HIST 2089 - History of Science, Technology and Medicine

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2019

Many great discovery moments in science have become embedded in popular culture - think of the apple hitting Newton on the head, Archimedes' Eureka moment when he jumped out of the bath, and Darwin's insight into evolution by natural selection via his voyage to the Galapagos. But these stereotypes fail to capture the complexities inherent in the process of learning about our natural world using methods which we now describe as 'science'. They also fail to interrogate the ways in which science has shaped, and in turn been shaped by, sociocultural, political, and economic forces throughout history. This course examines the relationship between the production of scientific knowledge and its broader sociocultural contexts. In particular, this course explores how science has influenced our understanding of what it means to be human: our place in nature and in the universe, and the nature of matter, life, and death. Students will investigate key episodes in the history of science, technology, and medicine in depth to gain an understanding of the relationship between science and power throughout history, and also to reflect on the implications of this history for our contemporary views on science and our privileging of it as a form of knowledge production.

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Course Details

Course Code	HIST 2089
Course	History of Science, Technology and Medicine
Coordinating Unit	Historical and Classical Studies
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Prerequisites	At least 12 units of Level I undergraduate study
Assessment	Workshop participation 10%, Artefact review/interpretive panel 20%, PowerPoint with script 20%, Blog post examining science 20%, Essay 30%

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Professor Rachel Ankeny

Instructor: Dr Jessica Loyer

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

1	Demonstrate knowledge of broad concepts in the history of science, technology and medicine ranging over time, space and cultures
2	Recognise the values of a wide range of methodologies, conceptual approaches and the impact of competing narratives within the history of science, technology and medicine
3	Identify, locate and analyse relevant primary and secondary sources in order to construct evidence-based arguments
4	Think independently and critically, using appropriate methodologies and technologies to engage with problems in the history of science, technology and medicine
5	Communicate effectively, in a range of written, spoken, and other formats, using appropriate conventions
6	Contribute proactively to group-based activities
7	Proficiently use contemporary technologies
8	Demonstrate academic rigour and a sensitivity to cultural and other diversity, and understanding of the ethical implications of historical and scientific enquiry within a global context
9	Develop a critical, self-reflective approach to the study of the history of science, technology and medicine based on respect and mutual responsibility

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1,2
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	3,4
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	5,6,7
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	8
Intercultural and ethical competency adept at operating in other cultures comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges	8
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	9

Learning Resources

Recommended Resources

Recommended resources for this course are reading lists, web-links, library resources, essay writing guides, study guides, referencing guides that will be made available through Canvas.

Online Learning

Course outlines and learning guides will be available on Canvas when enrolment opens. Announcements within Canvas will be used when needed. Reading recommended for each lecture and workshop will be made available to students within Canvas a week before the lecture and workshops. Lecture recordings will be made available after the lecture. Other online content relevant to each lecture and workshop, for example quizzes, weblinks etc will be made available at the commencement of the workshop or lecture.

Learning & Teaching Modes

The course has been designed on the basis of themes (rather than chronologically) to allow students to explore a number of key topics within the history of science, technology and medicine with some depth, and the ability to compare and contrast the sociocultural and other factors influencing each topic across different time periods. Each topic includes 1 lecture and a 2 hour workshop. The workshop will include time for reflection on the lecture, and an activity involving Small Group Discovery Experience (SGDE) that will vary according to the topic. Each workshop will also involve time for students to reflect on the activity, building towards an assessment task and/or sharing what they learned with their peers.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

STUCTURED LEARNING
1 x 1-hour lecture per week (12 hours per semester)
1 x 2-hour workshop per week (24 hours per semester)

SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING
6 hours reading/preparation for classes per week (72 hours per semester)
2 hours research per week (24 hours per semester)
2 hours assignment preparation per week (24 hours per semester)

Learning Activities Summary

Lecture topics
Week 1	What is the History of Science?
Week 2	Laws of Motion
Week 3	Understanding the Heavens
Week 4	Experiment in the Renaissance
Week 5	The Scientific Revolution
Week 6	The Human Body
Week 7	Collecting and Classifying
Week 8	Evolution and The Origin of Species
Week 9	Physiology and Experimental Organisms
Week 10	Theories of Disease
Week 11	Genetics and DNA
Week 12	Science and the Military-Industrial Complex

Specific Course Requirements

Some activities may involve local field trips at no extra costs to students, for example the SA Museum, Museum of Economic Botany etc. These will be scheduled during workshop time.

Small Group Discovery Experience

Small group discovery experience will be integral to this course and facilitated by the move to workshops from tutorials. Students will work in groups of 5-6 during the activities.

Week 1. How do âscience textbooksâ represent the history of science?
Week 2. Re-enacting experiments: limits and prospects
Week 3. Instrumentation: curate a scientific instrument
Week 4. Instrumentation continued.
Week 5. What is a âscientistâ? Portrayals of scientists then and now
Week 6. Art and the history of science
Week 7. Taxonomy of everyday objects
Week 8. Evolution in Public (SA Museum)
Week 9. What can we learn from model organisms?
Week 10. Media analysis â Diseases in the news
Week 11. Eureka! Discovery accounts in science
Week 12. Science and Ethics

The activities will be facilitated by mentors who are experienced academics and typically will involve orientation to the task, allocation of tasks within the group, group research and collation of ideas, working towards either a journal entry/reflective piece (for participation assessment), formative assessment or summative assessment.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Task Type	Due	Weighting	Learning Outcome
1. Workshop participation (following electronic submission of a journal entry/reflective piece based on the SGDE activity)	Formative or Summative	On the day of the activity	10%	1-9
2. Artefact review/interpretive panel (based on “Instrumentation” SGDE activity)	Summative	End of week 4	20%	3,5,6,7
3. PowerPoint with script (based on “what is a scientist? SGDE activity)	Summative	End of week 5	20%	1-8
4. Blog post examining science (particularly medical science, drawing on “Diseases in the news” SGDE activity) has been communicated through history	Summative	End of week 10	20%	1-8
5. Essay examining how “History of Science” is used in contemporary contexts (following on from “discovery accounts” SGDE activity but drawing on preceding activities also)	Summative	End of week 11	30%	1-8

Assessment Related Requirements

N/A

Assessment Detail

1. Workshop participation: Students will be required to submit a journal entry/reflective piece based on the activity for eight of the ten workshops at the end of week 12 combined into one document for summative assessment (approx 100 words x 8 weeks = 800 words - 10% weighting)
2. Artefact review/interpretive panel: Groups will be allocated a scientific instrument in week 3 and will explore the purpose/function of the instrument, provenance etc and prepare an interpretive panel similar to that used in Museums. In week 4 students will display their instruments and panels (includes peer assessment) (500 words – 20% weighting, peer mark accounts for 50% of this assessment, 10% overall)
3. Powerpoint with script: Students prepare a powerpoint presentation with a script and narrate their response to “What is a Scientist?” within both historical and contemporary contexts. Students will add the narration as audio to accompany the powerpoint. (800 words, 20%)
4. Blog post: Students will examine how science, in particular medical science, has been communicated to the public through history (800 words, 20%)
5. Essay: Students will explore how the “History of Science” is used in contemporary science issues. Students will nominate a topic by week 6 and will finalise the essay after the “Discovery Accounts” activity (1000 words, 30%)

Submission

All assignments are to be submitted via Turnitin within Canvas.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
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Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator