WISDEM:

Women in Science Disciplines, Engineering, & Mathematics

WMS130 Syllabus – Fall 2006

TR  4-4:50 PM     Dorsey Hall

Six Major Issues in Science, Engineering, & Technology

Topics:

(1)  The Energy Budget of the World – where will get our fuel when the oil runs out – Nuclear power vs. nuclear weapons – the news articles on India and Iran will be the topic starters.

Faculty Speaker:  Jennifer Blue, Physics

(2)  The Morning After Pill – The science and the social issues surrounding the ability of women to purchase contraceptives throughout the U.S.

Faculty Speaker:  Jill Russell, Visiting Neuroendocrinologist, Zoology

(3)  Implications of STEM Cell Research -- the science, the possible medical treatments which come from it, the ethical and political issues -- the guy in Korea who lied

Faculty Speaker:  Susan Hoffman & Joyce Fernandez, Zoology

(4)  A View of the Micro/Nano World – 50 years of looking at atoms, molecules, cells, and micro-organisms – how imaging technology has developed and the implications of manipulation of atoms, cells, and micro-organisms.

Faculty Speaker:  Jan Yarrison-Rice, Physics

(5)  The US Stance on Abortion in 2006 – where does the court system stand on abortion – look at individual states who have made it illegal or restricted its availability – what does the science say about women’s health issues surrounding abortion

Faculty Speaker:  Phyllis Callhan, Zoology and Kristen Safier, JD,

For More Information Contact:  Jan Yarrison-Rice, 9-1862, yarrisjm@Muohio.edu

Course Description:  A Sprint course which meets TR 4-5 PM.   Students will be given a series of articles (via course website) for each of the topics to be addressed.  They are expected to read the articles in advance and write 1-2 pages of bullet point entries on:

• What are the facts of the article?
• What are the issues brought out in the readings?
• Who is affected by the problem (may or may not be persons directly mentioned in stories)?
• What science is relevant to this topic?  Do you know anything about it?
• What questions do you have as a result of reading the article?

Faculty Speaker Day:

“Bullet Point” Papers are collected.

Women faculty invited in on Faculty Speaker Days to present information on topic of the week… we will ask faculty to provide us in advance with 10 questions for groups to work on.  Faculty will have 35-40 minutes to present their topic followed by 15 minutes of discussion, then students will break into groups to identify and begin work on topical questions.

Discussion with faculty on the topic and questions about science and other related topics from the articles.

Students will be broken into groups with related interests to the topic, and they are given a series of questions to research for Small Group Follow-up Discussion days. 

Speaker Follow-Up Day:

Students will meet in small groups to collect and prepare a small presentation on the question/s they were responsible for.

Student groups will present information and lead discussion on these associated topics.

Student groups will hand in a 1-2 page paper on their group question.

• Identify scientific facts related to question and explain briefly.
• Identify other issues related to question.
• Use facts from their research, discussions, etc. to form an argument which answers the question.

Grades will be based on attendance (30%), Bullet Point papers (35%) AND Issue papers (35%).  Letter grades will be earned with 90%-A, 80%-B, 70%-C, and 60%-D.

SCHEDULE FOR FACULTY SPEAKERS

Class Schedule:

T, Aug. 22:            Welcome!  Class format, Discussion on Science, & First assignment.
R, Aug. 24:             How do you form an opinion and defend it? & Tour of Women's Center

T, Aug. 29:            Speaker #1:  Jennifer Blue -   The Energy Budget of the World -- Nuclear Power

R, Aug. 31:             Small Group Follow-up

T, Sept. 5:             NO CLASS – Mon/Tues Switch Day

R, Sept. 7:             Speaker #2: Jill Russell, Visiting Neuroendocrinologist-- Morning After Pill

T, Sept. 12:            Small Group Follow-up

R, Sept. 14:            Speaker #3: Susan Hoffman & Joyce Fernandez, Zoology -- STEM cell research

T, Sept. 19:            Small Group Follow-up

R, Sept. 21:           Speaker #4:  Jan Yarrison-Rice, Physics -- Looking at  Atoms & Molecules

T, Sept. 26:           Speaker #5:  Kristen Safier, JD & Phyllis Callahan, Zoology -- US stance on  abortion

R, Sept. 28:           Small  Group Follow-Up on Speaker #4

T, Oct. 3:              Small Group Follow-up on Speaker #5

R, Oct. 5:              Speaker #6:  Laurie Werner, Computer Science & Engineering -- computer ethics and privacy issues

T, Oct. 10:             Small Group Follow-up

R, Oct. 12:             FINAL DAY – All Speakers invited to a final reception with open discussion about most interesting issues

Reading Materials for Course

(1)  The Energy Budget of the World – where will get our fuel when the oil runs out – Nuclear power vs. nuclear weapons – the news articles on India and Iran will be the topic starters.

Reading Assignment:

• National Geographic Articles, March 2006 Issue:  "The high cost of cheap coal."

• National Geographic Article, April 2006 Issue:  "Nuclear Comeback."
• New York Times Magazine Article, July 2006 Issue:  "Atomic Balm."
• BBC News Website:  Guide to Nuclear Power -- use this website to explore the basics of nuclear power
  

 Additional Questions for Follow-up Discussion and 2nd (Group) Writing Assignment

• Energy Questions
  

(2)  The Morning After Pill – The science and the social issues surrounding the ability of women to purchase contraceptives throughout the U.S. -- Dr. Jill Russell

Reading Assignment:

This is a great review article on the morning after pill:
http://www.polycarp.org/postfertilization.pdf
 

Here is the link to the Planned Parenthood webpage on Emergency
Contraceptives:
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/birth-control-pregnancy/emergency-contraception/overview.htm
Would you please read the following pages from this website for class?
Overview
How to Take
After Taking
Effectiveness
Getting EC

Additional Questions for Follow-up Discussion:

Morning After Pill Questions

Read the following websites and articles in the order listed.  ITlooks like a lot, but actually they are a series of relatively short articles.

(4)  A View of the Micro/Nano World – 50 years of looking at atoms, molecules, cells, and micro-organisms – how imaging technology has developed and the implications of manipulation of atoms, cells, and micro-organisms.

These links are explicitly connected to facebook.  Some contain reader comments in a "blog" style.  Read the articles, which are generally quite short.  Reading the comments is optional, although interesting.

Ø      http://nbc15.madison.com/news/headlines/2774881.html

Ø      http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2005/10/03/online

Ø      http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2006/02/14/facebook

Ø      http://www.nyu.edu/classes/siva/archives/003401.html

Ø      http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/06/AR2006090601805_pf.html

Ø      http://www.facebook.com/policy.php

These links are about defining and protecting privacy:

Ø      http://www.eff.org/Privacy/

Ø      http://www.eff.org/Privacy/Anonymity/

Ø      http://www.netatty.com/privacy/privacy.html#invade

These are some opinions about privacy responsibility and constraints:

Ø      http://www.cerias.purdue.edu/weblogs/mrose/kudos-opinions-rants/post-27/

Ø      http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0609120285sep12,1,1635797.story?coll=chi-business-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true

These are scenarios, each depicting a situation where privacy and ethics may conflict.  The questions at the end of each provide a forum for discussion in your groups.

Ø      http://onlineethics.org/privacy/scene1.html

Ø      http://onlineethics.org/privacy/scene2.html

Here is a link to an article about spying in the workplace:

Ø      http://news.com.com/2102-1014_3-6118982.html?tag=st.util.print

Here is a link to some tips for protecting your privacy as you use the internet.  Read this for an overview of how technically adept you need to be as an internet user, rather than for details.

Ø      http://www.eff.org/Privacy/search/searchtips.php