Course Name | Scientific Thinking and Society |
Code | Semester | Theory (hour/week) | Application/Lab (hour/week) | Local Credits | ECTS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
GENS 207 | Fall/Spring | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
Prerequisites | None | |||||
Course Language | English | |||||
Course Type | Service Course | |||||
Course Level | First Cycle | |||||
Mode of Delivery | - | |||||
Teaching Methods and Techniques of the Course | ||||||
Course Coordinator | - | |||||
Course Lecturer(s) | ||||||
Assistant(s) | - |
Course Objectives | The aim of this course is to help the students to develop a critical perspective about science and its relationship with society. In the first part of the course, the period during which modern science was born will be discussed in a broader fashion. In the second part, the focus will be on a series of issues taken from more recent periods of history of science. This course is for students that are interested in popular science. |
Learning Outcomes | The students who succeeded in this course;
|
Course Description | This course is designed to discuss the relationship between science and the society that generates it. |
Related Sustainable Development Goals |
| Core Courses | |
Major Area Courses | ||
Supportive Courses | ||
Media and Managment Skills Courses | ||
Transferable Skill Courses |
Week | Subjects | Required Materials |
1 | Introduction; presentation of the course and related questions; The Three Revolutions | Course syllabus |
2 | Types of Societies and their technologies | Machionis, J. (2017) “Society and Technology” |
3 | Sapiens and the Cognitive Revolution | Harari, Y. (2015), Sapiens. A Brief History of Humankind, Part One: The Cognitive Revolution |
4 | Guns, Germs, and Steel I: Yali’s Question | Diamond, J. (1997), Guns, Germs and Steel, Prologue: “Yali’s Question”; Part I “From Eden to Cajamarca” |
5 | Guns, Germs and Steel II: Agricultural Revolution | Diamond, J. (1997), Guns, Germs and Steel, Part 2: “The Rise and The Spread of Food Production” |
6 | Dawn of Civilizations, Birth of Natural Philosophy and the Aristotelian Worldview | Lecture Notes |
7 | Ptolemy and the Geocentric Model | Lecture Notes |
8 | Nicholaus Copernicus and the Heliocentric Model | Gribbin, J. (2002), Science: A History Chapter 1, “Renaissance Men” pp. 21-32 |
9 | Tycho Brahe and his observations & Johannes Kepler and the movement of planets | Gribbin, J. (2002), Science: A History Chapter 2, “The Last Mystics” |
10 | First Scientists: Galileo and others, Part I | Gribbin, J. (2002), Science: A History Chapter 3, “The First Scientists” |
11 | First Scientists: Galileo and others, Part II | Gribbin, J. (2002), Science: A History Chapter 3, “The First Scientists” |
12 | René Descartes, Christiaan Huygens, Robert Boyle and first steps of science | Gribbin, J. (2002), Science: A History Chapter 4, “Renaissance Men” (Descartes: pp. 118-126; Boyle pp. |
13 | Robert Hooke and Isaac Newton | Gribbin, J. (2002) Science: A History Chapter 5, “Newtonian Revolution” (Hooke: pp. 151-164; Newton pp. 172-188) |
14 | Semester Review | Lecture Notes |
15 | Review of the Semester | |
16 | Final examination |
Course Notes/Textbooks | Reading 1: Machionis, J. (2017) “Society and Technology”, in Machionis, J. (2017) Sociology, 16th Edition, pp. 118-123, Pearson: Hoboken Reading 2: Harari, Y. (2015), Sapiens. A Brief History of Humankind, HarperCollins: New York Reading 3: Diamond, J. (1997), Guns, Germs and Steel. The Fates of Human Societies, W. W. Norton: New York Reading 4: Gribbin, J. (2002), Science: A History 1543–2001, Penguin: London |
Suggested Readings/Materials |
Semester Activities | Number | Weigthing |
Participation | ||
Laboratory / Application | ||
Field Work | ||
Quizzes / Studio Critiques | ||
Portfolio | ||
Homework / Assignments | ||
Presentation / Jury | ||
Project | ||
Seminar / Workshop | ||
Oral Exam | ||
Midterm | 2 | 60 |
Final Exam | 1 | 40 |
Total |
Weighting of Semester Activities on the Final Grade | 3 | 60 |
Weighting of End-of-Semester Activities on the Final Grade | 1 | 40 |
Total |
Semester Activities | Number | Duration (Hours) | Workload |
---|---|---|---|
Course Hours (Including exam week: 16 x total hours) | 16 | 3 | 48 |
Laboratory / Application Hours (Including exam week: 16 x total hours) | 16 | ||
Study Hours Out of Class | 16 | 1 | 16 |
Field Work | |||
Quizzes / Studio Critiques | |||
Portfolio | |||
Homework / Assignments | |||
Presentation / Jury | |||
Project | |||
Seminar / Workshop | |||
Oral Exam | |||
Midterms | 2 | 15 | |
Final Exams | 1 | 20 | |
Total | 114 |
# | Program Competencies/Outcomes | * Contribution Level | ||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
1 | Understands and applies the foundational theories of Computer Engineering in a high level. | |||||
2 | Possesses a great depth and breadth of knowledge about Computer Engineering including the latest developments. | |||||
3 | Can reach the latest information in Computer Engineering and possesses a high level of proficiency in the methods and abilities necessary to comprehend it and conduct research with it. | |||||
4 | Conducts a comprehensive study that introduces innovation to science and technology, develops a new scientific procedure or a technological product/process, or applies a known method in a new field. | |||||
5 | Independently understands, designs, implements and concludes a unique research process in addition to managing it. | |||||
6 | Contributes to science and technology literature by publishing the output of his/her academic studies in respectable academic outlets. | |||||
7 | Interprets scientific, technological, social and cultural developments and relates them to the general public with a commitment to scientific objectivity and ethical responsibility. | |||||
8 | Performs critical analysis, synthesis and evaluation of ideas and developments in Computer Engineering. | |||||
9 | Performs verbal and written communications with professionals as well as broader scientific and social communities in Computer Engineering, by using English at least at the European Language Portfolio C1 General level, performs written, oral and visual communications and discussions in a high level. | |||||
10 | Develops strategies, policies and plans about systems and topics that Computer Engineering uses, and interprets the outcomes. |
*1 Lowest, 2 Low, 3 Average, 4 High, 5 Highest