Activity lens

Overview

This course will focus on four lenses, each with its own way of exploring the world based upon different assumptions and approaches. When we examine a specific technology that influenced a social, cultural, or global event through different lenses, it may alter the way we look at the technology. The four general education interdisciplinary lenses are history, humanities, natural and applied sciences, and social science.

• History is the study of the past and its connection to the present. It encompasses content, memories, and events situated in time.
• Humanities is the study of cultures’ creative expression and contemplates metaphor, experience, and meaning.
• Natural and applied sciences study the material world grounded in the scientific method.
• Social sciences study human relationships and social structures grounded in demographic and statistic measurements.

When we look at an event in our lives, we often jump between different frameworks to make sense of it. For instance, if we attend a music concert, we might move from an artistic lens (How did they create the musical score?) to a technical lens (How does all the lighting work?) to a financial lens (How much money do the performers earn?). Similarly, looking through the general education interdisciplinary lenses can help us see things from other perspectives by giving us a conscious way to analyze them, helping to broaden our perspective.

This assignment prepares you to choose a topic and lens for your project by first applying all four lenses. Before completing this activity, review the Project Guidelines and Rubric to know exactly what you will be working on. You may still change your choice of topic until the next module.

Directions

As part of your project, you will describe a social, cultural, or global event where a technology plays a significant role. For this activity, you will write a short paper on the specific technology of your choice. Choose a specific technology that influenced a social, cultural, or global event that you are interested in. Your selection could be something that you have personally experienced or that you are interested in knowing more about. Review the module resources and visit the IDS 403 Library Guide for guidance on how to select and narrow a topic. After selecting your topic, do some preliminary research to make sure you can address the required elements of your project.

In your paper, you must apply each lens to your event by using its language and perspectives. You are not required to answer each question below the rubric criteria, but you may use them to better understand the criteria and guide your thinking and writing.  

Specifically, you must address the following rubric criteria:

1. Describe your existing knowledge about the specific technology that influenced a social, cultural, and global event.
   1. You might describe your personal experience with the technology, what you learned in school, or what your assumptions are about the technology. Ask, what do I know (or think I know)?
2. Apply the history lens to your technology.
   1. Using the language of history as it is defined in your resources, and as it is used in academic journals, how would you write about your technology? What events and dates have occurred that are important to your technology? Has the significance of the technology diminished or shifted with time? Who are the authors of the historical record(s) related to your technology?
3. Apply the humanities lens to your technology.
   1. Using the language of the humanities as it is defined in your resources, and as it is used in academic journals, how would you write about your technology? What meaning does your technology have within cultures? How do people express themselves regarding your technology? What are people’s lived experiences with your technology?
4. Apply the natural and applied sciences lens to your technology.
   1. Using the language of the natural and applied sciences as it is defined in your resources, and as it is used in academic journals, how would you write about your technology? How might the scientific method be used to examine some aspect of your technology? How might your technology relate to the physical or material world? Are there any challenges to viewing your technology objectively?
5. Apply the social science lens to your technology.
   1. Using the language of the social sciences as it is defined in your resources, and as it is used in academic journals, how would you write about your technology? Who is affected by your technology? How might your technology affect interpersonal relationships? What social structures and systems relate to your technology?

What to Submit

Submit your activity as a 1- to 2-page Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. If sources are used, they should be cited according to APA style. Consult the Shapiro Library APA Style Guide for more information on citations.