Professor Regina Rini
rarini@yorku.ca

This course will examine the social effects of science and technology via the philosophical disciplines of ethics and epistemology. How do new scientific discoveries and technologies change the way we treat others and make up our minds about controversial issues? How should scientists and tech product designers communicate with the public? What are social norms and how are these responsive to technology? We will investigate these questions via applied topics including cryptocurrency, fake video recordings (deepfakes), social media misinformation, and machine learning.

Technical requirements for taking the course: This course will require a reliable internet connection with video and a microphone. In addition, students must be able to access articles in academic journals to which York has a subscription. Instructions on logging in to off-campus access are available here: https://www.library.yorku.ca/web/ask-services/computing/off-campus-access/

Here are some useful links for student computing information, resources and help:

Student Guide to Moodle

Zoom@YorkU Best Practices 

Zoom@YorkU User Reference Guide

Computing for Students Website

Student Guide to eLearning at York University

To determine Internet connection and speed, there are online tests, such as Speedtest, that can be run.]

Times and locations: Please note that this is a course that depends on remote teaching and learning. There will be no in-person interactions or activities on campus. Classes will be held over Zoom at the scheduled time (Tuesdays 2:30-5:30pm). Zoom links will be distributed through our eClass site.

Virtual office hours: Tuesdays 11am-12pm. A Zoom link will be posted on our eClass site. If you cannot attend at this time, please email to request an appointment.

You do not need to buy any textbooks for this class. Readings will be drawn from internet-accessible academic journals and news/opinion publications, all linked from our eClass site. You will need to know how to access York library subscription materials through Off-Campus access  ( https://www.library.yorku.ca/web/ask-services/printing-and-computing/computing/off-campus-access/ ) . A full list of readings will be available approximately one week before the semester begins.

Students will take weekly reading-check quizzes on eClass. These are untimed and open-book, and students will have 48 hours to complete each. Students will write two short-essay exams and one final long-essay exam. The exams will also be untimed and open-book. Students will have one week to write each. The final grade will be composed:

20% weekly quizzes (take 11, drop the single lowest grade)

20% short-essay exam 1

20% short-essay exam 2

30% cumulative final long-essay exam

10% class participation

This is a discussion-oriented class that will be held synchronously over Zoom at the scheduled time (Tuesdays 2:30-5:30pm). We will take a 10-15 minute break in the middle of each session to allow a rest from Zoom fatigue. Class sessions will consist of lectures, visits from expert guests, open discussion, and group activities.

I reserve the right to change the class structure to asynchronous lecture and message board discussion if necessary. However this is something I strongly hope to avoid and we will only do it if technological problems become persistent and insurmountable.

Students will learn central concepts in ethics and epistemology and acquire content knowledge about each of the four applied topics. Students will learn how to analyze social norms. Students will acquire skills to help them anticipate ethical and epistemological consequences of future technological change.

Participation constitutes 10% of the semester grade. If you feel any barriers to your speaking in class (nervousness, technical issues, or anything else) please contact me to discuss alternative ways for you to participate. Otherwise, not participating in class discussion will lower your grade.

Late assignments will incur a 10% per day penalty for essay exams. I will be somewhat flexible with this policy so long as the coronavirus emergency remains in effect, but you must contact me ASAP if you are unable to submit work by the deadline. Weekly quizzes cannot be taken late (remember that we will drop your lowest quiz grade, so if you miss one that’s okay).

Generally speaking, students may not record Zoom sessions, as doing so violates the privacy of other students. Exceptions are possible in cases of documented disability accommodation, but must be discussed with the instructor in advance. All recordings made for purposes of disability accommodation must be deleted at the end of the semester.

Please contact me by email early in the term if you have a disability that requires accommodation. Please note that you will need documentation from York Student Accessibility Services.