Over the next 8 weeks, you will complete a Course Project comprised of several weekly assignments. Each assignment is designed to help you deeply explore and critically analyze a specific technology. You will choose your technology from one of the following areas: environmental technology, medical technology, social technology, or economic/financial technology. In your exploration of your chosen technology, you will address ethical considerations, establish historical context, and consider cultural, social, and economic implications. Therefore, it is imperative that your technology be appropriate in scope and able to be researched.

To get started this week, study the Course Project Overview page in the Introduction & Resources Module. Then begin to consider ideas for your project. What contemporary technologies are interesting or important to you? What technologies are foundational to your professional industry or community?

After generating ideas and exploring a few topics, select the technology you will use for your Course Project and conduct some exploratory research. Once you have a sense of your topic, address the following in your initial post.

• What is your chosen technology? Remember to choose a specific technology (e.g., surgical robotics) rather than just reflect an area of technology (e.g., technology in medicine).
• What is your purpose in writing about this technology? What do you want to learn?
• What impressions and assumptions do you have about your topic? What are the benefits and risks associated with the technology? What potential impacts can you identify?
• What is your research plan? Where will you go to find sources on your topic, and how will you determine the credibility of those sources?
• Finally, what are some of the most significant issues associated with your technology (e.g., the potential harm to wildlife from wind farms)?

In your follow-up posts, please provide feedback to your peers that is specific and substantive.