About the theme: Technology and society
We live in a technological society. While technology can solve problems, it can also create them, or have unintended consequences. When the refrigerant Freon was discovered, who could have imagined that the chemical might destroy part of our atmosphere? When plastics were discovered, who could have predicted that someday there might be an area the size of Texas in the North Pacific Ocean almost completely covered with the stuff?  At the same time, technology has allowed us to feed millions who would have starved otherwise and communicate in ways that would have floored people a hundred years ago.  In your career, technology will drive many social changes; the reverse is likely to be true as well. For your project in this course, consider a problem that is either caused by technology or that might have a solution enabled by technology. The technology might be too expensive right now to use to solve the problem, which means that economics, politics and other disciplines will come into play.  In the discussions week 1 and 2 we will flesh out what the theme means and start adding resources of interest to the Course Resources.

Research Essay Draft (module 6) and final version (module 8):  Both module 6 and module 8s versions assignment must be submitted to the DB a Word file.
You will write research paper on a topic of your choice (topic will be approved by the instructor based on the plan you submit in week 2) that draws comparisons and seeks common ground across disciplinary lines in a substantively integrative manner. You must stick to the topic approved by the instructor in week 2; if not you risk receiving credit for the course unless you work things out with the instructor.  You are encouraged to consult closely with instructor.  At least three disciplines must be represented with at least two sources per discipline (that is, a minimum of six total.)  The sources must be from practitioners in the discipline, not third parties, and the paper must discuss why the authors of the sources are qualified to represent their discipline. The assignment must be between 4200 to 5350 words. APA style must be used. The presumption is that the draft will be very close to the final product, and that comments you receive will be used to correct deficiencies and make relatively minor changes.

TOPIC QUESTION:Do children who play with smart toys before the age of 8 have higher school grades from (children who have fewer? none at all? in third-world countries where the toys aren't available?)