Science, Technology, and Ethics

''''This is the syllabus for an undergraduate course, "Science, Technology and Ethics," developed and taught by Dr. Donna Riley of Smith College. The course looks at the interplay between how society influences how science and engineering research and practice goes forward, and how engineering and science in turn influence society. This includes how science and technology have aided and abetted racist or colonialist research practices, the roles of technology, culture, and economic systems that pushes for the bigger, faster, and cheaper production of goods, and the societal and environmental consequences of how science and technology is practiced today. The syllabus includes a class schedule and readings for the course, and handouts for three course assignments. These include the development of a plan for self-directed learning for the course, guidelines for a required term paper looking at a specific ethical problem in science, technology or engineering, and an "action essay" that requires the student to explore and take action on some ethical question or problem in their community that helps connect what they are learning in class with the real world.