University of Massachusetts at Boston
Public Policy Program, McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies
Critical & Creative Thinking Program/ Science in a Changing World, Graduate College of Education

Scientific and Political Change

(formerly: Science, Technology & Public Policy)

PPol G 749/ CrCrTh 649
Syllabus, Spring 2010

Instructor: Peter Taylor, Critical & Creative Thinking Program
Email: peter.taylor@umb.edu
Phone: 617-287-7636
Office: Wheatley 2nd flr 157 (on back corridor parallel to main long corridor)
Class meetings: Weds 4-6.30pm
Office/phone call hours: Tuesday 3.20-4, 5.30-6.30pm; Weds 3-3.40pm by sign up (http://ptaylor.wikispaces.umb.edu/PTOfficeHours) or by arrangement
Course Website:http://www.faculty.umb.edu/pjt/749-10.html
Course wiki: http://ppol749.wikispaces.umb.edu
Class email list: Emails sent to ppol749@googlegroups.com will go to everyone in the course.
Diigo group: http://groups.diigo.com/group/ppol749 (for evolving annotated bibliography)

Catalog description

Prior to WW II, the American government played a relatively small role in the support of science, especially outside of its own institutions. That situation changed dramatically with the war and the Cold War that followed. We explore how these events transformed the role of science in American life, vastly enhancing the prestige of scientists, and shaping the extent and the nature of federal involvement in science. These and later developments, including the commercialization of academic research, raise important questions about the appropriate role of science and scientists in a democracy. In particular: How can we reconcile the need for scientific and technological expertise on the one hand, and for the democratic control of science on the other? We consider different theoretical approaches to this issue, and illustrate the dilemmas it poses with a number of empirical examples.

Course Overview

After an introductory session in which students identify their personal intellectual and professional interests and are introduced to "Problem-based learning" (PBL), the course consists of four 3-week PBL units. The PBL approach allows students to shape their own directions of inquiry and develop their skills as investigators and prospective teachers. At the same time the PBL cases engage students' critical faculties as, guided by individualized bibliographies co-constructed with the instructor and by the projects of the other students, they learn about analyses of the political influences on the development of science and technology, and, reciprocally, of influences of such developments on political processes and possibilities.
The broad topics covered by the PBL units are:

SECTIONS TO FOLLOW IN SYLLABUS:

(By the end of the semester, the schedule of classes will be fleshed out with links to the PBL units and the projects and bibiography that emerge on the wiki and diigo.)

Additional material on the course wiki includes: PREREQUISITES: Graduate standing or permission of instructor

TEXTS AND MATERIALS

Dickson, D. (1984). The New Politics of Science. New York, Pantheon, reprinted University of Chicago Press, 1988.
Hackett, E., O. Amsterdamska, et al., Eds. (2008). The Handbook of Science and Technology Studies. Cambridge, MA, MIT Press.
Not in bookstore - purchase online

ASSESSMENT & REQUIREMENTS

REQUIREMENTS: A sequence of written assignments (which will average 800 words) and presentations on the PBL cases. As the course evolves more detail about the assignments will be provided by email and on the course wiki.

Participation requirements included active participation based on preparation between classes, interaction between classes through email, conferences on your assignments and projects, commenting on each other's drafts, and adding an annotated reference to the evolving diigo bibliography each week. It is expected that you will spend at least 6 hours per week outside class time reading, researching, and writing.

Grading: An unconventional but simple assessment is used. The written assignments are commented on but not graded. Students receive the full grade for the assignment after they revise thoughtfully and resubmit in response to comments received on the initial submission. This system keeps the focus on interaction around written work and presentations that emerge from participation in the unfolding dynamics of the course. The assessment system also accommodates the contingencies of student's lives by allowing a fraction of assignments to be skipped without penalty. Students keep track of their submissions and revisions on an assignment checklist.

Details on guidelines are given in the Notes on assignments, other expectations, grading system, but in brief:

Written assignments and presentations (2/3 of grade)
6 points for each assignment submitted and revised in response to comments and for each presentation made up to 54 points max, i.e., 9 of the 12 completed.

Participation and contribution to the class process (1/3 of grade)
1 point each item completed, up to 27 max (i.e., 27 of the 36 items)

a. Participation in class meetings based on Preparation between classes (14 items)
b. Syllabus quiz before week 2.
c. Annotated reference or resource (=person, organization...) added (with annotation) to the evolving diigo bibliography (each week except 1 & 14) (=12 items)
d. Email contribution to discussion on the course ppol749@googlegroups.com email listserv or exchange with the instructors (at least 5 weeks = 5 items)
e. Minimum of two in-person or phone conferences on your assignments and projects--one before session 5, the other before session 11(= 2 items)
f. Work with another student commenting on each other's last project report
g. Assignment checklist kept up to date and submitted in week 12 or 13.
h. EXTRA-Participation in Changing Science, Changing Society Expo at UMB on 16 April.

Overall course grade
If the points for writing and participation add up to 80 (which gives an automatic B+) the rubric to follow is used at the end of the course to add points (to move above a B+).
For each quality "fulfilled very well" you get 2 additional points. If you "did an OK job, but there was room for more development/attention," you get 1 point. Overall course points are converted to letter grades as follows: A > 95%, for A- 87.5-94.5, for B+ is 80-87.4, for B is 72.5-79.5; for B- is 65-72.4; for C+ is 57.5-64.5; and C 50-57.4%.

ACCOMMODATIONS: Sections 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 offer guidelines for curriculum modifications and adaptations for students with documented disabilities. The student must present any adaptation recommendations to the professors within a reasonable period, preferably by the end of the Drop/Add period.

Students are advised to retain a copy of this syllabus in personal files for use when applying for certification, licensure, or transfer credit.

This syllabus is subject to change, but workload expectations will not be increased after the semester starts. (Version 27 Jan. '10)

SEQUENCE OF CLASSES

Classes will begin with sharing of highlights of readings and annotations added to the wiki (except weeks 1, 14, and weeks in which there are presentations).
More details about preparation for the classes and the PBL cases will be provided through links on the wiki and by email.

Week 1, 1/27, Introductions
Instructor and Students identify personal, intellectual, professional interests and introduce themselves: First look at "KAQ" (Knowledge claims-Actions that follow-Question for inquiry) framework for teasing out diverse inquiries, in this case inquiries based on students' initial responses to the audio.

Preparation for class 2:
Complete syllabus treasure hunt to acquaint yourself with, and raise questions about requirements, the wiki, diigo, and the syllabus.
Read Case 1, "Science-policy connections to improve responses to extreme climatic events: Briefings requested-quickly!"
Use KQ part of KAQ to identify questions for inquiry and begin that inquiry (Assignment 1).

Week 2, 2/3, Case 1. Probing each other's KAQs
Discussion of questions raised about requirements, the wiki, and the syllabus
Check-in (=succinct reports) on findings from any inquiry between classes
Introduction to the A part of KAQ
Workshop on generating questions, inquiring into them, and designing the briefings required by case 1 (KAQ worksheet)
(bring laptop if you have one)

Preparation for class 3: Pursue inquiries based on KAQ worksheet. Mid-week check-in on progress. Prepare work-in-progress presentations (Asmt. 2)

Week 3, 2/10, Case 1 work-in-progress reports and dialogue session
Work-in-progress presentations (Asmt. 2; 10 minutes, including time for questions)
Dialogue session about the ways we can meet the "[national policy analysis] group's interest in making an informed and informative contribution to public discussion in the aftermath of the Copenhagen summit failing to produce a binding accord." [Not conducted because of snow day]

Preparation for class 4: Prepare briefing and presentation

Week 4, 2/17, Case 1 (completed). Presentation of briefings to members of the "National policy analysis group"
(Presentation=Asmt. 3; Guide = Asmt. 4)
Briefing titles


Preparation for class 5: Read Case 2, "The democratic control of science-A postscript 25 years after to Dickson's New Politics of Science," Mapping of one chapter of Dickson's New Politics of Science (Asmt 5; worksheet)

Week 5, 2/24, History of U.S. science policy/politics: Mapping of intersecting processes
Presentation of maps (Asmt 5) and discussion

Preparation for class 6: Ongoing inquiry into the case. Prepare to bring one example of a citizen-level science and politics initiative into week 6 discussion.

Week 6, 3/3, Rise and decline, hopes and outcomes of various citizen-level science and politics initiatives
Inormal presentations of examples of citizen-level science and politics initiatives, followed by discussion

Preparation for class 7: Prepare postscript contribution and presentation (Asmts. 7 & 6)

Week 7, 3/10, Case 2 (completed). Presentation of postscript contribution to Dickson (to be confirmed) and others
(Presentation=Asmt. 6; Postscript contribution = Asmt. 7)
Postscript contribution titles

Preparation for class 8: Read Case 3, "Research prospectus for collaboration with Europeans on comparative studies of policy related to uncertainty around new genetic technologies," Review Centro de Estudos Sociais (2005). Choose one case from this book, and search for a parallel site of research or policy formation in the United States as it relates to new genetic technologies.

Week 8, 3/24, Comparisons: within Europe; within the U.S.A.; between them

Preparation for class 9: Ongoing inquiry into the case. Prepare to bring one example of contrasting policies around science-based uncertainties into week 9 discussion.

Week 9, 3/31, Discussion of policy around science-based uncertainties

Preparation for class 10: Prepare research prospectus and presentation (Asmts 8 &9). Submit presentation for uploading by 10am on 4/7

Week 10, 4/7, Case 3 (completed). Presentation of research prospectus to panel of Europeans (by skype)
(Presentation=Asmt. 8; Research prospectus = Asmt. 9)
Research prospectus titles

Preparation for class 11: Read and start work on Case 4, "Professors seek ideas about teaching units or public engagement activities that prepare students and citizens to be informed participants in political debates about science, technology, and social change."
Preparation for class 11-13: Presenters prepare for in-class practice of "Education & civic engagement" units/activities. Other students prepare as requested by presenters in advance.

Week 11, 4/14, Practice "Education & civic engagement" units/activities

Preparation for extra session: Poster or other display of your PBL projects from this course (Asmt. 10)

Extra session, 4/16, 1-5pm, Changing Science, Changing Society Expo at UMB

Week 12, 4/21, Practice "Education & civic engagement" units/activities

Week 13, 4/28, Practice "Education & civic engagement" units/activities
Unit/activity titles
Preparation for class 14: Work with another student commenting on each other's draft "Education & civic engagement" report


Week 14, 5/5, Taking stock of course: Where have we come & where do we go from here?
Review of initial worksheets on interests and goals for the course
Dialogue Process
CCT-style written evaluation
Formal evaluation
Closing circle

5/12 -- No class, but due date for final revisions of assignments and submission of participation items.

COURSE READINGS

to be developed (2/19 version)
Boal, I. (2009). "Climate, Globe, Capital: The Science and Politics of the Abyss." SUM, in press.

Centro de Estudos Sociais (2005) Identifying Trends in European Medical Space: Contribution of European Social and Human Sciences. Coimbra, Portugal: Centro de Estudos Sociais.

Clarke, A. (2005). Situational Analysis: Grounded Theory after the Postmodern Turn. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

Dickson, D. (1984). The New Politics of Science. New York, Pantheon, reprinted University of Chicago Press, 1988.

Hackett, E., O. Amsterdamska, et al., Eds. (2008). The Handbook of Science and Technology Studies. Cambridge, MA, MIT Press.

(See also 2005 syllabus and supplementary bibliography)