
- representations, scales
- meaningfulness
- direct vs. indirect, conjoint measurement

Measurement Practice
- units and standards
- sensors and intruments
- items and questionnaires

Measurement Politics
- administration and control, adaptation
- digitization, e-democracy, privacy
Lecture notesSlides made available in a course moodle.
Prerequisites / NoticeStudents pair up in teams to write an essay on a measurement problem they care about (such as one pertinent to their discipline or research).