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IE 756: Seminar in Technology and Society
Spring 1996
Last Updated on: April 6th, 1996; Maintained by elly burian
Original code by Doug Devine

Class Schedule:

 
    2:25 - 5:25 Tuesdays, in Room 382 in Mechanical Engineering

Instructor: Barrett S. Caldwell 

    Office: 393 Mechanical Engineering, 1513 University Ave.
    Telephone: (608) 262-2414
    Fax: (608) 262-8454
    E-mail: caldwell@engr.wisc.edu

Course Description:

 With new technological capabilities of computer-mediated information exchange and communication have come a number of new concerns about what makes for effective and manageable social interaction. For instance, during the first week of class, newspapers and magazines discussed white supremacists' attempts to take over internet discussion groups; catalog sales companies' changing marketing and sales strategies with electronic ordering; and the impact of new types of polling on the electoral process. These topics, as well as many others, will be discussed during the semester.

Professor's Goals

 The professor's goals for the seminar include: to provide a good forum for discussion, to offer some enlightenment, and contribute new insights to the research literature and general understanding of what is and isn't new about the "new frontier" of computer-mediated electronic communications. The final papers for the class are intended to be group projects eligible for submission to a peer-reviewed journal.

Required Texts:

Recommended Readings
  • These readings include electronic discussions as well as papers
  • by researchers of "electronic environments and networked communities".
  • The first paper was written by Prof. Caldwell and Jenifer Robertson, a
  • PhD student in the IE department.

    • Relevant Links

     These are pointers to two periodicals with a number of papers in the area of social issues affecting electronic communications.

    On-line Discussions

     These are the texts of the electronic discussions by members of the IE 756 class over the course of the semester. Each week corresponds to a different topic, as outlined in the syllabus.

    Helpful Links:
    Course Accout for IE756 / ie756@cae.wisc.edu