EMERGENCE OF TECHNOLOGIES

Why should I take this Trinity Elective?

You should take this elective because it will be both entertaining and challenging. The elective will explore how technologies work, why they emerge and how they will affect our future. This elective is suitable for all students. It will give you a new and interesting perspective on how humanity has developed in the past and what the future is likely to bring. The only prerequisites are a sense of curiosity and the willingness to change the way you interpret the world.

What will I learn?

You will learn how a wide variety of technologies work and how technologies develop.
You will learn to identify the factors (technical, economic and sociological) that drive and facilitate the development and implementation of new technologies.
You will learn how the development of technology is inextricably linked to human progress and you will learn to identify the societal risks associated with the failure of technologies.
You will learn to work as a member of a multidisciplinary team tasked with developing sustainable technical solutions to real world problems.

What will I do?

You will participate in lectures.
You will review on-line resources and read widely on different aspects of technology.
You will work as a member of a multidisciplinary team (in a Hackathon) to develop sustainable technological solutions to real world problems.

How will this be delivered?

Eleven lectures addressing a wide range of technologies from agriculture and food to machine learning and crypto-currency.
Eleven lectures addressing key factors that affect the development and implementation of new technologies. These factors range from, the development of new materials, to the importance of precision, to the role played by war and sociological effects. These themes are explored using case studies.
On-line content introducing students to state-of-the-art technologies that are under development in Trinity College.
Weekly group tutorials in which multidisciplinary teams develop sustainable solutions to real world problems. These sessions will follow a Hackathon format.

How will this be assessed?

Individual Report (30%) – A short report (2,000 words) and poster presentation on a specific technology.
Group Challenges (30%) – Each group will take part in three Hackathon challenges assessment will be based on the work undertaken during the group sessions.
Individual Essay on the Emergence of Technology (35%) – An essay (3,000 words) on the factors that influence the development of new technologies.
Reflective learning MCQ (5%) – Students will complete two on-line MCQs, one at the start and one on completing the module.