Sample Syllabus #1
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This document provides a syllabus for a course on technology and society taught at Hudson Valley Community College in Fall 2017. The course will examine the interaction between science, technology, and society using readings from various disciplines. It will focus on helping students understand the impact of technology in their lives and develop decision-making skills related to technology issues. The syllabus outlines the course objectives, assignments including exams, presentations and essays, grading breakdown, reading list, policies on plagiarism and attendance, and opportunities for extra credit.
Sample Syllabus #1
- 1. 1 Hudson Valley Community College Troy, New York 12180 Syllabus for Fall 2017 SOCL 255 Technology in Society Course Description: This course considers the nature of the interaction among science, technology, and society, the consequences of such interaction, and possible future trends of interaction. It will use readings from leading theorists in a variety of disciplines to look at current event topics that relate to technology and society. It will focus on helping students to develop an awareness of the impact of technology on their lives and to develop the knowledge base necessary to be good decision makers when dealing with these issues in their daily life. This course is designed for students from all curricula and will employ a multidisciplinary approach to the subject matter. Note: This course is open only to students in one of the Honors Advisement tracks or by permission of the Department Chair. Department: History, Philosophy, and Social Sciences Course/Section: SOCL 255 ABC Technology in Society MWR 1:00—1:50PM Credit Hours: Three (3) Instructor: Dr. E.R. Rugenstein, Cultural History Office Location & Hours: Marvin Library Faculty Office Wing: Office 101 Tuesday X:000am – Y:00pm, Wednesday X:50xm – Y:30am, and by appointment Texts: Kaku, Michio, Physics of the Future. New York, NY: Anchor Books, Random House Inc., 2012 Carr, Nicholas, The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains, New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, 2011 Winston, Morton and Ralph Edelbach, Society, Ethics, and Technology 5th ed. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2014 Zinn, Howard, A People’s History of the United States New York, NY: Harper & Roe Publishers, 2003 Objectives: Students will: 1. Discuss effects of technological change. 2. Discuss implications of “future shock”. 3. Gain an understanding of the ways society-technology- science interact and enhance each other. 4. Discuss the differences between the macro-level and micro- level impacts of science and technology. 5. Identify the prior inventors and their invention, which preceded a paradigmatic change. 6. Design a paradigmatic model, which filters and prioritizes technological change. NCATE STD
- 2. 2 Mid-Term Exam, DBQs, & Final Oral Presentations: DO NOT USE WIKIPEDIA AS A SOURCE ON ANY ASSIGNMENT, TEST OR ESSAY IN THIS CLASS. Wikipedia is a non-scholarly source without any form of peer review. If you use Wikipedia for a source you will lose 15 points from the assignment automatically. Mid-Term Exam – The Mid-term is a short answer exam based on the readings in the course texts and the class lectures. Information Sheets are allowed. Data Based Questions – DBQs are in two parts. Part 1 consists of a number of documents, pictures, or lyrics with questions to be answered. Use this information to answer the questions. Answers for Part 1 should be a typed document. Part 2 is a directed essay based on the documents, course texts, and independent research of the student. Essays should be at least 400 words, using Times/Times-New Roman typestyle, one inch margins, double-spaced, with citations and bibliography. Part 2 essays should standalone and not added onto/into Part 1. Final Oral Presentation – Each student will give a minimum seven (7) minute presentation on a topic of their interest from the course. Separate instructions will be given on the important points on this assignment. It is important that you do not miss the class when the presentations are given Grade Breakdown: Mid-Term Exam 150 pts. Data Based Question (100pts/ea) 400 pts Final Project Oral Presentation 550 pts. Participation/Attendance 100 pts. Total Points 1200 pts. Max Possible Extra Credit 80 pts. A Excellent (4.0) 1110 points and above B Very Good (3.0) 1020-1109 C Average (2.0) 930-1019 D Passing (1.0) 840-929 F Failure (0.0) 839 and below. Reading Assignments: Week Week of: Author/Reading Topic 1 August 28 * Discussion: As you have grown up how has A Prologue to the Class technology changed and has it changed your life? * Richards - Ted Talks: A Radical Experiment in Empathy What is and what will * Carr - Chapts. 2 - 4: The Vital Paths, Tools of the Mind, be Technology? The Deepening Page, & The Digressions 2 September 4 * Hills - Ted Talks: Back to the Future (of 1994) What is and what will * Teich - Section Part I: Thinking About Technology be Technology? * Kaku - Introduction: Predicting the Next 100 Years * Carr - Prologue & Chapt. 1: Hal and Me • September 4 No Class 3 September 11 * Industrial Revolution Presentations 18th Century: Changes * Zinn - Chapt. 10: The Other Civil War in technology and its * La Force - Technological Diffusion in the 18th impact on society
- 3. 3 Century: The Spanish Textile Industry September 13 DBQ #1(Due) 4 September 18 * Industrial Revolution Presentations Cont. 19th Century: Changes * Fin de Siécle Presentation (End of a Century/New Beginning) in technology and its * Zinn - Chapts. 11, 12, 13: Robber Barons and Rebels, The impact on society Empire and the People & The Socialist Challenge 5 September 25 *Zinn - Chapts. 14, 15, 16: War is the Health of the State, Self 1900-1950: Changes Help in Hard Times, & A People’s War in technology and * Teich - Section Part VI, Chapter 21 An Unforeseen Revolution: its impact on society. Computer & Expectations 1935-1986 6 October 2 * Zinn - Chapts.18, 19: The Impossible Victory -Vietnam 1950-1980: Changes & Surprises in technology and * Teich - Section Part VI: Chapt. 22 Why I Am Not Buying its impact on society. A Computer * Carr - Chapts. 5,6,7: A Medium of the Most General Nature, The Very Image of a Book, & The Juggler’s Brain and the Digression • October 9 No Classes October 13 DBQ #2 (Due) 7 October 16 * Teich - Section Part II: Debating Technology: 1960s Style 1980-2000: Changes * Teich - Section Part VI: Chapt. 25: Net Neutrality 101, in technology and Chapt. 26 Managing Broadband Networks its impact on society * Kaku - Chapt. 1: Future of Computers * Lean - BBC Historyextra: A Brave New World: The 1980s Home Computer Boom October 18 Mid-Term Exam 8 October 23 * Carr - Chapts. 8, 9: The Church of Google, Search, Memory, 2000-2015: Changes & Digression in technology and * Teich - Section Part III: Debating Technology: 21st Century its impact on society Style * Kaku - Chapt. 2: Future of AI * Murray - Mathematical Association of America: Y2K: A Personal History 9 October 30 * Teich - Section Part IV & V: Debating Technology: 2015-2030: Changes Contemporary Climate Change, & The New Biology in technology and * Kaku - Chapt. 3 & 4: Future of Medicine & Nano-technology its impact on society * Suresh – The 14th Israel Materials Engineering Conference: Materials Sciemce at the Intersections of Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, and Medicine 10 November 6 * Teich - Section Part VII: Governance and Globalization 2030-2050: Changes * Doequier & Rapoport - Journal of Economic Literature: in technology and Globalization, Brain Drain, and Development its impact on society * Frey - Futurespeaker: 2 Billion Jobs to Disappear by 2030 * Frey – Ted Talks: 2 Billion Jobs to Disappear by 2030 11 November 13 * Kaku - Chapt.5: Future of Energg 2050 to the Future: * Mazurek - Clean Energy Documentary: The Future of Energy: How will technology Lateral Power to the People and society impact * Gibbs - Scientific America: Plan B for Energy:8 each other? Revolutionary Energy Sources November 17 DBQ #3 (Due) 12 November 20 * Kaku - Chapt. 7 & 8: Future of Wealth & Humanity The Future: How will * Stahl - CBSN: The Future of Money technology & Society * Narula - Ted Talk: The Future of Money impact each other? • November 22-25 No Classes 13 November 27 * Kaku - Chapt. 6 & 9: Future of Space Travel & A Day The Future & An in the Life in 2100 Epilogue to the class * Carr - Chapt 10: A Thing Like Me, & Epilogue: Human Elements * Kaku - Nova: The Future of Space travel and the Prospects of Discovering Alien Life * Discussion: What about the future and you? November 29 Extra-Credit (Due) December 1 DBQ #4 (Due) 14 December 4 Final Oral Presentations 15 December 11 Final Oral Presentations
- 4. 4 Plagiarism: Plagiarism is offering someone else's work as your own, whether one sentence or whole paragraphs, and whether from an internet source, book, periodical, or the writing of other students. It is also dishonest to submit your own paper as original work in more than one course. Penalties for plagiarism range from failing the assignment to failing the course or suspension from HVCC, depending on the seriousness of the breach of academic integrity. You will be turned into the school administration if you are caught plagiarizing or cheating. Even the first time. Attendance: Attendance is a part of classroom participation and is required for the course and includes all classes, exams, discussions and the final presentation. Every time you attend class you earn 2 attendance points per class. If you do not miss any classes, you will earn 100 points. In order to meet the minimum qualifications to be considered attending you must accumulate at least 58 attendance points and have taken the Mid-Term Exam and completed at least two (2) DBQs. If you have not participated satisfactorily in the course you will earn an administrative withdrawal, a "Z" grade. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of class. If you arrive late or leave early from class, you are considered absent. It is also rude to get up and walk out of the class once it has started Classroom Behavior: Classroom behavior is another component of classroom participation. I expect that you will show respect to fellow students and to myself. Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Examples include talking, snapping gum, playing on laptops, using electronic devices, passing notes, throwing things, getting up and walking out of class excessively, walking around the room to throw things into the trash, etc. If you cause such disturbances you will be asked to leave and it will result in loss of points for that day’s participation / attendance. Except for laptops all electronic devices must be turned off during class especially cell-phones, beepers, and CD Players. The classroom is a free-thinking zone – you can express yourselves freely as long as you are respectful of others and their views. Name calling will not be tolerated. Make-up Work & Late Work: There is no make-up work. If you miss a test or if you hand work in late, you get a zero unless special personal experiences have been communicated to me within 24 hours of the test/assignment and we have worked out a solution. If a make up date is made for a test or an alternate due date is needed you will get one attempt for a make up test or an alternate due date. E-mail me at r.rugenstein@hvcc.edu or call and leave a message at (518) 629-7698. I preferemail. Course Correspondence: All official correspondence and announcements for this course will be made in class or through the HVCC server only. No response will be made to private e-mail addresses only to hvcc.edu addresses.
- 5. 5 Course Requirement Signature Form: You must sign the Course Requirement Signature Form after you fully understand the requirements of this course. If after the in class instruction time concerning the syllabus and the other course requirements you still do not understand the information presented you will have the opportunity for a one-on-one meeting with the professor. This is a mandatory assignment. Failure to sign this form will incur a deduction of one letter grade from your final grade. Statement of College Policy regarding Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Hudson Valley Community College is committed to ensuring educational access and accommodations for all its registered students, in order to fully participate in programs and course activities or to meet course requirements. Hudson Valley Community College's students with documented disabilities and medical conditions are encouraged to access these services by registering with the Center for Access and Assistive Technology or the Learning Disabilities Specialist to discuss their particular needs for accommodations. For information or an appointment contact the Center for Access and Assistive Technology, located in room 130 of the Siek Campus Center or call518-629-7154/TDD:518-629-7596 or contact the Learning Disabilities Specialist located in the Learning Assistance Center, in the lower level of the Marvin Library, phone number 629-7552
- 6. 6 EXTRA CREDIT There are a number of opportunities to receive extra credit for this course. The maximum number of extra credit points that you will be able to earn is 80. All review forms, essays, and opinion papers must be turned in no later than November 29, 2017. No Emails. I) Cultural Events 20 points (and/or A, B, C): A) Visit the NYS Museum, Madison Ave. (across from the Plaza). (Free admission) Review the exhibit Fire Engine Hall. Look at how the different advancing technology has had an impact on fire fighting. Write a 250- word essay of your impression of the exhibits. B) Visit the NYS Museum, Madison Ave. (across from the Plaza). (Free admission) Review the exhibit Beneath the City: An Archaeological Perspective of Albany Write a 250-word essay of your impression of the exhibit. C) Visit the NYS Museum, Madison Ave. (across from the Plaza). (Free admission) Review the exhibit Hudson Valley Ruins. Write a 250-word essay of your impression of the exhibit. II) Historic/Sociological/Technological Movie Reviews Ten (10) points for each movie review. (maximum of 50 points) For each movie download the movie review form from blackboard, watch any of the following movies, fill out the form while you are watching the movie, and turn it in before the end of the semester as stated above. Nineteen-eighty-four (1956) Birth of A Nation (1915) Judgment at Nuremburg (1961) Das Boot (1981) The Atomic Café (1982) The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) Metropolis (1927)
- 7. 7 Course Requirement Signature Form I understand the requirements for the course SOCL 255-XYZ and the various points of the syllabus specifically the following: Course Objectives: _______________________________ initial Mid-Term Exam, DBQs, & Final Oral Presentation: _______________________________ initial Grade Breakdown: _______________________________ initial Reading Assignments: _______________________________ initial Plagiarism: _______________________________ initial Attendance: _______________________________ initial Classroom Behavior: _______________________________ initial Make-up Work & Late Work: _______________________________ initial Course Correspondence: _______________________________ initial Extra-Credit: ________________________________ initial Name: ___________________________________ print ___________________________________ signature Date: _________________________