233021 KO Discussion Class Key-Questions and Concepts (2018W)
Continuous assessment of course work
Labels
Registration/Deregistration
Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).
- Registration is open from Mo 03.09.2018 08:00 to Mo 24.09.2018 08:00
- Deregistration possible until Tu 23.10.2018 23:59
Details
max. 25 participants
Language: English
Lecturers
Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N
Monday
01.10.
14:30 - 17:00
Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
Wednesday
10.10.
09:15 - 11:15
Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
Wednesday
24.10.
09:15 - 11:15
Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
Wednesday
14.11.
09:15 - 11:15
Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
Wednesday
28.11.
09:15 - 11:15
Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
Wednesday
12.12.
09:15 - 11:15
Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
Information
Aims, contents and method of the course
Assessment and permitted materials
The discussion class mainly builds on discussion and the active participation of all students. For each workshop one group of students will act as 'workshop leaders'. The distribution of tasks to the students will be done in the second unit.
A discussion workshop generally has four phases:
1) go through the texts in smaller groups and discuss their key points (max. 30 minutes); the workshop leaders should be the moderators of these discussions;
2) bring the results to the plenary (50 minutes); we go through each text and elaborate out the key issues;
3) reflect on what we learn across the papers and how they relate to the cases that have been presented in the first two units (max. 30 minutes);
4) feedback on how the workshop worked.To pass the discussion class, students are expected to:
1) read the literature for the respective discussion workshop and;
2) prepare for the discussion: analyse the paper along the six questions (take short notes and bring them to class):
a) What are the core questions that the text asks? Express them in your own words.
b) What are the problems/tensions the text is pointing at?
c) What hypothesis/es does the text defend? Identify key passages.
d) What are core concepts/terms that the text operates with and that you identified as being important?
e) What is the empirical field addressed in the text?
f) Where did you meet problems when reading the text?
3) participate actively in all the discussions.
4) Chair one workshop with your group (approx. 5-6 people): No power point presentations are requested, but preparing questions for the text that had to be read and think about ways how to conduct the discussion; pay attention to the time management and that everybody engages.
5) Each group has to write one short essay (2000 words) on the papers they had to deal with for the workshop. The essay should be handed in (uploaded on moodle) three weeks after the workshop presentation. A good essay has an introduction which points at the issues at stake, elaborates on the key-points of the papers, points to some elements of the cases where we did see connections and draws a short conclusion.
6) Adhere to the general standards of good academic practice.'This course uses the plagiarism-detection service Turnitin for larger assignments.'
A discussion workshop generally has four phases:
1) go through the texts in smaller groups and discuss their key points (max. 30 minutes); the workshop leaders should be the moderators of these discussions;
2) bring the results to the plenary (50 minutes); we go through each text and elaborate out the key issues;
3) reflect on what we learn across the papers and how they relate to the cases that have been presented in the first two units (max. 30 minutes);
4) feedback on how the workshop worked.To pass the discussion class, students are expected to:
1) read the literature for the respective discussion workshop and;
2) prepare for the discussion: analyse the paper along the six questions (take short notes and bring them to class):
a) What are the core questions that the text asks? Express them in your own words.
b) What are the problems/tensions the text is pointing at?
c) What hypothesis/es does the text defend? Identify key passages.
d) What are core concepts/terms that the text operates with and that you identified as being important?
e) What is the empirical field addressed in the text?
f) Where did you meet problems when reading the text?
3) participate actively in all the discussions.
4) Chair one workshop with your group (approx. 5-6 people): No power point presentations are requested, but preparing questions for the text that had to be read and think about ways how to conduct the discussion; pay attention to the time management and that everybody engages.
5) Each group has to write one short essay (2000 words) on the papers they had to deal with for the workshop. The essay should be handed in (uploaded on moodle) three weeks after the workshop presentation. A good essay has an introduction which points at the issues at stake, elaborates on the key-points of the papers, points to some elements of the cases where we did see connections and draws a short conclusion.
6) Adhere to the general standards of good academic practice.'This course uses the plagiarism-detection service Turnitin for larger assignments.'
Minimum requirements and assessment criteria
Grading Scheme
The grading of the course is based on the separate assessment of different tasks on a scale of 1-5.
Essay (quality of argument, language, layout, correct bibliography (APA style), handed in on time (delays will impact grading)): 30%, assessed as group work
Managing the discussion class you are responsible for: 40%,
assessed as group work
Contribution to the discussion in class on the basis of your reading and preparation of the text; engagement in the discussion group; your presence (late coming will impact your grade): 30%, assessed individuallyTo successfully complete the course, a weighted average of at least 4,5 is required. Failure to meet the attendance regulations, to deliver course assignments on time or to adhere to standards of academic work may result in a deduction of points.Attendance
Presence and participation is compulsory in the discussion class and you have to sign an attendance list each time. Be on time because late coming disrupts the discussion. An absence of two hours (= 1 discussion class session) at maximum is tolerated, provided that the teaching assistants are informed about the absence. In case of problems, please contact the teacher. Absences of up to four hours in total may be compensated by either a deduction of points or/and extra-work agreed with the lecturer. Whether compensation is possible is decided by the lecturer and needs written (e-mail) agreement.
Absences of more than four hours in total cannot be compensated. In this case, or if the lecturer does not allow a student to compensate absences of more than two hours, the course can not be completed and is graded as a ‘fail’ (5), unless there is a major and unpredictable reason for not being able to fulfil the attendance requirements on the student’s side (e.g. a longer illness). In such a case, the student may be de-registered from the course without grading. It is the student’s responsibility to communicate this in a timely manner, and to provide relevant evidence to their claims if necessary. Whether this exception applies is decided by the lecturer.
The grading of the course is based on the separate assessment of different tasks on a scale of 1-5.
Essay (quality of argument, language, layout, correct bibliography (APA style), handed in on time (delays will impact grading)): 30%, assessed as group work
Managing the discussion class you are responsible for: 40%,
assessed as group work
Contribution to the discussion in class on the basis of your reading and preparation of the text; engagement in the discussion group; your presence (late coming will impact your grade): 30%, assessed individuallyTo successfully complete the course, a weighted average of at least 4,5 is required. Failure to meet the attendance regulations, to deliver course assignments on time or to adhere to standards of academic work may result in a deduction of points.Attendance
Presence and participation is compulsory in the discussion class and you have to sign an attendance list each time. Be on time because late coming disrupts the discussion. An absence of two hours (= 1 discussion class session) at maximum is tolerated, provided that the teaching assistants are informed about the absence. In case of problems, please contact the teacher. Absences of up to four hours in total may be compensated by either a deduction of points or/and extra-work agreed with the lecturer. Whether compensation is possible is decided by the lecturer and needs written (e-mail) agreement.
Absences of more than four hours in total cannot be compensated. In this case, or if the lecturer does not allow a student to compensate absences of more than two hours, the course can not be completed and is graded as a ‘fail’ (5), unless there is a major and unpredictable reason for not being able to fulfil the attendance requirements on the student’s side (e.g. a longer illness). In such a case, the student may be de-registered from the course without grading. It is the student’s responsibility to communicate this in a timely manner, and to provide relevant evidence to their claims if necessary. Whether this exception applies is decided by the lecturer.
Examination topics
Reading list
Association in the course directory
MA HPS: M 1.1, M 1.2, M 1.3
Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:39
We will start by introducing four empirical cases which should give us a first feeling for the multifacetedness and the complexities of issues at stake when trying to understand the interactions of science, technology and society. They will accompany us through the lecture and discussion class and serve as shared reference points. The other core classes will also use these cases in the case based learning approach.In the following lectures we will address the following issues:
We will start by asking questions concerning the special status of scientific knowledge and explore what it means to understand science as a specific set of practices, performed in specific places and guided by social processes; this will also lead us to ask for the social organisation of science and its core values.
We will then move to the area of technologies and investigate how we understand the emergence of new technologies, what societal values are inscribed into them, and how they change and structure of our ways of living in contemporary societies. We will specifically also investigate standardization and classification as one powerful way of ordering the world.
We will then move on to study how futures and pasts are related in embedding technologies into contemporary societies and study the challenges of controversies, risks and disasters.
Finally, we will look into science-society relations, the governance of science and technology, and how citizens can participate in technoscientific societies.