Course Syllabus:

Required Texts

Winston, M.E., & Edelbach, R. D. (2003). Society, ethics, and technology. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth. 
Friedman, Thomas, (2005).  The World is Flat. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Course Description

In this capstone course, the relationship between society and technology is investigated through readings, reflections, research, and reports. The course identifies conditions that have promoted technological development and assesses the social, political, environmental, cultural, and economic effects of current technology. Issues of control and ethical considerations in the use of technology are primary. Discussion and oral and written reports draw together students' prior learning in specialty and general education courses.

Program and Terminal Course Objectives

Program Objectives

General education competencies expected from a DeVry education include the following objectives

1) Communicate clearly with particular audiences for particular purposes.

2) Work collaboratively to help achieve individual and group goals.

3) Apply critical thinking skills in learning, conducting applied research, and defining and solving problems.

4) Develop tolerance of ambiguity and mature judgment in exploring intellectual issues.

5) Build on intellectual curiosity with fundamental concepts and methods of inquiry from the sciences, social sciences, and humanities to support life-long learning.

6) Apply mathematical principles and concepts to problem solving and logical reasoning.

7) Use study and direct experience of the humanities and social sciences to develop a clear perspective on the breadth and diversity, as well as the commonality, of human experience.

8) Connect general education to the ethical dimensions of issues and to responsible, thoughtful citizenship in a democratic society.

Terminal Course Objectives

1. Given a video presentation and class discussion or case studies illustrating various levels of technological development since the first tool specializations, develop a working definition of technology in its various aspects.

2. Given a time-line illustrating the history of the Earth in subcomponents of billions of years, relate the development of plants, animals, and human kind to the geological changes of the Earth according to the proportionality and mutual influence of these changes.

3. Given a chronological overview of the history of technology, and using various timelines provided in the class textbook or handouts, establish a list of events that represent the most significant contributions to the development of technology.

4. Given overviews of types of knowledge and thought and a chronology of the development of technology, identify philosophies that accompanied technological growth and analyze the causes/effects of technological growth and cultural, scientific, and humanistic viewpoints.

5. Given examples of various technological breakthroughs, such as the introduction of the cotton gin in the American South, analyze the impact of technological development on marginalized social groups, e.g., minorities, women, elders, etc., by correlating these advancements with social changes.

6. Given a presentation or set of readings illustrating different attitudes toward technology, evaluate several contrasting viewpoints on the subject in terms of their ability to predict or accurately describe the effects of technology on the quality of life.

7. Given a collection of demographic profiles and resource statistics, analyze the impact of technology on the size, growth, and comparison of world population and its effect on available resources.

8. Given an issue associated with the development of technology, evaluate the role of personal responsibility and leadership within that issue, as compared to the responsibility borne by governments, corporations, scientific or professional societies, and society as a whole.

9. Given a process for defining and limiting a topic, participate in a research project as a member of a student team that investigates, formulates, and presents its analysis of (a) an issue associated with technology, (b) the characteristics of technology's development, (c) its present and likely future impact, and including (d) the ethical or moral issues arising from the development or implementation of that technology.

[Objectives 10 - 16 represent options for developing a focus on selected issues; not all of these objectives are expected to be addressed.]

10. Given a dramatization of the exhaustion of world energy resources (e.g., fossil fuels), assess the role of technology plays in the depletion of these resources, as well as in finding alternative sources to meet society's needs.

11. Given a domestic case of environmental pollution, propose a strategy and a specific set of basic steps that could help "heal the hearth."

12. Given practical examples of the different applications of biotechnology to solve society's challenges, analyze the positive and negative impacts of these technologies.

13. Given a chronological overview of the development of medical technology, assess the impact of that technology on society using various cultural models, and demographic data already presented in the chapter on population and resources.

14. Given identification and description of the non-industrialized countries comprising 75% of the world's population, analyze the effects of cultural social factors on technological development.

15. Given projections for the development and growth of various technologies, draw up a realistic scenario (or write a science fiction story) for the development of a specific technology for 10, 25, and 50 years into the future.

16. Given a set of historical and current paintings on similar themes, or other comparable examples of artistic output showing dramatic differences between current and past styles, develop and defend a thesis on the mutual influence between technology and the arts.

Eight-Week Course Schedule

Humn 432 – Technology, Society and Culture

Eight – Week Lesson Plan

Grading Policy

  Weekly Threaded Discussions Assignment (TDA)

The Threaded Discussion Assignment is a major online component of the iOptimize shell.  The TDA is a weekly asynchronous virtual classroom discussion aimed at promoting understanding of the major concepts and principles underlying the complex relationships of the course.  Students should plan to participate in the discussion(s) for approximately two hours each week (this time does not include homework for the onsite meetings). 

The professor will lead these discussions, asking questions, promoting thought, and providing feedback to the students.  In turn, each student is expected to respond to the instructor’s questions and to respond to the entries of the other students in the class.  Opinions are welcome; however, the entries as well as the discussion itself must focus on the weekly lecture(s) and weekly readings.  Thus each student must refer to specifics of the lectures and the readings each week as well as analyze and synthesize material from previous readings and lectures.

Each week the student will be graded on his/her contribution(s) in the Threaded Discussions using the TDA Grading Criteria. Each entry is worth a maximum of five points based on the following three categories.

Suggestions on Grading the Threaded Discussion Assignment

Frequency – At a minimum, each student must participate 3 days per week, every other day, spread out from the beginning to the end of each week.  The more a student participates, the more points the student is able to earn.  The points for frequency in the discussion can range from 0-2 points (0 for no participation and 2 points maximum for the 3 or more days).

Volume – (The number of posts per Thread) For each Thread in a TDA, a minimum of three postings must be made by each student per week.  These postings cannot be completely directed only to the professor; the postings must also respond to the entries and comments of the other students in the class in the virtual classroom discussion.  The more entries the student posts during the three days the more points the student can earn. The student may earn 0 – 2 points for each entry.

Quality – It is expected that each student will bring content from the weekly lectures and weekly readings during each TDA (adding value including personal examples, new analysis, important questions, tying posts together, references to reading, responding to the instructor and/or the questions).  While personal opinions may be interjected, the emphasis of each discussion is the course content.  A student can earn from 0-1 point for the quality of the discussion entries.

Therefore, a student can earn a total of 15 points (maximum) per Threaded Discussion Assignment/Topic if they meet the criteria for Threaded Discussion.  If there are two Threaded Discussions per week the student would be able to earn 30 points (maximum) in the Threads for the Week. 

Example:

Threaded Discussion Assignment I:

Frequency – the student posts every other day – for 3 days (M-W-F) = 2 points each posting (6 points)

Volume – the student posts several entries on each of the three days = 2 points each posting (6 points)

Quality – the student adds value to the discussion and references material from the lectures and readings for each day = 1 point each day (3 points)

6 + 6 + 3 = 15    or

The student earned 5 points for the posting each day based on frequency, volume, and quality and has posted 3 days for a total of 15 points in Threaded Discussion I.

Threaded Discussion Assignment II:

Frequency – the student posts 3 consecutive days – for 3 days (M-T-W) = 1 point each posting

Volume – the student posts one entry of limited content on each of the three days = 1 point each posting

Quality – the student adds no value to the discussion or makes references to the lectures and/or the readings = 0 points

3 + 3 = 6

The student earned 2 points for one posting each day based on frequency, volume, and quality and has posted 3 days for a total of 6 points in Threaded Discussion I.

This student has earned 15 points for TDA I and 6 points for TDA II for a total of 21 points for the Threaded Discussions for the Week.  Based on the Grade Scale for the Threaded Discussions this student has earned a C for the Threaded Discussion for the Week.

The Wrap-Up Thread for each week is NOT a graded component.  This should be indicated in the Drop-down box along with the assignment title  - Example:   Wrap-up - No grade

The school grading formula:

School Policies

A) Academic and Professional Conduct

Ensuring academic integrity is an educational objective DeVry takes very seriously. The School's Academic Policy is printed in the catalog, and the following explanations may be helpful in interpreting what are considered to be violations of the policy. 

Students have a responsibility to maintain both the academic and professional integrity of the School and to meet the highest standards of academic and professional conduct. Students are expected to do their own work on examinations, class preparation and assignments and to conduct themselves professionally when interacting with fellow students, faculty and staff. Students must also make equitable contributions to both the quality and quantity of work performed on group projects.

Academic and/or professional misconduct is subject to disciplinary action including course failure, probation or dismissal. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on examinations, plagiarism, bribery, falsification of student records and improper attempts to influence Instructors or School officials.

Examinations: Using notes, looking at another student's test paper, or providing another student with answers during an examination are violations of the policy. 

Course Assignments/Projects: Unless a course assignment is specifically designated as a group/team assignment, collaborating with another student in completing assignments intended to be completed independently or submitting another student's work as your own are violations of the policy. 

Research Reports: To use another person's ideas, words, expressions, or findings in your writing without acknowledging the source is to plagiarize. A writer who does not give appropriate credit when quoting, or even paraphrasing, another's writing is guilty of plagiarism and in violation of the Academic Policy. 

The policies and procedures set forth in the DeVry Handbook will be the guide for standards of conduct, including cheating, plagiarism, grading and other policies. 

Students should adhere to the same types of conduct for cheating, plagiarism, etc. that are followed in the traditional classroom.

Students should be familiar with the consequences of cheating, plagiarism, or rules infractions as set out in the DeVry Handbook.

B) Computer Virus Disclaimer

“Students have a responsibility to maintain both the academic and professional integrity of the School, and to meet the highest standards of academic and professional conduct."  Any intentional, willful or reckless transferring of viruses, as the result of an email message or attachment will be considered professional misconduct.  Professional misconduct is subject to disciplinary action including being placed on probation, failing a graded course component, failing a course, or being dismissed from the School.  DeVry will not be liable to any affected student for any indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages that may occur as a result of this type of misconduct by any person.

Faculty and DeVry staff have a responsibility to maintain both the academic and professional integrity of the School, and to meet the highest standards of academic and professional conduct.  Any intentional, willful or reckless transferring of viruses, as the result of an email message or attachment will be considered professional misconduct.  Professional misconduct is subject to disciplinary action. DeVry will not be liable to any affected person or organization for any indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages that may occur as a result of this type of misconduct by any person.