This is an approximate schedule for TEC 154 2010S.
Like everything else in this course, it is likely to change.
| Week 1: Overview
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(01) Monday, January 25, 2010
Introduction to the Course
What is technology?
How does one study technology?
Course structure.
Expectations.
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(02) Wednesday, January 27, 2010
What is Technology?
Defining "Technology", Revisited
Weinberg: Can Technology Replace Social Engineering?
Berry: Why I Am Not Going to Buy a Computer.
Florman: Technology and the Tragic View.
|
(03) Friday, January 29, 2010
Basic Background
Clarification questions.
Winner.
Marx.
Pool.
Linking these ideas.
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| Week 2: Stone Tools (Whittaker, Anthropology)
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(04) Monday, February 1, 2010
Stone Tools (1)
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(05) Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Stone Tools (2)
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(06) Friday, February 5, 2010
Stone Tools (Discussion)
Wrapup of Whittaker.
Review of perspectives.
Applying perspectives to flintlocks.
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| Week 3: An Engineering Perspective
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(07) Monday, February 8, 2010
Engineering (1)
Background about Petroski.
Small group work.
Overview of the text.
Clarifications.
Discussion.
|
(08) Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Engineering (2)
Large group: Introductory remarks.
Small groups: Topics of chapters 8-13.
Large group: Review of chapter topics.
Small groups: Think like an engineer.
Large group: Summary of discussions.
|
(09) Friday, February 12, 2010
Engineering (3)
Review of stuff covered so far.
Some factual questions.
Chapter summaries, continued.
The Petroski lens.
Discussion questions (if time permits).
|
| Week 4: The Development of Writing (Lalonde, Classics)
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(10) Monday, February 15, 2010
The Development of Writing (1)
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(11) Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The Development of Writing (2)
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(12) Friday, February 19, 2010
The Development of Writing (Discussion)
Large Group: Lenses from Lalonde.
Small Group: Previous Lenses, Revisited.
Large Group (Recitation): Applying Lenses to The Evolution of Writing.
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| Week 5: Other Perspectives
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(13) Monday, February 22, 2010
Perspectives (1)
Notes:
- Mesthene overview: Thesis, Argumentative Structure.
- Mesthene clarifications.
- Mesthene in the 21st century.
- McDermott's basics.
|
(14) Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Perspectives (2)
Clarifications.
Main Points (Small Groups).
Main Points, Revisited.
Lenses.
Open Discussion.
|
(15) Friday, February 26, 2010
Perspectives (3)
Questions on the readings (small groups).
Reflection on small-group discussion (large group).
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| Week 6: Musical Instruments and Notation (Vetter, Music)
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(16) Monday, March 1, 2010
Instruments
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(17) Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Notation
The Quest to Encode Sound.
Orally Transmitted Music.
Notation.
Recording Technologies.
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(18) Friday, March 5, 2010
Musical Instruments and Notation (Discussion)
Design notation.
Share notation.
Perform.
|
| Week 7: Midsemester Exam
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(19) Monday, March 8, 2010
Where We've Been, Where We're Going
Quick summary: Where we've been.
Quick summary: Where we're going.
Exam format.
Planning: What questions on the readings did you find particularly good?
Exam questions.
|
(20) Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Mid-semester Exam, Part One
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(21) Friday, March 12, 2010
Mid-semester Exam, Part Two
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| Week 8: Human Factors in Technology
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(22) Monday, March 15, 2010
Human Factors (1)
Exercise: The User Interface of the Book.
Norman's Four Principles.
Norman's Theses.
Open Discussion.
|
(23) Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Human Factors (2)
Exercise: Examples.
Norman's thesis and the role of each chapter.
Design in everyday activities.
Who is at fault?
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(24) Friday, March 19, 2010
Human Factors (3)
A Challenge: Summarize and Exemplify Norman.
Reference.
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| Spring Break
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| Week 9: Miscellaneous
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(25) Monday, April 5, 2010
Pause for Breath
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(26) Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Disability and Technology
Background.
Basics.
Beyond.
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(27) Friday, April 9, 2010
Digital Art (Kluber and Simon)
Short presentation by Kluber and Simon.
Time to view the show.
Q & A time.
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| Week 10: Structures (Case, Physics)
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(28) Monday, April 12, 2010
Structures (1)
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(29) Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Structures (2)
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(30) Friday, April 16, 2010
Structures Exercise
An Exercise.
Awards.
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| Week 11: Biotechnology (Robertson, Biology)
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(31) Monday, April 19, 2010
Biotechnology (1)
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(32) Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Biotechnology (2)
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(33) Friday, April 23, 2010
Feminist Perspectives
What is a feminist approach?
How do the authors define technology?
What are the authors' primary theses?
Open discussion.
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| Week 12: Solar Energy (Swartz, Chemistry)
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(34) Monday, April 26, 2010
Solar Energy (1)
Traditional Ways to Produce Electricity.
Producing Electricity from the Sun.
Photovoltaics: History.
Photovoltaics: Technology.
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(35) Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Solary Energy (2)
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(36) Friday, April 30, 2010
Solar Energy (Discussion)
Goals of paper reviews.
Questions on Photovoltaics.
Lessons from Swartz.
Relating readings: What's relevant?
|
| Week 13: Computing (Rebelsky, Computer Science)
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(37) Monday, May 3, 2010
Computing (1)
What is a computer?
The structure of a computer.
An evolution of technologies.
An evolution of applications.
Misc. discussion.
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(38) Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Pause for Breath
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(39) Friday, May 7, 2010
Wrapup
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| Week 14: Student Presentations
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(40) Monday, May 10, 2010
Evolution of Computing, Continued.
The World-Wide Web.
Hypertext.
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(41) Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Presentations (1)
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(42) Friday, May 14, 2010
Presentations (2)
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