TECH 3020 / ACS 3000 Spring 2013

TECH 3020 / ACS 3000, TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS IN SOCIETIES Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4-5:15pm, Olscamp Hall, room 221 INSTRUCTOR DATA Dr. Paul Cesarini 419.372.7740 / pcesari@bgsu.edu / Skype: paul.cesarini / FaceTime: pcesari@bgsu.edu Department of Visual Communication & Technology Education, 261 Technology Bldg. Office hours: M/Th, 10am - noon (face-to-face, by phone, or via chat), or by appointment COURSE DESCRIPTION Technology Systems in Societies (3) Technology Systems in Societies is a BG Perspective (previously called "general education") course in the Social & Behavioral Sciences category, with an international perspective. We will examine current issues and their relationship to technology and systems in various cultures throughout the world, explain technological behaviors, and show how technology permeates all human affairs. REQUIRED COURSE TEXTS AND WEB SITE Rudi Volti, Society and Technological Change, 6th ed. (New York: Worth Publishers, 2009) Additional readings online, as well as video and audio clips, will be assigned as needed. The course will use a Blackboard or Canvas web site (or course shell) where you will be able to download course handouts and use communication tools. COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS You will need to have an active BGSU email account, and must be able check your BGSU email regularly. If you rely on an alternate email address, it is your responsibility to have your BGSU email forwarded to that address. You will need access to a broadband-connected computer that has the most recent versions of the following software: Browser: FireFox, Safari, or Chrome (most preferred), or Internet Explorer (least preferred) Media Players: QuickTime Player (either Windows or Mac OS X), Windows Media Player (either Windows or Mac OS X, or the Flip4Mac plugin), Flash browser plugin PDF viewer: Adobe Reader, Preview (Mac OS X), or any PDF viewer Word Processor: Microsoft Word or OpenOffice Presentation: Microsoft PowerPoint or OpenOffice All of the above-mentioned software is available for use in the University computer labs, with the possible exception of FireFox and OpenOffice. COURSE OVERVIEW Technology is animated by the conviction that it will always be possible to do something better. -Rudi Volti Technology has opportunities and challenges, pleasures and frustrations, and benefits and drawbacks. Generations of sociologists and anthropologists have articulated that what separates humans from other life forms is technology. Technology developments have historically defined generations and cultures, but today technology is spilling past all barriers in its creation of a mass culture. University students now, perhaps more than ever before in history, need to understand, scrutinize, and reflect on the subject of technology systems and societies. This course introduces the multidimensional aspects of advances in technology and engages students in the assessment of technology's impact on industries, consumers, governments, economies and a host of other stakeholders within the global community. The methodology employed will be through the use of individual assignments including research papers and exams, frequent online discussions /

TECH 3020 / ACS 3000 Spring 2013

debates, and where possible, virtual conferencing with experts. COURSE GOALS This course has the following goals: Learning about the nature of technological change and how it affects groups, individuals, and cultures in different ways Discussing and researching American and worldwide technology applications Appraising technology's influence on human existence in a designed world Articulating ideas about the relationships between technology, society, and American and other cultures. Assessing the influences technology has on individuals. Examining the relationships among technology, work, and leisure Understanding the necessity of effectively using the Internet for learning and research Participating in groups, share work, and report learning to other class members Preparing and contributing to all class interaction Offering and accepting constructive comments from instructors and students

INSTRUCTIONAL PHILOSOPHY TECH 302 is required for most students enrolled in the College of Technology. It provides a capstone experience in studying technology and its relationship to the global society. In this class, I want you to work as responsible researchers, problem-solvers, and decision-makers. This class will help you understand the big picture of technologythinking about it and analyzing technology so you can face future problem-solving situations in your careers. This class will also explore the invention process and how it works, the connectivity within technology, and how technology diffuses from industry to the consumer. It will explore the impact of technology on the quality of life. This is a course that asks you to rise to the occasion and the opportunity of having a forum, both live and online, where you can pose questions and formulate solutions to technology issues that you will face in your future careers. COURSE DELIVERY Course delivery will be 40-50% online via Blackboard or Canvas course facilitation. You will participate online with me and other students to build a cooperative learning community. Asynchronous communication tools, including email and online discussion forums, will be heavily relied upon. There will be no synchronous, or live chat sessions with me and the rest of the class, due to many of you living in different time zones, working different shifts, etc. The only synchronous activity will involve small group work where you and your fellow group members may need to find some mutually convenient time to virtually meet. The required text is for independent, student study. That is, aside from listings of unit and chapter numbers in the course documents areas, you will not receive emails or reminders from me to keep up with the readings. The course site will serve as a clearing house for information, where course handouts will be available, and communication tools, discussion board, and virtual classroom will be used by you, myself, and invited guests. Because of the nature of this course, consistent online interaction is mandatory. You must ensure that you complete assignments by their due dates, and respond to me and working groups within a reasonable amount of time. You will participate in regularly scheduled electronic discussion forums that collectively account for a considerable portion of your final grade. All due dates for all such forums and any other assignments will be posted in the online course calendar. It will be your responsibility to inform me if scheduling difficulties arise. UNIT AND ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTIONS The following is a brief description of the course units; specific details about these assignments will be will be available in our online course shell as the semester progresses:

TECH 3020 / ACS 3000 Spring 2013

Unit 1 Nature of Technology, Effects of Technological Change, Sources of Technological Change; online discussion forums; test covering Volti chapters; Forecasting Assignment Unit 2 Technology and the Transformation of Work; test covering Volti chapters; online discussion forums Unit 3 Technology Connections: How do technologies originate and diffuse; test covering Volti chapters; online discussion forums; Technology Assessment assignment Unit 4 Shaping and Controlling Technology; online discussion forums; Final Exam

GRADING The following is a list of assignments and their corresponding maximum point values: Unit 1 exam Forecasting paper OR Technology Assessment paper Quiz 1 Unit 2 exam Quiz 2 Unit 3 exam Group Discussion Board Participation Quiz 3 Unit 4 exam Total for the Course 20 points 25 points 5 points 20 points 5 points 20 points 55 points (5 points each x 11 forums) 5 points (extra credit) 20 points 170 points (+ 5 points extra credit)

Note: A 90, 80, 70, 60 percentage scale will be followed strictly for the semester grade. There will be no scale or curve of any type. No late assignments will be accepted, nor will there be any makeup dates for missed exams or quizzes. Due dates for all deliverables in this class will be posted in the online course calendar. There will be extra credit opportunities at various points throughout the semester. Details on these opportunities will be discussed in class. ACADEMIC HONESTY The Academic Honesty Committee has set forth the following objectives and procedures regarding academic honesty: To communicate to all members of the University community the conviction of the University and its faculty that cheating and plagiarism are destructive of the central purposes of the University and are universally disapproved. To state procedures for accomplishing the above objective by students, faculty, academic deans, and the University Academic Honesty Committee. For the Complete statement, refer to the Academic Honesty Policy as stated in B.II.8 of The Faculty Handbook as it appears in the Academic Charter or refer to Appendix D - Academic Honesty Policy as it appears in Bowling Green State University Student Code. The University Student Code, Academic Honest Regulations and Policies will be strictly followed. What this means is that do not under any circumstances even consider representing the text or work of another person as your own, or submitting work as new that was previously submitted in another class. It is not worth the risk to your GPA or your college career. If you do resort to academic dishonesty, I will find out about it. You will then receive a failing grade for this course, the deans Office will be notified, and your actions will be documented on your permanent record.

TECH 3020 / ACS 3000 Spring 2013

COURSE SITE ORIENTATION The purpose of the following set of instructions is to help you navigate and use the course site. The following information is included in this document: Authentication Organization of Course Site Participating in Group Pages Document Preparation for Submitting Assignments Downloading Documents from the Course Site

Virtually all information pertaining to the course will be communicated via the main announcements page in our Blackboard or Canvas course shell. Since this course is partially web-based, it will be up to each of you to manage your time appropriately and actively participate in this course. This course site can be accessed through the My BGSU portal, which provides a link to personal information (grades and bursar accounts), email access, and other university services. Authentication The authentication process enables you to establish your own portal on the BGSU Web and once enrolled in the course, you will have access to the course assignments and other information. The following step-by-step instructions will lead you through the authentication process: 1. Get to the Bowling Green State University Authentication Page by going to the BGSU Homepage at http://www.bgsu.edu and clicking the My BGSU button on the left navigation bar of the page 2. Next, Type in your BGSU user name and password. 3. In My BGSU click on the Courses area and click on the course link to the course. Organization of Course Site Once you are on the course site, you will see a list of navigational buttons on the left side of the screen. Your course site will always begin with the Announcements page. You will probably only use the Staff Information button a few times at the beginning of the semester to find out more about me. The next buttons you will use on a regular basis and it will be to your advantage to learn how to use them in the course. Course Documents: Look here for documents to download, including course syllabus, lecture presentations, assignment related materials, general instructions, and assignment instructions except for due dates. Assignment due dates can be found on the Course Calendar. Books: Look here for information about the required text(s) for this class. Communication: Look here for course functions such as Send Email, Collaboration (for the live chat tools), and Group Pages (for Discussion Forum questions). Group Pages: The Group Pages links directly to the group discussion board (see additional information below). To access them, click the Group Pages link & click on the link to your group. Course Calendar: All relevant dates pertaining to assignments, exams, and discussion boards can be found here. I recommend viewing by month, rather than the default viewing by day, in order to see more calendar entries at once. Please note some of the calendar entries may appear to be truncated or otherwise cut off. Just click the link on any entry for additional information. Tools: Blackboard or Canvas Student User Manual, Check Grade functions, and 1-2 other tools. You will also find an additional link to the Course Calendar.

There may be an additional button or two added or changed once the semester starts, as I am always trying to improve the overall navigation of the course site.

TECH 3020 / ACS 3000 Spring 2013

Group Discussion Board You will use your Group Discussion Board, accessed via the Group Pages button, to discuss topics posted by me. If you want to respond to someone elses message that has been posted to a discussion forum click on reply, but if you want to add a new message (thread) click Add New Thread. I will be dropping in on your discussions to evaluate the level of your participation. For additional information about discussion board forums, posting, and evaluation criteria, please see the Discussion Groups section in our course site. It can be accessed by way of the Course Documents button. Additionally, in the group pages there will be an open forum. This forum represents a venue to discuss anything not directly related to content in the regular discussion forum. You can also ask questions about the class in general. I will attempt to check the open forum regularly. E-mail This is a tool for you to email our teaching assistant or me. Attaching Documents You can attach documents to either e-mail or the discussion board within your groups when you want to exchange files. Document Preparation for Submitting Assignments When you submit your assignments be sure to compose and save as Microsoft Word or OpenOffice documents. Please include your full name and the assignment title at the top of all of your documents, double-space your papers, and follow APA style when citing and listing references, and. Save the file with your last name, and then the assignment title. For example, when Dave Smith uploads his Forecasting assignment to the relevant grade book entry for that assignment, he will save and title the document, SmithForecasting.doc. Use the assignment tool to submit / upload any papers. I will provide step-by-step instructions that demonstrate how to do this. Do not send your assignment as e-mail attachments.) Be sure to submit assignments by no later than midnight of the due date. I do not accept late assignments. However, you may always submit assignments earlier than the due date. Downloading Documents from the Course Site To download files from the Course Documents area, right-click a file and choose save as.