1. Globalizing Education for Engineering and Science Students: A FIPSE Project Model for 'Cross-Cultural Studies of Science and Technology.' Final Report.
- Author
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Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY. School of Humanities and Social Sciences. and Koller, John M.
- Abstract
This report describes a project at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (New York) to develop a curriculum that focuses on the social construction and use of science and technology in diverse cultural contexts. The program consists of both a minor and a three-course concentration on cross-cultural studies of science and technology. Courses covered science and technology in India, China, the Arab world, Latin America, and the Third World; a history of Japanese industrialization; and a component on technology, economy, and society. Humanities and social science courses were included to help give students a global understanding of the interrelatedness of the technical and social. The project also involved experiential learning projects, such as student exchange programs, co-op placements, internships, and community service, to promote interaction between students and individuals and/or communities of different cultures; a series of faculty development seminars in cross-cultural studies of science and technology; and a weekly film featuring one of various cultures represented at the college. Evaluations undertaken of the faculty seminars, the specific courses, and student cognitive achievements indicated that the main components of the project were successful. Appendices include three program brochures, faculty seminar evaluation questions, a student cultural knowledge questionnaire, and a form for student evaluation of the cross-cultural program. (SW)
- Published
- 1995