AI & Society | INQR 1960

Description: In this course, we'll jointly explore the central ideas and anticipated societal impacts of Artificial Intelligence. What is Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how will it shape the world in the decades to come? What ideas enable machines to see, use language, and reason, and how will these machines affect the world? This course intends to introduce students to the state of art development in AI, and open the discussion of how the growth of AI impacts individuals and society, and ultimately how we can make AI better serve people’s needs. With the rapid development of technologies, AI is playing an increasingly important role in our society. They can not only facilitate people in their everyday lives (e.g. smart home, Siri and other chatbots that provide directions and other useful information, Amazon’s drones for making deliveries), but also have the power of monitoring and manipulating people’s interaction. The study of AI therefore should come not only from the technological perspective, but also social and psychological perspectives. This course could provide an excellent gateway course for an HCI concentration where human computer interactions are construed in the broadest possible terms.  This course could provide an excellent foundation for the informed and responsible use of computer-based technology.

Associated Pathways: 
Philosophy and Logic

Designing Climate Justice | INQR 1250

Description: Climate Justice is the intersection of climate change and issues concerning social inequality. This course provides a historical overview of climate change science, including causes, impacts, responses and the latest findings. Students will investigate the ways in which climate change is entangled with issues of equity and social justice by critically investigating the structures of power and politics that cause particular populations to be disproportionally affected by environmental hazards and climate change.

Associated Pathways:
Ethics, Integrity, and Social Responsibility
History
Public Health
Science, Technology, and Society
Sustainability Studies 

Communication Intensive

Feminist Critiques of Reason | INQR 1961

Description: Feminist critiques of many disciplines have led to deep and radical revisions to their foundational assumptions. In the case of the a priori disciplines---mathematics, computation, engineering---critiques tend to be less foundational. There exist, however, threads of literature debating the role that feminist theory plays in determining the bounds of reason itself and, consequently, the contours of disciplines like mathematics. The thesis that oppressive themes are baked into the foundations of reason leads to important questions: Can the many fruits of reason (engineering, medicine, computers) be balanced with a revision of its foundation? Does a more inclusive epistemology of reason conflict with the idea that mathematical truths (for example) are necessary and eternal? 

In this course, we will review recent literature investigating the degree to which the development of logic is harmonious with or antagonistic to feminist (and other liberationist) aims. We will emphasize several styles of critique, ranging from historical to more recent work concerning the consequences for mathematics and computation in the wake of such critiques.

Associated Pathways:
Philosophy and Logic

Communication Intensive

Great Ideas in Philosophy | INQR 1165

Description: This course invites you into the world of philosophical ideas and reasoning -- to join a great conversation that has unfolded since Socrates exhorted people to lead an examined life 2,400 years ago in Ancient Greece. We will explore such issues as whether some ways of acting and living are morally better than others, the relationship that exists between mind and body, and whether philosophy has anything to contribute to ongoing discussions about the existence and nature of God. This course will include both frequent discussion and written assignments, and will aim to help you develop your skills in each of these modes of communication. This course is communication intensive.

Associated Pathways: 
Philosophy and Logic 
Ethics, Integrity, and Social Responsibility 

Communication Intensive

IT & Society | INQR 1220

This course investigates the relationship between Information Technology (IT) and the individuals and groups who use it – which is to say, virtually everyone. The course has two main goals. First, it seeks to define and explain core concepts in the field of IT in a fashion that is not overly technical. Second, it examines the historical, social, cultural, political and economic factors that have helped to shape, and have been shaped by, the dimensions of IT that we will study.

Associated Pathways: 
Information Technology and Web Sciences
Science, Technology, and Society

Communication Intensive

Media and Society | INQR 1560

Description: A survey of the historical origins and cultural impact of several mass media, including television, film, radio, the Internet, and print media.

The course aims to increase media literacy through analysis of specific media products, as well as discussion of broad topics such as: advertising and commercialization; politics and censorship; gender, race, and social identity.

Associated Pathways: 
Fact and Fiction
Gender, Race, Sexuality, Ethnicity, and Social Change
Graphic Design
Interactive Media/Data Design
Strategic Communication

Communication Intensive

Philosophy, Technology, & the Human Future | INQR 1130

Description: This course explores the philosophical and ethical implications of technological developments that promise to shape ‒ and perhaps to jeopardize ‒ human life and society in the 21st Century: Artificial Intelligence. Robots as social companions.  Robots in military and medical settings. Cloning. Genetic modification and technological implants for superhuman abilities. Students will improve their insight as well as their critical reasoning skills as we examine, analyze, and evaluate such controversial topics through the lens of philosophical reasoning. Throughout the course we will ask what sort of beings do we want to be and what sort of society do we want to have. 

Associated Pathways:
Ethics, Integrity, and Social Responsibility 
Extent and Limits of Rationality 
Philosophy and Logic 

Communication Intensive

Principles of Economics | INQR 1200 

Description: Economics is the study of our choices. Traditionally, these choices have been framed as how to best employ scarce resources to produce goods and services and distribute them for consumption. To describe these choices, we will introduce you to the concepts of opportunity cost, demand and supply theory, and market structures and consider the role of government in making resource allocation choices.

A foremost objective will be to identify and evaluate multiple diverse perspectives on contemporary and complex global issues and address their implications for social equity and welfare. We strive to take a critical look at these perspectives while practicing and applying the subject matter of economics.

Associated Pathways: 
Economics
Economics of Banking and Finance
Economics of Decision-Making
Economics of Healthcare Markets
Economics of Policy and Regulations
Economics of Quantitative Modeling
Economics of Technology and Innovation

Science, Technology, & Society | INQR 1100

Description: An introduction to the social, historical, and ethical influences on modern science and technology. Cases include development of the atomic bomb, mechanization of the workplace, Apollo space program, and others. Readings are drawn from history, fiction, and social sciences; films and documentary videos highlight questions about the application of scientific knowledge to human affairs. The class is designed to give students freedom to develop and express their own ideas. This is a communication-intensive course.

Associated Pathways: 
Ethics, Integrity & Social Responsibility
History
Law & Policy
Public Health
Science, Technology & Society
Sustainability
Thinking with Science

Communication Intensive

Science & Scientific Misconduct | INQR 1160

Description: This course will provide a comprehensive introduction to the field of ethics of scientific research.  Why do seemingly good people do bad things? What is science?  What is “bad” science? What constitutes scientific misconduct?  We will explore the answers to these questions through fields such as Sociology, History, Philosophy, Psychology etc.  Using evidence from contemporary and historical scientific experiments we will try to understand why researchers might commit scientific misconduct such as fabrication of results, plagiarism, and falsification of data.  A brief overview some philosophical theories of ethics and several professional/scientific codes of ethics will be covered.

Particular scientific discoveries will be examined, e.g. the Tuskegee Syphillis Study, to find out where the process of discovery went wrong.  Narratives of scientific discovery, in particular the discovery of the double helix, will be explored and analyzed to understand issues of objectivity and bias in scientific work.  A historical review of human subjects experiments such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment and the Arizona State Havasupai Genetic Experiment will be reviewed to understand issues of informed consent, cultural discrimination and whistleblowing. 

Associated Pathways: 
Philosophy and Logic
Ethics, Integrity, and Social Responsibility

Communication Intensive 

Songwriting Workshop | INQR 1700

Description: A communication-intensive course designed for students to develop their own voice as a songwriter. The course surveys the methods of successful songwriters, highlighting aspects of melody, lyrics, harmonic progression, story-telling, audience, and social context. Students develop a portfolio of their own original songs and lyrics, presented weekly and performed in a studio or live setting at the end of the term.

Associated Pathways: 
Art History, Theory & Criticism
Creative Design & Innovation
Music & Culture
Music Composition & Production
Well-being: Body & Mind

Communication Intensive