SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY
EDU5STC
2017
Credit points: 15
Subject outline
We live in a society greatly influenced by science and technology. Hence, exploring how science and technology affect and shape society is important for our understanding of a range of public issues such as those concerned with the environment, medicine and our health, communication and security. In addition understanding the ways in which society influences science and technology is a useful aspect of being scientifically literate. In this subject students will learn about the development of ideas about science and philosophies underpinning science. They will explore the relationship between science/technology and society by examining the role of society in influencing scientific and technological changes, and the impact of these changes in shaping society. They examine the implications of these scientific and technological advancements/changes for education.
School: School of Education
Credit points: 15
Subject Co-ordinator: Dorothy Smith
Available to Study Abroad Students: Yes
Subject year level: Year Level 5 - Masters
Exchange Students: Yes
Subject particulars
Subject rules
Prerequisites: N/A
Co-requisites: N/A
Incompatible subjects: EDU4STS
Equivalent subjects: N/A
Special conditions: N/A
Learning resources
Readings
| Resource Type | Title | Resource Requirement | Author and Year | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Readings | Science education for everyday life, | Recommended | Aikenhead, G.S. (2006) | TEACHERS COLLEGE PRESS 2006 |
| Readings | Why we disagree about climate change. | Recommended | Hulme, M. (2013) | CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS |
| N/A | N/A | Recommended | N/A | N/A |
Graduate capabilities & intended learning outcomes
01. demonstrate an understanding of the relationships between science and technology, and the relationships between science, technology and society as expressed in scholarly literature;
- Activities:
- Reading the relevant literature, classroom discussion, and opportunities to think about the ideas. A short writing task, one 3000 word essay and contribution to a small group presentation
02. critically evaluate and debate issues related to the wide-ranging research activities and scientific and technological discoveries, including using concepts of ethics and social responsibility in science and technology;
- Activities:
- Reading the relevant literature, classroom discussion, and opportunities to think about the ideas. A short writing task, one 3000 word essay and contribution to a small group presentation
03. develop the implications of the influence of science, technology and society for education, and propose appropriate strategies for educating school students and/or adults to be scientifically and technologically literate.
- Activities:
- Reading the relevant literature, classroom discussion, and opportunities to think about the ideas. A short writing task, one 3000 word essay and contribution to a small group presentation
Melbourne, 2017, Semester 1, Day
Overview
Online enrolment: Yes
Maximum enrolment size: N/A
Enrolment information:
Subject Instance Co-ordinator: Dorothy Smith
Class requirements
Lecture/WorkshopWeek: 10 - 22
Four 7.0 hours lecture/workshop per study period on saturday during the day from week 10 to week 22 and delivered via face-to-face.
Assessments
| Assessment element | Comments | % | ILO* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group work. Equivalent to 1200 words. | 20 | 01 | |
| Summary of a scholarly article, including peer assessment. Equivalent to 1200 words. | 20 | 01 | |
| one 3000-word essay | Students' ability to do this task is developed through the learning activities listed for this subject and through feedback provided for the other tasks. Students are strongly advised to attend face-to-face classes, do the set preparation, engage with online materials and submit work on time. | 60 | 01, 02, 03 |