CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES  & STS

HSS 408-001 Syllabus                         Professor James M. Lipuma                        Fall 2003

 

            STS 408-001, “Cutting Edge Technological Issues  & STS,” is a Humanities and Social Sciences Capstone course that focuses on how science and technology are continually evolving. In particular, the desire of scientists to answer the questions and meet the needs and demands of society will be focused upon to understand the complex interaction between these factors and new developments of technology. Finally, the question of when is a new technology no longer new and thus part of the commonplace will be examined and explored.

The course has no specified text because the issues examined are current.  As a result, students will be asked to conduct research and provide articles from current newspapers and other periodicals for discussion.  These issues will be examined, discussed, and debated in class.

 

ASSIGNMENTS  & ATTENDANCE/LATENESS

Attendance will be taken randomly throughout the semester.  A greater emphasis is placed on participation rather than simple attendance; however, you cannot participate if you do not attend.  Absences and late work are excused only by prior arrangements with the instructor.

            Throughout the semester, there will be homework and paper assignments that each student must complete in order to receive a grade in the class.   Most importantly, two in-class presentations and a final project will be required for this class. 

            The papers handed in for this course are to be college-level research papers.  A college-level paper is type written, has page numbers, contains references to research and includes a reference page at the end for works quoted or otherwise referenced to in the document.  Citations for the research used needs to be included with the paper and should follow the APA format for citations.  This means parenthetical citations within the text with a reference page at the end of the document.  Only works that are actually quoted from or referenced directly should be cited.  Do not list all works that were read for the creation of the paper.  This is not a bibliography but rather a “Reference Page.”  Please remember, simply lifting text from a dictionary or encyclopedia is something found mainly in high school.  Though it may be necessary to quote from these types of sources, rarely are they the only works used for references.

It should be stressed that the work for this class should be formal research papers. There should be no contractions, spelling errors, punctuation errors, or mistakes in grammar.  Please be consistent within the paper with abbreviations and other acronyms.  Double-space the paper.  Please use Times New Roman 12-point font, as it is clear and easy-to-read.  Your margins should be a uniform 1-inch on all sides and the paper should minimize large areas of white space within the text.  If you wish to have assistance with writing, the HSS department has a writing tutor who can be contacted for assistance with all aspects of the paper.  The lead contact is Dr. Janet Bodner.  You may also ask your professor, Dr. James Lipuma, for further assistance or more detailed information.   All assignments handed in for this course should be original and the sole work of the student.  The rules and procedures set down in the student handbook as administered by the Dean of Students office will be used to judge plagiarism.  DO NOT PLAGIARISE.  If you are unclear about these rules, please see the student handbook on the NJIT web page. 

 

PORTFOLIOS

            Students are required to keep an electronic portfolio of all work for this course.  This work is to be kept in a series of word files in one folder with the student’s name as its title.   The portfolio will be collected at the end of the semester and reviewed by the department administration.  The portfolio is used to assess the course and has no bearing on the grade the student receives in the course; however, a complete portfolio is helpful if a student wishes to discuss a course grade with the professor.

 

CONTACTING THE PROFESSOR

Office: Culimore—Room 435                              Phone:  973-642-4743

E-Mail: NJITLipuma@comcast.net                       Fax:      973-642-4689

SYLLABUS

DAY

SUBJECT MATTER

ASSIGNMENT

1

Introduction & Problem-solving

WEBCT Introduction and Assignment 1

2

Reviewing the Basics

WEBCT Assignment 2

3

What is Cutting Edge Technology

Article Summary

4

How things work

WEBCT Assignment 3

5

How things work

WEBCT Assignment 4

6

Technology Research

Essay—Why cutting edge & how it works

7

Development

Oral 1

8

Ethics

Oral 1

9

STS Issues

WEBCT Assignment 5

10

STS Issues

WEBCT Assignment 6

11

What’s Next

WEBCT Assignment 7

12

Project reviews

Oral 2

13

Summation

Oral 2

14

Final Report Due

Oral 2

 

WEBCT ASSIGNMENTS

Students will be asked to access WebCt to complete written homework and hold discussions about class topics. These assignments will include definitions as well as article summaries pertaining to a technology issue that students wish to pursue for the class report.  Details of each assignment will be provided on the WebCT page.

ORAL REPORTS

Each student will be required to make two oral presentations.  The first will present the cutting edge technology being discussed, explain how it works, and relate why it is cutting edge.  Each report should be between 5-10 minutes including questions. 

The second will discuss the implications for Science Technology and Society (STS) of the cutting edge technology that has been selected for the final project.  A timeline for the creation of the cutting edge technology as well as its integration into common use for society should also be presented to place the issues being discussed into context.  The second oral should be between 15-20 minutes including questions.  The intent of each oral presentation is to inform the class and promote discussion.

ESSAY

The essay discusses the material covered in the first oral report.  It answers the questions:  What is the technology; why is it cutting edge and how does it work.  The essay is a formal research paper and should be approximately 5 pages in length.

FINAL PROJECT

Each student will be required to submit a final written report at the end of the semester.   The report should detail in writing the material covered in the two oral reports along with a discussion of the impacts of the cutting edge technology as compared with other technologies discussed in class. The essay is a formal research paper and should be approximately 10 pages in length.

 

 

GRADING

Participation = 10%    Essay = 20%    Oral 1 = 20%  Oral 2 = 25%  Final Paper = 25%