ERGOB1070 Technology and Society Course description

The goal of the course is to provide the students in-depth insight into timber engineering and technology, with focus on building structures. In particular, the course combines knowledge from different fields, such as wood technology, building physics, structural engineering and life cycle assessment.

In particular, the following topics are addressed:

• wood properties and technology
• building process and construction site
• hygrothermal performance of wood-based building elements and timber buildings
• fire resistance of timber products and fire design in timber buildings
• acoustics in timber buildings
• load bearing timber engineered products and structural systems
• life cycle assessment
• reuse of wood
• conservation of wood

No additional course-specific requirements.

After completing this course, the student should have the following learning outcome:

Knowledge

On successful completion of this course the student understands:

• the role of technological innovation with regards to consumption, economic growth and sustainable development, health and welfare
• the idea of digital citizenship, including digital rights and responsibilities, from a local, national and global perspective, both in general and in relation with their field of study
• the democratic principles behind e-inclusion and a universally designed society, both in general and with regards to their future professional practice
• the basics of information security, including precautions to guarantee safety and privacy for patients, clients and other technology users and stakeholders
• the basic ideas behind algorithms, and how their use may constrain or enable work processes and other aspects of everyday life the role that technology plays in professional practice within their profession or field of study.

Skills

On successful completion of this course the student can:

• understand the technological and societal aspects of a case in a specific domain
• discuss and present an overview of ethical challenges at the intersection of technology and society, including issues of integration, participation and multiculturalism
• give examples of how technology is used in the profession(s) related to their field of study, both at the national and the international level
• identify, respond to and limit the negative impact of unethical and harmful online behavior
• evaluate the possibilities and challenges of technological solutions used in the profession(s) relevant to their field of study and present those in a structured form
• retrieve information effectively and efficiently from a variety of online sources, critically assess its quality and credibility.

General Competence

On successful completion of this course the student can:

• be a valuable contributor to the design, planning and implementation of new technology
• be a positive agent of change in their own profession and field of study with regards to leveraging the potential of technology for individuals, organizations and the public sector
• participate in innovative processes involving new and emerging technologies and build skills in anticipating and adapting to technological change, and reflect on the human rights, legal, and ethical consequences of these processes
• actively engage with social, ethical and moral issues related to the development and implementation of technology
• reflect on technology use both within their field and from an interdisciplinary perspective
• communicate concepts and models related to technology use in a structured manner, both orally and in written form

The course uses a blended learning approach, with a combination of attendance-based teaching or guidance, and use of online material. The students will be working on interdisciplinary cases of direct relevance to their field of study.

There are weekly seminars throughout the semester, in addition to the online material.

None

The final assessment/examination is a portfolio assessment, which counts for 100% of the grade.

The portfolio will consist of a set of assignments offered in the course. The portfolio is assessed as a whole and given a single grade, but all assignments must be passed in order for the portfolio to receive a grade E or higher.

Norwegian or English should be used for the assignments.

For assignments that require working in groups, each group may consist of 2-5 candidates.

A student who fails the ordinary examination, may nevertheless submit a reworked version as a resit.

All support materials are allowed for all the components of the portfolio assessment.

The final assessment will be graded on a grading scale from A to E (A is the highest grade and E the lowest) and F for fail.

Two examiners will be used. External examiner is used regularly.

The course has 5 ECTS of overlapping content towards STKD6610 Technology and Society, STKD6600 Technology and Society I, BIOB1070 Technology and Society I, ERGOB1070 Technology and Society I, FYB1070 Technology and Society I, RAB1070 Technology and Society I, SYKK1070 Technology and Society I, SYKP1070 Technology and Society I, TAB1070 Technology and Society I, ORI1070 Technology and Society I, PMED1070 Technology and Society I, FARB1070 Technology and Society I