Stevens Institute of Technology
College of Arts & Letters

SPRING 2010
Monday and Wednesday, 11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Classroom: Pierce 218

Link to Schedule, Reading List, and Assignments

Course Description and Goals: 

HHS 479 explores themes in the history of technology. This semester we will concentrate on communication networks (telegraph, telephone, and computers) in the modern era. We will explore theories of innovation and standardization, the political and economic factors that shaped communication networks, social consequences of networks, transnational exchanges and international competition, and the emergence of a global 'Network Society.'

HHS 479 has the following course goals:

• To help students develop a richer sense of the interactions between politics, economics, and technology
• To illuminate the dynamic character of innovation and standardization in communication networks
• To explain the political and technological origins of “open systems”

HHS 479 seeks to advance the mission of the College of Arts & Letters in the following ways:

• Promote ethical responsibility and awareness of the societal impact of one’s future profession.
• Improve writing and public speaking skills.

Textbook to purchase (available at the campus store):

Urs von Burg
The Triumph of Ethernet: Technological Communities and the Battle for the LAN Standard
Stanford University Press (2001)
ISBN-10: 080474095X

The remainder of the course readings will be available from the course website or on eLearn.

Writing and Communications Center:

If you want assistance writing your papers, you should ask for help well ahead of the paper's due date. For more information, get in touch with me and/or visit the Writing & Communications Center at Stevens in Morton 210 (Office Hours Mon-Fri 1-5 pm).

Honor Board Policies:

You should by now be familiar with The Honor System at the Stevens Institute of Technology. It is your responsibility to uphold the ideals set forth in the Honor System Constitution. Specific student responsibilities include:

• Maintaining honesty and fair play in all aspects of academic life at Stevens;
• Writing and signing the pledge, in full, on all submitted academic work;
• Reporting any suspected violations to an Honor Board member or to the Dean of Student Development;
• Cooperating with the Honor Board during investigations and hearings.

If you ever have questions about how to interpret this honor system in relation to your work in my class, please get in touch with me.

Students with disabilities:

If you require special accommodations due to a disability, or if you need individual arrangements should the building be evacuated, you must inform the office of Student Counseling and Psychological Services, Dr. Terence Hannigan, Director, in the Howe Center, 7th floor (x5177), and complete the Faculty Contact Form. Once you have done so, you should ask to meet with me so that we can work out any special arrangements that may be necessary.

Grades and Course Policies:  

Attendance is mandatory. Any absences must be accounted for by notifying me before the start of class. Otherwise I will need verification from an outside authority (i.e., doctor, coach, another professor) explaining why it was necessary for you to miss class.

I have the following expectations for students in my classroom:

• Cell phones should either be turned off or silenced. Any student texting will be marked as absent.
• Computer use should be related to what we are doing in class. Any student who is obviously doing something else will be marked as absent.
• If you are so tired or bored that you need to fall asleep or lay your head on the desk, you will be marked as absent. Frankly, we're all better off if you stay at home.

Grades will be based on the following criteria:

• attendance and participation (20%)
• midterm and final exams (20% each)
• 3-part essay assignment (40%)
  • 500-word book review
  • class presentation
  • 2000-word review essay

Percentages are approximate. I will determine final weights at the end of the course. I reserve the right to give pop quizzes.

Link to Schedule, Reading List, and Assignments