STS 401, Spring
2005
Michael E. Gorman,
4-3439,
TA:
Note on Professionalism: All professionals have to re-schedule deadlines and must occasionally miss meetings. But professionals provide advance notice, when possible, or--in the event of illness, accident, or other crisis--make an effort to contact colleagues and/or supervisors as soon as possible. In the event you must re-schedule a deadline, provide me with a memo before the due date, explaining the reasons for the delay and indicating when the assignment will be completed. I will initial it if I approve the request.
Note on Discussion: Class participation is an important component of your grade. You are allowed to have two unexcused absences from class. (Job interviews count as excused absences--please alert me in advance).Beyond that, I take-off for every class you miss. Why? Because this is a seminar, and you owe it to your peers to be there to carry your load in discussion, listen to presentations, etc.--in other words, this is a matter of professional courtesy.
But you are expected to do more than warm a chair. I keep a record of the sorts of contributions students are making. Don't speak up merely for the sake of it; speak only when you have something to contribute. Those who contribute steadily and well will have their grades raised at the end of the course; those who fail to contribute will have their grades reduced.
As part of your class participation, each student will be required to lead at least one discussion. You should pick one of the readings, and come to class prepared to guide an intelligent, informed discussion of it, directing and focusing when necessary. While I have provided some questions for discussion in the schedule below, discussion leaders should bring in their own questions—it is my impression that student-generated questions are more effective at provoking discussion than mine. There should be at least two facilitators for each reading.
The other participation component of the class are reader responses.н These are to be submitted before class
electronically on Toolkit and will be due
Discussion leaders: check here
Please remember to pledge every assignment. You are always bound by the honor code in this class. Be careful not to plagiarize, which means copying more than five consecutive words from a source other than your own writing. You also must give credit for any ideas that are not your own, or are not common knowledge. Please follow proper citation format.
Grades:
|
Pre-Proposal |
5 |
|
Proposal |
30 |
|
Oral presentation |
15 |
|
Participation |
10 |
|
Journals |
10 |
|
Final Essay |
20 |
|
Discussion Leader |
10 |
Hints on building a literature review:
The dates below indicate the due date of each reading or
assignment. Be sure to look ahead and give yourself enough time to complete the
reading or assignment.
1/20--н Introduction to class and syllabus.
1/25-- Presentation on Ahson’s 4th Year Thesis.
Reading Due: Ahson's statement of topic (on Materials section of
Toolkit).
Assignment Due: Bring a
brief description of your topic ideas to class.
1/27--н Discuss the role of moral imagination and moral reasoning in the decision to create an atomic bomb.
Reading Due: Sections 1-3
of Chapter 4 of Transforming
Nature: Ethics, Invention and Discovery.н
Reader Response #1.
2/1--ннн Discuss earth systems engineering management.
Reading Due: Brad Allenby, “Engineering Ethics for an Anthropogenic
Planet,” Emerging Technologies and
Ethical Issues in Engineering. Pg. 9-28. (on Materials section of Toolkit)
Reader Response #2.
2/3--ннн Discussion of pre-proposal and proposal (online thesis manual).
Reading Due: Gorman's pre-proposal-- Environmental Ethics and Invention: A Case
Study
and Ahson’s proposal (on Materials Section of
Toolkit).
Assignment
Due: Bring draft of pre-proposal to class (checklist).
2/8-- нн Film: “Baraka”
Assignment
Due:н Pre-proposal due.
2/10-- Discuss the future of emerging technologies.
Reading Due: нн Bill
Joy, “Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us” Wired. April 2000.
< http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.04/joy.html>
Newt Gingrich, “The Age of Transitions,” Societal Implications of Nanoscience
and Nanotechnology, (2001) < http://www.wtec.org/loyola/nano/NSET.Societal.Implications/nanosi.pdf
н> pg.23-28.
Reader
Response #3.
2/15-- Discuss theses you located in the library.
Assignment
Due: Find one example of a proposal (from a bound thesis in the library) that
you think represents a good model for your proposal. Bring the example to
class. Be prepared to explain its positive and negative points.
2/17-- Monsanto Case.
ннннннннннн Reading Due:н Monsanto
case. (on Materials Section of Toolkit site)
ннннннннннннннннннннннннннннннннннн
ннннннннннннннннннннннннннннннннннн Reader
Response #4.
2/22--н Discuss biotechnology and ethical issues with emerging technology and policy.
Reading Due: нн Gary Marchant, “Genomics and Environmental Regulation:
Scenarios and Implications,” WWICS Foresight and Governance Project. (Jan
2002) < http://www.environmentalfutures.org/Images/marchantwhitepaper.pdf
>
ннннннннннннннннннннннн Reader
Response #5.
2/24--н Discuss new information technologies and ethical issues with emerging technology and policy.
Reading Due:н н M. Mitchell Waldrop, “Autonomic
Computing: The Technology of Self-Management,” WWICS Foresight and
Governance Project. (Fall 2003) < http://www.foresightandgovernance.org/images/Autonomic%20Computing%20Paper.pdf
>
M. Mitchell Waldrop, “Pervasive Computing: An Overview of the Concept and
exploration of the Public Policy Implications,” WWICS Foresight and
Governance Project. (Spring 2003) < http://www.foresightandgovernance.org/images/Pervasi5.pdf
>
ннннннннннннннннннннннн Reader
Response #6.
3/1-- нн Go over Rationale and Objectives, outlines. Typical class format will involve peer critique in pairs for about the first half-hour, and then each group will provide a summary of the different approaches taken and select one outline for me to go over. I will finish by answering questions.
Reading Due: Gorman's proposal, Ahson’s
proposal (on Materials section of Toolkit), and relevant sections of the undergraduate
thesis manual.