University of Manitoba

Faculty of Engineering
Department of Civil Engineering

COURSE DETAILS

Course Title & Number: CIVL 4460 Technology, Society and the Future
Number of Credit Hours: 3
Class Times & Days of Week: Lectures M, W, F 1:30-2:20, Tutorials: None
Location for classes/labs/tutorials: Lectures E2-125
Pre-Requisites: ENGL 1310 (or 004.131) or ENGL 1320 (or 004.132)

Instructor Contact Information

Instructor(s) Name: W.C.D. DeGagne, P. Eng., MBA, Ph.D. Candidate

Office Location: E1-376
Office Hours or Availability: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00-11:30 or by appointment
Office Phone No. (204) 474-8011, Cellular (204) 294-4470
Email: [email protected]
(All email communication must conform to the Communicating with Students university policy)
Course Website:

Teaching Assistants Contact Information

Teaching Assistant Name: Daniel Plourde, E1-268

Contact Information: Office Hours: To Be Announced
Email: [email protected]
Teaching Assistant Name: Joshua Akom, E3-386
Contact Information: Office Hours: To Be Announced
Email: [email protected]
CIVL 4460: Technology, Society, and the Future Page 2

Catalogue Description, General Course Content, and Course Goals

Impact of technology and technological change on society - past, present, future; specific
technologies, e.g. construction, machine power, computers, communications, medical, military:
the process of technological change; invisible effects of technology; technology and resource
use; sustainable development, limits to growth and the role of technology.

The goal of this course is to introduce and discusses the impact of technology on the society, on
its values and perceptions and, vice versa, the impact of society, ethics and customs on the
shaping of technology. Technology is a human construct with a psychological and social impact.
The dictum cited by the textbook authors “ought implies can, but can does not imply ought”
binds the topics in the course.

DEBATES
There are 6 debate topics worth 10% of the total grade. Each topic will be assigned to two
groups selected by the teaching staff – to be debated the following week. Each of the two
groups will debate one side of the topic opposite the other. The class will be evaluating the
debate and providing their individual mark to the TA’s. The debate mark for the group will then
be collated with the marks assigned by the TAs and the Instructor (Weight: 40% student marks
+ 60% teaching staff marks). The debate schedule will be provided and each debate will take up
to 40 minutes.

One of the TA’s will coordinate and moderate each debate.

READING DISCUSSIONS
There will be 12 reading discussion assignments. The students will be given a reading
assignment from the textbook (or provided on UMLearn). All groups are required to read the
assignment for the day when the reading discussion is to take place. On that day, one group
will briefly present the main arguments of the reading and a second group will facilitate a
discussion of the reading and presentation with the class. The total time is 40-45 mins. The
format will consist of a PowerPoint presentation by the first group – no longer than 15 mins –
followed by members of the second group each in turn leading a discussion by posing one
question each to the class and moderating the responses.
The group to present the reading will be decided by lottery two classes in advance. The group
to facilitate the discussion will be selected at the start of each Reading class. Hence, it is
imperative that each group come to class having read the reading and having prepared
questions to pose to the class. Questions have to be original and not from the textbook. Each
group should bring their questions to class in the form of a PowerPoint (one question per group
member per slide) so that they can be displayed on the projector screen.

NOTE: the presenting group X will get a mark out of 5%. Group Y asking questions and leading
discussion will get a mark out of 5%. The remaining 5% (to a total of 10% for the assignment)
CIVL 4460: Technology, Society, and the Future Page 3

will be awarded after the groups play in the reverse roles, i.e. Group X will get selected to
moderate discussion on another topic, Group Y will get selected to present another topic.

The other TA will coordinate and moderate each Reading activity.

Student understanding in this course is shown below in Intended Learning Outcomes.

Evaluation The final course grade is determined by the student’s performance on the
components below.

Textbook, Readings, Materials

Winston “Society, Ethics and Technology” 5th Updated Edition, Plus the reading G.
Harden’s “Tragedy of the Commons”, will be posted on UMLearn. Students must
have an “i-Clicker” for classroom interaction with a guest lecturer.

Supplementary Information which may be of interest to students – Newspaper Articles, News

Releases, Social Media Entries, and Professional Journal Publications

Class Schedule
See course Schedule on line and at the end of this Outline for details – subject to change

Course Evaluation Methods

Methods of Feedback: F - formative (written comments and/or oral discussion), S - summative
(number grades)

Due Date: Assessment Tool Value of Feedback

Final Grade Methods
Ten (10) Weekly Weekly Reflective Learning (see below 10% S
Submissions for description)
By Lottery Debates 10% F,S
By Lottery Reading Discussions 10% F,S
Late March/Early April, Final Design Group Project PowerPoint 20% F,S
2018 Presentation
April 2018 Final Exam 2 hours, 3 selected 50% S
questions from the textbook and one
from visiting lecture and/or a case
study. (To Be Confirmed)
CIVL 4460: Technology, Society, and the Future Page 4

Students will submit ten (10) Weekly Reflected Learning comments. Each should contain your
personal reflection on one or more of the following:

 How the specific week course work applies to you, lessons learned
 How it could be adapted to your work or personal context
 What have you seen on social media or the news that applies the course learning?
 How the course work could be revised to become more meaningful or even how it may
not be relevant to you or your specific field.

Whatever you choose to write should contain some depth of thought – a very personal
reflection. This should be between 150 to 200 words weekly. Personal reflections are graded at
about 1.0% each for a total of 10% for 10 reflections. Reflections commence from Week 2 to 11.
No reflections are expected in Week 1.

Referencing Style

Projects should use the IEEE reference style which can be found at:
https://www.ieee.org/documents/ieeecitationref.pdf

Grading Times and Grade Policy

After submission of any work, the following timeframes can be used to determine when grades
will be returned:

Component Grading Timeline

Term Test Within 2 weeks of submission
Assignments Within 2 weeks of submission
Design Projects Within 3 weeks of submission

Note that the Voluntary Withdrawal (VW) date is March 16th, 2018 (Winter Term).

At the end of the term and after the exam period, final percentages are converted to Letter
Grades for each course and are subject to department approval prior to posting.

Assignment Due Dates and Late Submission Policy

Specific assignment due dates are to be posted on the course website under the Course
Schedule. Unless arranged in advance, late homework will not be accepted for full credit. In
this course, students are encouraged to work together on the assignments; however, all
submitted work must be the student’s own.
CIVL 4460: Technology, Society, and the Future Page 5

Intended Learning Outcomes

1. Understand, appreciate, and assess the impact of engineering/technology on
society/environment
2. Understand and apply engineering ethics and responsibility for technology development and
use
3. Apply morality, ethics and professionalism in engineering situations and understand their
importance in a democratic society
4. Use environmental considerations and ethics as criteria in the decision making process in a
team design project
5. Through reflective learning and reading and debate exercises, understand and appreciate the
need for continual improvement and professional development

Learning Attribute
Outcome KB PA IN DE ET IT CS PR IE EE EP LL
1 A D I A
2 A A D
3 D A D
4 A A A I
5 D D A A A
*Attributes: CS Communication skills
KB A knowledge base for engineering PR Professionalism
PA Problem analysis IE Impact of engineering on society/
IN Investigation environment
DE Design EE Ethics and equity
ET Use of engineering tools EP Economics and project management
IT Individual and team work LL Life-long learning

I-Introductory
D-Developed (Intermediate)
A-Applied (Advanced)

Student Contact Time (Hrs)

Lectures: 3 hrs lecture × 13 weeks = 39 hrs
Tutorials: 0 hrs tutorial × 12 weeks = 0 hr

Using Copyrighted Material

Please respect copyright. We will use copyrighted content in this course. I have ensured that
the content I use is appropriately acknowledged and is copied in accordance with copyright
laws and University guidelines. Copyrighted works, including those created by me, are made
available for private study and research and must not be distributed in any format without
permission. Do not upload copyrighted works to a learning management system (such as UM
Learn), or any website, unless an exception to the Copyright Act applies or written permission
CIVL 4460: Technology, Society, and the Future Page 6

has been confirmed. For more information, see the University’s Copyright Office website at
http://umanitoba.ca/copyright/ or contact [email protected].

Recording Class Lectures

The instructor and the University of Manitoba hold copyright over the course materials,
presentations and lectures which form part of this course. No audio or video recording of
lectures or presentations is allowed in any format, openly or surreptitiously, in whole or in part
without permission from W.C.D. DeGagne, P. Eng. Course materials (both paper and digital) are
for the participant’ s private study and research.

Course Technology
It is the general University of Manitoba policy that all technology resources are to be used in a
responsible, efficient, ethical and legal manner. The student can use all technology in classroom
setting only for educational purposes approved by instructor and/or the University of Manitoba
Student Accessibility Services. Student should not participate in personal direct electronic
messaging / posting activities (e-mail, texting, video or voice chat, wikis, blogs, social
networking (e.g. Facebook) online and offline “gaming” during scheduled class time. If student
is on call (emergency) the student should switch his/her cell phone on vibrate mode and leave
the classroom before using it.

All unclaimed assignments become property of the Faculty of Engineering and are subject to
destruction. See umanitoba.ca/admin/vp_admin/ofp/.../Unclaimed_Assignments.pdf

Electronic devices may be used for note taking, but don’t distract others sitting behind or beside
you. Cell phones should be off or kept muted. Text messaging is not acceptable behavior. No
audio or video recording of lectures or presentations is allowed without instructor permission.

Class Communication

The University requires all students to activate an official University email account. For full
details of the Electronic Communication with Students please visit:
http://umanitoba.ca/admin/governance/governing_documents/community/electronic_commu
nication_with_students_policy.html

Please note that all communication between myself and you as a student must comply with the
electronic communication with student policy. You are required to obtain and use your U of M
email account for all communication between yourself and the university.
CIVL 4460: Technology, Society, and the Future Page 7

Expectations

Attendance at lectures and laboratories is essential for successful completion of this course.
Students must satisfy each evaluation component in the course to receive a final grade. It is the
responsibility of each student to contact the instructor in a timely manner if he or she is
uncertain about his or her standing in the course and about his or her potential for receiving a
failing grade. Students should also familiarize themselves with the General Academic
Regulations and Requirements of the University of Manitoba dealing with regards to
incomplete term work, deferred examinations, attendance and withdrawal. No programmable
devices or systems, such as calculators, PDAs, iPods, iPads, cell phones, wireless communication
or data storage devices, are allowed in examinations unless approved by the course instructor.
See Respectful Work and Learning Environment Policy.
Attendance will be taken during lectures. If the number of unexcused absences of a student
exceeds 10%, that student may be barred from writing the final exam.

The classes for this course are three times per week for a total of 13 weeks. The actual learning
in CIVL4460 takes place in the classroom during the discussion; therefore attendance and
participation are important and will be checked rigorously – the learning cannot be reproduced
on your own. The 10% exceedance is equivalent to missing a week’s classes in this course. So
called “functional absences” (e.g. engineering conference or concrete toboggan) count within
the 10% allowance. Additional absence (beyond one class or 10%) will be penalized by
deduction of 5% from the final grade.

Academic Integrity:
Students are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the highest ethical standards
of the Profession of Engineering and evince academic integrity in all their pursuits and activities
at the university. As such, in accordance with the General Academic Regulations and
Requirements of the University of Manitoba, students are reminded that plagiarism or any
other form of cheating in examinations, assignments, laboratory reports or term tests is subject
to serious academic penalty (e.g. suspension or expulsion from the faculty or university). A
student found guilty of contributing to cheating in examinations or term assignments is also
subject to serious academic penalty.

In addition:

(i) Group projects are subject to the rules of academic dishonesty;

(ii) Group members must ensure that a group project adheres to the principles of
academic integrity.
(iii) The limits of collaboration on assignments should be defined as explicitly as
possible; and
(iv) All work is to be completed independently unless otherwise specified.
CIVL 4460: Technology, Society, and the Future Page 8

Students Accessibility Services

Student Accessibility Services

If you are a student with a disability, please contact SAS for academic accommodation supports
and services such as note-taking, interpreting, assistive technology and exam
accommodations. Students who have, or think they may have, a disability (e.g. mental illness,
learning, medical, hearing, injury-related, visual) are invited to contact SAS to arrange a
confidential consultation.
Student Accessibility Services http://umanitoba.ca/student/saa/accessibility/
520 University Centre
204 474 7423
[email protected]

CIVL 4460 Course Schedule

Week Date Day of the Activity Comment

Week
1 Jan. 3 Wednesday Classes Begin Introduction. Ethical
codes. Engineering ethics. Selection of
groups based on enrollment.
Jan. 5 Friday Team Formation

Team Building Lecture: “Seven Ingredients

of a Regenerative Team” – Hartman
2 Jan. 8 Monday Technology, Society, and the Future-J. A.
Oleszkiewicz- Distinguished Professor
Jan. 10 Wednesday Guest Speaker: Linda Martin - Debate and
Lottery Debate 1
Public Speaking Instructor, St. Johns
Lottery Reading 1
Ravenscourt – “Debate Process”
Jan. 12 Friday Guest Speaker: Chris Laing - Instruction
Effective PowerPoint and Poster
Presentations
(Reflective Learning Submission 1)
3 Jan. 15 Monday
Lottery Discussion 1
Reading Topic:
Reading: Team 10
#1 G. Hardin: “The Tragedy of the Commons
Discussion:

Jan. 17 Wednesday Lottery Debate 2

Debate Topic I “Nuclear energy is the Lottery Reading 2
future of energy generation” Pro: Team 8
Con: Team 2
CIVL 4460: Technology, Society, and the Future Page 9

Jan. 19 Friday Guest Speaker: Dr. Doug Ruth, Ph.D., P.

Eng. “Professional Engineering Code of
Note: Bring i-Clickers
Ethics”
(Reflective Learning Submission 2)
4 Jan. 22 Monday Lottery Discussion 2
Reading Topic: Lottery Reading 3
#2 J. Burke: “Something for Nothing” Reading:
Discussion:
Jan. 24 Wednesday Lottery Debate 3
Debate Topic II “Genetically-modified
Lottery Reading 4
foods are a salvation to feed the hungry
Pro:
in a future world of 9 billion”
Con:
Jan. 26 Friday Reading Topic:
Lottery Discussion 3
#3 A. Donovan: “Containerization and
Reading:
Globalization An Innovation and Its Impact”
Discussion:
(Reflective Learning Submission 3)
5 Jan. 29 Monday Lottery Discussion 4
#4 N. Sharkey: “The Automation and Lottery Reading 5
Proliferation of Military Drones” Reading:
Discussion:
Jan. 31 Wednesday Lottery Debate 4
Debate Topic III “Climate change should
Lottery Reading 6
be resolved by engineering the
Pro:
atmosphere”
Con:
Feb. 2 Friday Reading Topic: Lottery Discussion 5
#5 M. Sandel: “The Case against Perfection” Reading:
(Reflective Learning Submission 4) Discussion:
6 Feb. 5 Monday Reading Topic: Lottery Discussion 6
#6 R. Kates: “The Nexus and the Neem Reading:
Tree” Discussion:
Feb. 7 Wednesday Debate Topic IV “Personal
Lottery Reading 7
communication devices improve social
Pro:
interaction on a personal and
Con:
professional basis”
Feb. 9 Friday Guest Speaker: Arthur Schafer - Director of
the Centre for Professional and Applied
Ethics
(Reflective Learning Submission 5)
7 Feb. 12 Monday Lottery Discussion 7
Reading Topic:
Lottery Reading 8
#7 A. Feenberg: “Democratic
Reading:
Rationalization”
Discussion:
Feb. 14 Wednesday Introduction-Team Project
Lottery Debate 5
Case Study: Volkswagen Emission
Compliance/Deck Construction
CIVL 4460: Technology, Society, and the Future Page 10

Feb. 16 Friday Reading Topic:

#8 J. Stanley and B. Steinhardt: “Bigger Lottery Discussion 8
Monster, Weaker Chains” Lottery Reading 9
Reading:
Team Case Study Selection-Due Midnight Discussion:
(Reflective Learning Submission 6)
Feb. 19
Monday,
to 23 Wednesday, Louis Riel Day and Mid-Term Break
and Friday No Classes

8 Feb. 26 Monday Lottery Discussion 9

Reading Topic: Lottery Reading 10
#9 Richard Sclove: “I’d hammer out freedom: Reading:
technology as politics and culture”
Discussion:
Feb. 28 Wednesday Lottery Debate 6
Debate Topic V “Artificial Intelligence and Lottery Reading 11
automation will take over society” Pro:
Con:
Mar. 2 Friday Reading Topic:
#10 M. Boot: “The Consequences of the
Lottery Discussion 10
Information Revolution” Reading:
Discussion:
Team Case Study Proposal-Due Midnight
(Reflective Learning Submission 7)
9 Mar. 5 Monday Reading Topic: Lottery Discussion 11
#11 A. Flanigan, C. Flanigan, and J.
Reading:
Flanigan: “Technical Code and the Social
Discussion:
Construction of the Internet”
Mar.7 Wednesday Lottery Reading 12
Debate Topic VI “Medical Assistance in
Pro:
Dying (MAID) is ethical”
Con:
Mar. 9 Friday Guest Speaker: Kevin Morgenstern, P. Eng.
“Engineers Without Borders”
(Reflective Learning Submission 8)
10 Mar. 12 Monday Reading Topic: Lottery Discussion 12
#12 M. Davis: “Constructing the Professional Reading:
Responsibility of Engineers” Discussion:
Mar. 14 Wednesday Guest Speaker: Grant Koropatnick, P. Eng.,
FEC, CEO & Registrar EGM “Good Guy or
Bad Guy Which One Are You? An
Exploration of Self, Good Character and
Professional Conduct”
Team Case Study PowerPoint
Presentation Due Midnight
Mar. 16 Friday Team:
1. Project Presentations
Team:
CIVL 4460: Technology, Society, and the Future Page 11

11 Mar. 19 Monday Team:

2. Project Presentations
Team:
Mar. 21 Wednesday Team:
3. Project Presentations
Team:
Mar. 23 Friday 4. Project Presentations Team:
Team:
(Reflective Learning Submission 9)
12 Mar. 26 Monday Team:
5. Project Presentations
Team:
Mar. 28 Wednesday Team:
6. Project Presentations Team:
Mar. 30 Friday
Good Friday No Classes
13 Apr. 2 Monday Guest Speaker: Derek Johnson-Professional
Liability Insurance, XL Insurance Case
Study. Interactive case study
Apr. 4 Wednesday ***Exam Review***

(SEEQ Evaluations)
Apr. 6 Friday Last Day of Classes

(Overall Course Reflective Learning

Submission 10)
Final Exam Time TBA, Room TBA Room: