About

Course Description

This course is the introductory course in the Benjamin Franklin Scholars program. Its purpose is to introduce you to thinking about technology through the humanities and social sciences. In this course we will look at what the fields of history, sociology, philosophy, political science, and science fiction have to say about technology.

Books

Charles Murray and Catherine Bly Cox, Apollo:  The Race to the Moon Kindle 7.99 
There are used/new physical copies, but they are much more expensive.  See Amazon or the Advanced Book Exchange.

Stephen Johnson,  Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation  (26.95–15.48 on Amazon)
William Gibson, Neuromancer  The mass market paperback sells for $7.99 from Amazon.


Grading and Requirements
–-Alumni Interview (5%)
–Class Participation (12%)
–Response to Readings (13%)
–Cell Projects–Podcasts (25%)
—Paper on Apollo  (15%)  (3-5 pages) Due Sept. 20 at midnight.
–Midterm Paper (15%)  (3-5 pages based on readings;  Due October 18
–Final Paper (15%)  Due  Dec. 6 at noon. 

This course beyond the course

One of the things I love about technology is that it covers every area of our lives.  My hope is that everyone can find things that are interesting to them in this course and also that they can find tools for thinking about technology.  While it is not a formal assignment, I encourage you to “see” the themes of this course elsewhere.  It can be about something you have experienced or observed in your daily life.  I could be about something you have read.  It could be about a movie, song, video that you have seen or heard.  I’ll try to often start class on Wednesday by talking about ways we can see themes of the course playing out in the world today.

Here are some places where you can find stories on technology:
New York Times Technology Section
Wired.
Ars Technica
Scientific American
Technology Review
American Scientist
Physics Today
Slashdot
IEEE Spectrum
recode

Response to Readings
The reading is the heart of this course and it is essential that you do it. To start class discussion off, I have posted a list of questions with every reading. Twelve times throughout the semester, I expect you to email me at ncsusts302h@gmail.com with a 300 word response to the readings. This email must come before the class where we discuss the reading–ideally before 11am that day.  It will be easiest for me if your response is in the body of the email.  I will provide you some questions you might respond to, but you can also write on anything in the reading that sparks your interest.  Your posting has to show knowledge of the reading!  In the course of the semester, I expect you to send me 12 emails with your reading responses.  To help me keep these straight, please use the subject heading “STS302H Reading Response”.  It is important to make at least 12 reading responses!  See Final Paper, below.  Generally, one reading response a week is a good pace to keep.  

Cells
The class will be broken up into  3-person cells.  (Cell assignments here.). One of the reasons I think this is good is that life (and engineering especially) is a team sport.  How successful you are in your career will be a strong function not just of your own technical talents, but of your ability to work effectively with other people.  So it will be good to start early.

You should think of your job in your cell as helping your cellmates to learn.  Ask them questions! 

 Final Paper
The final paper will be optional if you have made all 12 reading responses, have a solid attendance record, have participated in class,  and have received A/A- grades in at least two assignments. I will notify those students who meet these criteria the last week of class. For all other students, the final paper will be a 5 page paper on a topic to be distributed the last week of class.

 Attendance
Attendance is required. Attendance will be taken and unexcused absences will factor into your participation grade. Everyone is allowed two absences from class. After that, each absence which does not have a valid documented reason will result in a deduction of 5% from your final grade.  Please do not come to class if you are sick–notify me and your absence will be excused.

First Assignment–Introduction (Ungraded)
Send me an email introducing yourself to me.  What is important about you (to you)?  What do you hope to get out of the Franklin program?  Why did you go into engineering?  What have been important influences in your life?  What is your favorite book?  What is your favorite source for information about goings-on in the world (technological or not)?

 

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course you will:

-Have a vocabulary and a grammar with which you can analyze the main features of a society’s technology in general. You will also understand the social construction of technology and technological determinism as approaches for understanding the relation between society and technology and be able to give several examples of each.

–Give several examples of how a technology developed in different ways in different societies and have an understanding of what accounted for those differences
–Understand the concept of the evolution of technology and be able to explain factors that have been important in the development of new technologies.

–explain two critiques humanists have made of technology

Resources for Writing

Writing is hard work and it is one of the foundations of this course. For many of you, it will be a central aspect of your careers. One of the goals of this course is to help you improve your writing. Here are some resources:

Expectations of an A Paper

–The UNC Writing Center (I hate to say this) has a great collection of handouts.

–Anne Lamott on the importance of “Shitty First Drafts”

–one of the best books on writing is Strunk and White, The Elements of Style It is really cheap and everyone should have a copy of it. However an older version (written by Strunk alone) is available for free on the web.

Grades

Your final grade will be based on the following scale

>98* A+
92.5-98 A
90-92.5 A-
88-90 B+
83-88 B
80-83 B-
78-80 C+
73-78 C
70-73 C-
68-70 D+
63-68 D
60-63 D-
<60 F

**Note: An A+ grade is a mark of extraordinary achievement and is not given solely on the basis of average. To receive an A+ the student’s work will be expected to have been exceptional throughout the course and the student will be expected to have made an active contribution to the class.

Academic Integrity
In this course we will learn about how people borrowed (and stole) other people’s ideas. While some of these people got rich doing so, such behavior will not be tolerated in this class.  All papers are expected to be your own work. Passing off someone else’s work as your own is plagiarism, a very serious offense. If you quote other material directly you should make that clear by quotation marks and a proper citation (footnote). The Code of Student Conduct provides for very harsh penalties for plagiarism or giving or receiving unauthorized aid.

Disability Policy
Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities. In order to take advantage of available accommodations, students must register with Disability Services for Students at 1900 Student Health Center, Campus Box 7509, 515-7653. For more information on NC State’s policy on working with students with disabilities, please see the Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Regulation (REG02.20.1

Civility Policy
I expect all students to treat their fellow students with respect and dignity.

On Time Assignments
All assignments are due at the time stated unless you have made arrangements with me.

Distraction Free Environment
Technology is great, but it has its place!  There will be no use of cell phones, PDAs, Ipods, etc. in class.  Unless you are looking at class material, there will be no use of laptops in class.

GEP Statement
This course satisfies the General Education Program requirement in Interdisciplinary Perspectives.  The learning outcomes of this requirement are :

1. Distinguish between the distinct approaches of two or more disciplines; and
2.  Identify and apply authentic connections between two or more disciplines; and
3.  Explore and synthesize the approaches or views of the two or more disciplines.
This course meets these outcomes through a series of readings which examine engineering through the perspectives of history, philosophy, political science, literature, and economics.  These readings will demonstrate that while technology operates within specific technical constraints, it also operates within specific social contexts.  Students understandings of these approaches and connections will be measured by the written assignments.

This course satisfies the General Education Program requirement in Global Knowledge. The learning outcomes of this requirement are:

Objectives for courses in the category of Global Knowledge:
Each course in Global Knowledge will provide instruction and guidance that help students to achieve goal #1 plus at least one of #2, #3, or #4.

Bias Impact Response Team Syllabus Short Description

The OIED Bias Impact Response team offers a system and processes that invites NC State students, faculty and staff to document and proactively address the impacts of bias-related incidents, behaviors, and actions. To learn more or to submit a report, please visit https://diversity.ncsu.edu/bias-impact or email bias_impact@ncsu.edu.

Health and Well-Being Resources

Everyone is encouraged to take care of themselves and their peers. If you need additional support, there are many resources on campus to help you:

  • Counseling Center (NCSU Counseling Center)
  • Student Health Services (Health Services | Student)
  • If the personal behavior of a classmate concerns or worries you, either for the classmate’s well-being or yours, we encourage you to report this behavior to the NC State CARES team:  (Share a Concern).
  • If you or someone you know are experiencing food, housing or financial insecurity, please see the Pack Essentials Program (Pack Essentials).

Community Standards related to COVID-19

We are all responsible for protecting ourselves and our community.  Please see the community standards and Rule 04.21.01 regarding Personal Safety Requirements Related to COVID-19  RUL 04.21.01 – Personal Safety Requirements Related to COVID-19 – Policies, Regulations & Rules

Course Attendance: NC State attendance policies can be found at:  REG 02.20.03 – Attendance Regulations – Policies, Regulations & Rules.  Please refer to the course’s attendance, absence, and deadline policies for additional details. If you become ill with COVID-19, you should follow the steps outlined in the health and participation section above.

Technology Requirements:  This course may require particular technologies to complete coursework.  Be sure to review the syllabus for these expectations, and see the syllabus technical requirements for your course. If you need access to additional technological support, please contact  the Libraries’ Technology Lending Service:  (Technology Lending).

Need Help?

If you find yourself in a place where you need help, academically or otherwise, please review these Step-by-Step Help Topics. (Insert information or links for college or departmental level support programs, if available.)

Other Important Resources 

Mental Health at NCSU

As a student, you may experience a range of personal issues that can impede learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug concerns, feeling down, difficulty concentrating, and/or lack of motivation. The Counseling Center at NC State offers confidential mental health services for full-time NC State students, including same-day emergency services. CHASS also has an embedded clinician named Dr. Jenn Archer, who will host a drop-in counseling space every Wednesday from 12-2 PM in room 115 of the 1911 Building and provide individual therapy to clients. Individual appointments with Jenn or questions about other mental health services can be made by visiting the Counseling Center’s Get Started page and following the instructions under Make an Appointment. A full overview of campus wellness resources can be found on the WolfPack Wellness website. Please do not hesitate to get connected early to get the support you need to be successful.