The Cal Poly Campus Curriculum for Ethical Tech
In Fall 2020, the student body of Professor Donig’s “Technically Human” course created a curriculum for ethical technology. Students worked in groups to design a class on ethical technology for students in their majors, representing fields of study across campus, from Architecture to Biology, Computer Science, Animal Science, Engineering, and more.
A collection of their work appears below. This work constitutes a major student-led effort to define the terms and ideas by which they seek to understand, learn, and teach ethical technology, and what they hope their peers will know about ethics and technology as they continue their undergraduate and professional careers.
Course Description: The world of business is cutthroat. It’s a dog eat dog world out there and you have to use any advantage you can against the competition. In order to survive out there, you will have to use others as your stepping stones to victory. Or do you? Our responsibility is to the people and the environment. In this course, we aim to arm you with the knowledge that allows you to do business morally, ethically, and successfully. Some may find these terms to be contradictory in the world of business, however, throughout this course we will explore how tackling a business with a goal of ethics leads to a more successful career.
Course Description: This course is exceedingly pertinent to developing technologists and those students who intend to go on to work in technological industries, but it also holds important considerations for those who will go on to work in agriculture, the public sector, and any developing field which intends to serve “the good” of humanity. By examining issues associated with the development of technology, you will learn to consider unforeseen costs of their actions and of technological development in the modern era.
Course Description: We will dive deeper into the benefits of technology for psychological treatment as well as the shadow side of technology to mental health. This course will display the benefits and risks of how technology can affect mental health. As psychology and child development majors, we can look at the ethics of technology to see what will help and what will harm our clients. This course provides an introduction to Ethical Technology and its practical application in psychology and child development.
Course Description: As computer scientists, we work towards future careers that have the power to influence the technology we find in our pockets, in our homes, and in our cars. For everyone around the world and for all age ranges, decision-making algorithms are ubiquitous. Whether we use this influence to improve or diminish peoples’ quality of living is up to us. What approach to decision making should we take when designing and implementing new technologies? What are the current ethical concerns in the industry and how are industry leaders addressing these issues, if at all? Each unit in this course will discuss the current ethical concerns in the industry and teach students the tools they need to navigate ethical conundrums. As students explore the large, spanning issues of today, they will confront problems and learn to consider a different side to everyday technologies.
Course Description: Creating genetically modified organisms (GMOs), questioning humane slaughter, and non-live cover breeding are only a few example points of ethics in the world of Animal Science. With such a broad subject, only a few specific topics will be discussed within this course on the ethics of technology in animal welfare.
In this class, we will outline different points of ethical view on these topics, all while examining the technologies involved. Within this course, students will learn about the evolution and development of varying animals, along with the basics of care and husbandry. The last half of this class will contain in depth discussions about the ethics of producers and consumerism, the topic of humane slaughter, and the ideals of vegetarianism and veganism.
While the general topic of ethical technologies in animal science holds enough information to be a year-long study, this course begins the conversation and presents the complexity of the subject. Students will leave this class with a finer understanding on how ethical technologies come into play within the animal science industry.
Course Description: The application of mathematics and statistics in the development of technology has progressed the digital world to great lengths with extremely accurate algorithms, big data processing, and artificial intelligence. Throughout our daily lives, we encounter these analytical methods when we use our smartphones, watch sports, or even vote in an election. These applications create automation in complex tasks efficiently, or have the ability to optimize problems that were once unsolvable. Although, this constantly evolving field is controversial in our current climate. Social and moral issues arise within data science through ill-intent or violations in data collection and storage. In essence, Data Science is a double-edged sword in affecting the technical and ethical outcomes of technology. To gain a deeper understanding of data science in the real world, we must consider the following questions: What are the correct methods to collect data? What are the benefits of using machine learning and artificial intelligence and how do they work? What must we be wary about when applying these algorithms? Lastly, what are its consequences and how can we prevent them?
Art, Design, Architecture, and Community Development
Course Description: Architecture, community development, fine art, and graphic design serve critical functions in society. Whether constructing universal designs that value all levels of independence or employing sustainable fashion, designers shape our world. By researching issues facing humanity, such as sustainability, and underrepresented groups, like people with disabilities, and poor communities, we utilize critical thinking, orchestrate creative solutions to challenging problems, and reflect on new perspectives regarding existing social issues.
This course illuminates the necessity for ethical design. It challenges creatives to explore many options and find the best possible solutions. An emphasis on universality and sustainability will guide future designers to eclipse prior exclusive or traditional approaches to all forms of design and maintain a solid foundation that values social inclusion and ecological preservation. By studying ethical design, finding innovative solutions to human-centered problems will become the cornerstone of our design process. The exploration of seemingly benign aesthetics such as typography and color can isolate and determine who has access to information and who cannot. As designers, we have the opportunity to leave the world a better place; by using our hands, our minds, and our ethics, we can build a brighter future.