HU 245 - Technology and Humanity
Description
This course invites students to think deeply and carefully about the relationship between technology and humanity. Through examining the history of technology around the world, students develop an appreciation for the ways that technology influences human culture. We study creative, philosophical, and critical accounts of technology in order to develop a framework for making better decisions about technology. We grapple with moral questions raised by both technologies of the past and technologies of the future and think about what technology might teach us about what it means to be human in order to learn to live wisely with the technologies that fill our lives.
Credit Hours: 3
Contact Hours: 3
Prerequisites/Other Requirements: None
English Prerequisite(s): None
Math Prerequisite(s): None
Course Corequisite(s): None
Academic Program Prerequisite: None
Consent to Enroll in Course: No Department Consent Required
Dual Enrollment Allowed?: No
Number of Times Course can be taken for credit: 1
Programs Where This Course is a Requirement:
None
General Education Requirement:
Humanities
General Education Learner Outcomes (GELO):
3. Critical Thinking: Gather and synthesize relevant information, evaluate alternative perspectives, or understand inquiry as a means of creating knowledge, 4. Cultural Competence: Understand diverse interpersonal and cultural perspectives through analysis of scholarly or creative works
Course Learning Outcomes:
1. Analyze scholarly and creative artifacts from the early development of technology to the present in order to understand the world and himself or herself from different points of view. (GELO3)
2. Through the use of primary source analysis, think critically about the contemporary technological issues and the role technology plays in various cultures.
3. Through the analysis of the scholarly and creative artifacts and activities, understand the ways in which technology has been employed in the past by various cultures, time periods, and demographics and how technology has been impacted by and influenced cultural values.
4. Understand the social responsibilities of educated citizens in a global technological society and appreciate the diversity and complexities of our global technological community in order to be more open-minded towards all people. (GELO4)
5. Utilize terminology and technical language as appropriate to the study of humanities and technology.
6. Identify historical foundations of technology.
7. Compare and contrast societal and cultural norms concerning technology and its uses.
8. Summarize and analyze philosophical and theological debates concerning the use of technology.
9. Evaluate the positive and negative philosophies and ideologies concerning technology.
10. Critique personal use of technology.
Course Outline:
I. Perspectives on Technology
A. Historical Perspectives
1. Definitions of technology
2. Scope of technology
3. Progression of technological changes
4. Impact of technological systems on individuals
B. Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions
1. Mass production
2. Rise of corporations
3. Globalization
4. Impact on division of labor
C. Information Age and Revolution
D. Social and Political Perspectives
1. Politics and culture
2. Social construction
3. Gender, technology, and humanity
E. Technology Optimism versus Technology Pessimism
1. Responsibility of people developing new technologies
2. Technological citizenship
F. Ethics and Technology
1. Morality
2. Personal and professional responsibility
3. Laws
4. Social norms used for regulating human behavior in society
II. Contemporary Technology and The Future
A. Security and Surveillance
1. Technology and war
2. Role of the government
3. Role of corporations
4. Issues of censorship
B. Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
1. Positive and negative impact on society and individuals
C. Nanotechnology
1. Positive and negative impact on society and individuals
D. Internet and Social Media
1. Positive and negative impact on society and individuals
E. Biotechnology
1. Impact of cloning
2. Impact on humanity
3. Individual freedom
4. Political and social implications
F. Energy and The Environment
1. Role of individual actions and decisions
2. Sustainability
3. Self-sustaining communities
4. Impact of global warming
Approved for Online and Hybrid Delivery?:
No
Instructional Strategies:
Lecture: 25-45%
Facilitated discussion: 25-35%
Video and media instruction: 15-20%
Group work: 25-40%
Mandatory Course Components:
None
Equivalent Courses:
None
Accepted GRCC Advanced Placement (AP) Exam Credit: None
AP Min. Score: NA
Name of Industry Recognize Credentials: NA
Course prepares students to seek the following external certification:
No
Course-Specific Placement Test: None
Course Aligned with ARW/IRW Pairing: IRW 99
Mandatory Department Assessment Measures:
Course Type:
General Education- Offering designed to meet the specific criteria for a GRCC Distribution Requirement. The course should be designated by the requirement it fulfills.
Course Format:
Lecture - 1:1
Total Lecture Hours Per Week: 3
People Soft Course ID Number: 103678
Course CIP Code: 24.0103
Maximum Course Enrollment: 30
General Room Request: None
High School Articulation Agreements exist?: No
If yes, with which high schools?: NA
Non-Credit GRCC Articulation Agreement With What Area: No
Identify the Non Credit Programs this Course is Accepted: NA
School: School of Liberal Arts
Department: Language & Thought
Discipline: HU
Faculty Credential Requirements:
Master’s Degree (GRCC general requirement), 18 graduate credit hours in discipline being taught (HLC Requirement)
Faculty Credential Requirement Details:
18 hours of coursework in Humanities or a field traditionally part of the Humanities.
Major Course Revisions: General Education Review
Last Revision Date Effective: 20220213T17:42:29
Course Review & Revision Year: 2026-2027
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