The Interactive Qualifying Project

The Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP) challenges students to identify, investigate, and report on a self-selected topic examining how science or technology interacts with societal structures and values. The objective of the IQP is to enable WPI graduates to understand, as citizens and as professionals, how their careers will affect the larger society of which they are part.

The interactive project is a broad and integrative educational experience. The procedure employed to relate the scientific or technological component to a social issue often arises from students' formal work in the social sciences or humanities. The scientific or technological component is not limited to studentsê major fields, though students can draw upon their own majors in choosing an IQP topic. The IQP provides unique opportunities in engineering education for significant international education and pre-professional experience. (See Residential Project Centers.)

Preparing for the IQP

While the preparation of most students for the Major Qualifying Project (MQP) involves extensive studies in technology, preparing for the IQP emphasizes the development of an understanding of the concepts and analytical techniques of the social sciences. The social science courses taken to satisfy the 2/3-unit social science requirement should be chosen to support IQP preparation. In some cases, this background will include the study of other disciplines relevant to particular IQP topics. Preparation guidelines are included in the respective IQP division descriptions which follow.

Students should begin preparing for their IQPs during their first two years at WPI; most of this preparation should be completed prior to work on the project itself. Be sure to discuss IQP opportunities with your first-year advisor. In preparing for specific IQPs, you can seek the assistance of the IQP division coordinators indicated on by the divisions below.

Resources

To help students decide on an area of study and to identify faculty members who might be potential advisors, the division descriptions that follow indicate the chief areas of IQP interest and the faculty members (division coordinators) who organize and facilitate project activity in each area. A list of project programs and centers, with associated consultants, follows the division descriptions. These consultants can provide you with more information about the areas, and can assist you in finding an advisor. If you have questions or need assistance with your early exploration of interactive project opportunities, see the staff at the Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Division (IGSD) in the Project Center. Also, consulting the database of Completed Projects (on the campus computer system) is most helpful in suggesting topics and/or advisors. Each year the Project Center produces a collection of abstracts of completed IQPs from a previous year. Reading this publication (called Interactions) often suggests both project topics and advisors. Also, a listing of "WPI Faculty IQP Interests" is available in the Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Division Office in the Project Center.

Project Proposals

Students are strongly encouraged to begin their IQP activity with a project proposal. A detailed outline on preparing project proposals is available in the Project Center. Only students submitting project proposals and the accompanying budget are eligible for college financial support for their IQPs.

Division Guide

DIVISION 41, TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

Coordinators, Prof. R. Cheetham, Salisbury 208;
Prof. F. Hart, Kaven 201

IQPs in the environmental area have dealt with a wide range of subjects, including hazardous waste, open space planning, climate changes, acid rain, aquatic weed control, and environmental impact statements. Topics may be global or a local issue; some projects are experimental and generate new data, while others are more theoretical in nature and apply prior research data. Projects must define an appropriate interaction, and be defined and managed within the alloted time period. Environmental projects require a broad base of interest and knowledge, and therefore should be undertaken by student teams rather than isolated individuals. A faculty advisor familiar with your topic and knowledgeable in its interdisciplinary aspects will be able to help your project group.

A project proposal should be done before the actual project is initiated. This proposal should state the question being examined, review the literature in the area of concern, summarize the methodology to be used in the project, suggest the data which will have to be collected, and describe the intended usefulness of the project. This proposal may be done as the first stage of the project, or as a PQP, depending on the advisor's requirements.

A wide range of environmental problems are available for projects. The solution to some of these problems may be sought by various environmental organizations (such as Massachusetts Audubon Society) or governments (municipalities or state agencies); the chance to work on such problems provides the student group with the opportunity to solve a real problem while providing the organization or community with a beneficial report.

Preparation Guidelines

The following courses may provide some basic skills for projects:

Other courses should be taken, depending upon the particular project selected; for this reason it is helpful to think about the project in your sophomore year.

DIVISION 42, ENERGY AND RESOURCES

Coordinator, Prof. D. Woods, Atwater Kent 128

This division focuses on the problem of meeting society's needs for energy and other mineral resources. The division seeks to promote interdisciplinary project work on energy and resource use and supply. We are concerned with the technological alternatives, the economic, environmental and human value questions that must be faced in choosing among these alternatives, and the role of our social systems and institutions in determining the choices that are made.

Emergence of energy as a distinct area of project activity began at WPI with the energy crisis of 1973-1974. Since then, the pattern of interests in this area both here and elsewhere have evolved in response to international energy developments. Initially, issues of scarcity -- the adequacy of the world's energy resources to meet a growing demand and the sudden massive escalation of energy prices that occurred from 1974-1979 -- were a primary concern. This period witnessed much activity in modeling energy markets and forecasting trends in energy demand, supply, and prices. Similar concerns were raised about the supply of basic metals and minerals. Many studies were undertaken of the markets for these natural resources to identify long-run price trends, the prospects for cartelizaton, and the need for stockpiles.

More recently, at WPI the interests of students and faculty alike have shifted to an emphasis on "solutions." In the last half dozen or so years most of our interdisciplinary student projects have examined the economic feasibility, the environmental side effects, and the impact on public health and mortality of various resource technologies. Renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind, wood, and hydroelectric have been investigated frequently. More conventional alternatives to high-priced oil such as coal, natural gas, and nuclear power have received their share of attention. Many of these investigations have been of the case study type, examining the feasibility of a new technology in a particular setting. Energy independence at the level of the individual home owner has been a popular theme. But other projects have examined more global issues such as the public's attitude toward nuclear power and its role in shaping national energy policy.

Preparation Guidelines

The implementation of government resource policies frequently involves manipulation of resource markets. The decisions our society makes about alternative sources of natural resources and the extent of resource conservation adopted will, to a large extent, be determined by the economic laws of supply and demand operating in these markets. Therefore, an understanding of how the economy functions at the level of individual economic decision makers and individual markets is essential for the effective conduct of many resource IQPs. Appraising the economic viability of alternative means of obtaining resources frequently involves making investment studies; i.e., capital budgeting.

The role of government and public opinion in the formation of our national energy policy can best be understood and analyzed by a student who has a background in sociology or political science.

To obtain information on these subjects a student would take as many of the following courses as possible:

Management
MG 2200, Financial Management
MG 2850, Engineering Economics
MG 3400, Production System Design
Philosophy and Religion
PY 2712, Social and Political Philosophy
PY 2714, Ethics and the Professions: Personal, Professional and Social Dilemmas
Social Sciences
SS 1105, Introduction to Economic Systems
SS 1110, Introductory Microeconomics
SS 1120, Introductory Macroeconomics
SS 1301, U. S. Government
SS 2111, Social Control of Business
SS 2203, Social Problems and Social Analysis
SS 3111/ MG 3800, Managerial Economics

The SS courses listed above may be counted toward the 2/3-unit social science requirement.

DIVISION 43, HEALTH CARE AND TECHNOLOGY

Coordinator, Prof. J. O'Connor, Atwater Kent 129;
Prof. R. Peura, Salisbury 416

Since the advent of Medicare and Medicaid legislation in the mid-1960s, the cost of medical care has grown explosively. Both in inflation adjusted dollars and as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product, medical care in the United States is now at a level greatly exceeding that of the early 1960s. Furthermore, because of the aging of the American population (the over-85 age group -- the so-called "frail elderly" -- is the fastest growing element of our population) and the growth of expensive medical technology, forces remain strong towards an even higher level of medical expenditures.

Projects in this division address the interaction between health care technologies and the delivery of medical care in the United States. These IQPs focus on major social concerns in medicine (e.g., Magnetic Resonance Imaging -- MRI, the potential for computer-based "expert systems" in medical care, new technologies for maintaining the independence of the elderly, managerial systems to control the cost of medical care, laser surgery, etc.) and medical-moral issues (e.g., the living will, the right-to-die controversy, organ transplantation, wrongful-death and wrongful-life issues, use of steroids in sports, universal health insurance, abortion, fetal tissue transplants, etc.).

There are several off-campus institutions and project centers available as resources for students interested in projects in this area. They include: St. Vincent Hospital, the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, the Massachusetts Biotechnology Park (located in Worcester), San Francisco General Hospital, and St. Mary's Hospital, San Francisco. The division coordinators should be contacted for the names of WPI faculty members associated with these institutions.

Preperation Guidelines

Projects in this division are multidisciplinary and should appeal to students with widely differing backgrounds and interests. Those students planning to do IQPs in this area should develop institutional and methodical background in both the technological and social science areas appropriate to their projects. Examples of courses which introduce social science concepts fundamental to this project area are listed below; course work in more specific topics within this project area (e.g., PY 2713, Bioethics, etc.,) is also available.

The SS courses listed above may also be counted toward the 2/3-unit social science requirement.

DIVISION 44, URBAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING

Coordinator, Prof. M. FitzPatrick, Kaven 209C

Urban and Environmental Planning IQPs offer the student a wide range of opportunities to investigate and analyze problems that require a systematic and comprehensive approach. IQP topics cover a wide range of areas, including:

Environmental analysis -- such as the investigation of the "quality of life" or the impact resulting from physical alterations of the environment. Environmental impact statements.

Resource management programs -- such as water management programs for lakes, groundwater, rivers; or forest management programs for fuel, lumber, and recreation.

Redevelopment and renewal of city neighborhoods.

Rehabilitation of historic places and buildings.

Fiscal analysis and program impacts -- such as those resulting from the implementation in Massachusetts of Proposition 2 1/2.

Preservation of agricultural lands.

Conservation and open-space planning.

Demographic policies and community facilities planning.

Land use planning.

Impacts of infrastructure development.

Often these problems are complex, requiring the use of concepts and skills provided by a range of professions and disciplines: sociology, economics, political science, physical science, law, and engineering. Ignoring these contributions often leads to environmental and social impact, such as air and water pollution, unexpected fiscal burdens, noise, environmental disasters, and unhealthy living conditions. These now are evident in the "treated" water from our urban areas, in the disposal of solid waste from our consumer society, in the sterility of our "planned" subdivisions, and in the global alteration of fragile environment. Comprehensive planning for our urban and natural environment necessitates a holistic approach to solving specific problems which are faced by our neighborhoods, rural environments, urban areas, and the nation, as well as the world itself. Such problems will become worse unless comprehensive planning is understood and used.

Preparation Guidelines

The concepts and skills necessary for a planning-project will depend on the specific area. Often these multidisciplinary skills are brought to a project through a team effort, in which individuals share their learned disciplinary skills and concepts to solve the problem together. The following are suggested courses which could be beneficial to students who are interested in doing projects in Area 44:

Civil Engineering
CE 2070, Introduction to Urban and Environmental Planning
CE 2074, Environmental Analysis
CE 3071, Land Use Development and Controls
Social Science
SS 2116, Economic Analysis of Urban Problems
SS 2117, Environmental Economics
SS 2203, Social Problems and Social Analysis
SS 2311, Legal Regulation of the Environment
Humanities
HI 1311, Introduction to American Urban History

The SS courses listed above may be counted toward the 2/3-unit social science requirement.

DIVISION 45, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: POLICY AND MANAGEMENT

Coordinator, Prof. S. Vernon-Gerstenfeld, Project Center 216

Projects in this division share a concern for government's role in solving or preventing a problem related to science and technology. Society must make collective choices about technology; increasingly, it does so through the political process. The politics of nuclear power, impact of urban forests on the environment, consumer needs and their impact upon public policy, the relationship between the educational needs of society and responses in the field of education, health policy, and organizational approaches to information management, examples of the issues addressed by students and their advisors. Frequently, the projects use one of the many techniques of policy analysis, which include statistical measures, interviews, and examination of legal case materials.

Policy analysis is one approach, but other projects have used a slightly different approach by focusing on the organizations that perform research and develop technologies. These projects contribute to the design of successful public and organizational policy by explaining how universities and corporations operate, and by identifying those organizational characteristics that are pertinent to corporate or to public policy. IQPs have analyzed the prospects for university-industry relations, the development of entrepreneurs, the implications of the diffusion of innovations in organizations, the impact of new technologies on jobs, and the government's role in moderating the social impact of the shift to a high-technology service economy.

Preparation Guidelines

Students should prepare for these projects by learning about the American political economy, public policy, the legal system, and in some cases the management of organizations.

Political Economy and Public Policy
SS 1301, U. S. Government
SS 2203, Social Problems and Social Analysis
SS 2301, Public Policy Formation and Implementation
SS 2302, Science-Technology Policy
Legal System
SS 1310, Law, Courts, and Politics
SS 2311, Legal Regulation of the Environment
Management of Organization
SS 2111, Social Control of Business
SS 2121, Government Budgets and Fiscal Policy

Students are encouraged to blend their technical knowledge with a policy analysis. They could identify a policy issue in their major field and look at it from an economic, political, legal, or management perspective.

DIVISION 46, SOCIAL STUDIES OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Coordinator, Prof. J. Wilkes, Atwater Kent 125

Projects in this area cover a variety of specific topics, but are united by a general perspective which is characteristic of the field of Science, Technology and Society studies. S.T.S., as it is called, is known by its emphasis on the critical examination of conventional wisdom about the social implications of science and technology.

When proponents proclaim the dawn of a new era or predict that great social progress will accompany the emergence of a technology, S.T.S. people look for the other side of the coin. When opponents attack technology, due to the alienation, loss of meaning, and control issues it creates, S.T.S. people go poking around to see what new possibilities will emerge. Whether the result will be new freedom or new tyranny often depends on the surrounding social arrangements.

In short, the aim of a S.T.S. project is to begin throwing off our blinders about the nature of technology, and really examining the ways in which technologies interact with social systems. One starts by dropping the idea that technology impacts society, rather than vice versa, and by questioning the assumption that technological advances automatically represent social progress. Much follows from this modest beginning.

S.T.S. is sometimes called "the Science of Science," as you adopt an attitude of scientific skepticism and then look at science itself, or a technological issue. The result is a critical, but not negative, perspective on technology which paves the way toward a balanced assessment of the benefits and costs of technical change.

Classic S.T.S. projects might involve analysis of tension between technical experts and democratically-elected leaders, the conditions under which technology seems to become an irresistible social force or the way in which distribution of wealth, power, and status are affected by technological change. Organizational "mindsets" leading to technical accidents have also been good project themes.

Technology is rarely neutral in socio-political terms, but its impact can be subtle. The most challenging and rewarding type of S.T.S. study deals with the way technology affects the way in which we relate to the world or view ourselves. Those interested in the interface of technology and society are often like a fish trying to understand water, the medium in which it lives. The great challenge of this field, but also its greatest reward, is that it seems to require considerable reflection about society and the role of the technologist in it to do a first rate S.T.S. project.

Preparation Guidelines

As one can see, S.T.S. is by its nature an interdisciplinary field. Hence, project preparation could appropriately draw from a range of academic disciplines. However, it is usually best to concentrate on picking up the perspective first, and a variety of courses in social sciences, history, and philosophy are taught from S.T.S. perspective. The courses that do the best job of introducing this approach include:

SS 1202, Sociological Concepts and Comparative Analysis
A course that stresses the comparative study of societies from around the world while focusing on what sociology has to say about the social impact and social shaping of technology. It begins with discussions of the nature of technology, culture and social structure and moves on to context based case studies such as a comparison of the American, European and Japanese Space Agencies, or the impact of earthquakes near San Francisco and in Armenia at about the same time.
SS 2208, The Society-Technology Debate
Deals with the debate on whether progress or problems are the usual legacy of technical advance, and whether the problems arise from a so-called "technological mentality" or the nature of technology itself.
HI 3331, Topics in Science, Technology and Society
A course that focuses on the European experience to shed light on the relationships between science and technology and theories about how technology can get out of control.
ID 3150, Light, Vision, and Understanding
A course which focuses on the origin and social impact of scientific ideas and how their changing nature reflects and influences culture.
SS 2302, Science-Technology Policy
A course that reviews the history of public policy regarding science and technology and goes on to examine the continuing controversies involving public participation in scientific debates, the regulation of technology and decisionmaking about the support of research. The theme is how to strike a proper balance between public accountability and scientists' need for relative autonomy.
SS 2304, Technical Expertise in Governmental Decisionmaking
A course that focuses in the problems of regulated industries while addressing the larger implications of reliance on the technical expert by politicians and public administrators. Does the expert bring neutral facts and grounded reason to the public debate or are these narrow specialists simply used by those with a larger political agenda to make their positions seem rational and disinterested?
CS 3043, Social Implications of Information Processing
A course that addresses the social, ethical and philosophical impact of computers and computer based systems on society. Human-Machine relationships and interactions are stressed, as are control and accountability issues.
HI 2334, European Technology Development
A course that surveys the development of technology in its cultural context culminating with World War I, which is viewed as a technological conflict. The transition from craft based industry through the industrial revolution to the emergence of science based industry in a few nations and lead industries is traced in considerable detail.
EN 2252, Science and Scientists in Modern Literature
A course which surveys the ways in which modern literature has represented science from Frankenstein and Brave New World to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Both the Utopia and distopian traditions are represented.

Current Project Themes

Within this broad field, four general project themes are being developed into continuing project streams. A few illustrations of each type are offered below from the list of completed projects.

  1. Technological Literacy and Public Understanding of Science
    1. "Nuclear Knowledge and Opinion about Fission Reactors"
    2. "Public Perceptions of the Space Scientists -- Critique of the U.S. Space Program"
    3. "High School Student Stereotypes of People Who Make Good Computer Scientists"
    4. "Delivering the Bad News: Is the Impact of Technical Failures and Application Errors on Public Confidence Greatly Affected By How They Are Reported?"
  2. Reception of Scientific and Technical Innovations by Affected Communities and Technical Professions
    1. "Appropriate Technology for Zimbabwe"
    2. "The Potential for Commercialization of Space: Fate of the Electrophoresis Project"
    3. "Surrogate Motherhood"
    4. "The Fire Service's Likely Reaction to the Technologies Under Development by Fire Protection Engineers."
  3. Impact and Equity Issues Related to Gender, Race, Ethnicity or Social Class.
    1. "Careers of Men and Women in the American Chemical Society"
    2. "The "Social Distance" between First and Third Year Engineering Students and Various Ethnic Groups."
    3. "Reproductive Technologies in the Third World"
    4. "The Worcester Regional Talent Search for Potential Engineers Among Female and Minority H.S. Students Not Considering A Technical Career."
  4. Reforms in Science or Engineering Education
    1. "Assessment of Student Response to ChemCom, A High School Level S-STS Curriculum, by Learning Style."
    2. "The Relationship Between Cognitive Style and Performance on the SAT as a Biasing Factor in The System of Higher Education."
    3. "Assessment of Efficiency and Learning Style Biases in the 6th Grade S-STS Science Modules on Ozone, Nuclear Power, Space, and Acid Rain Produced at WPI."
    4. "Fostering Information Literacy and Computer Skills by Linking Area Elementary School Classes Studying Different Lakes and Wetlands via the `Broomcloset' E-mail System."
  5. Processes of Technology Transfer and Product Innovation
    1. "Personal Factors Affecting Conflict and Performance on R & D Teams."
    2. "Impact of Leadership Styles on the Effectiveness of Four National Cancer Institute Radiation Treatment `Working Groups'."
    3. "Cognitive Style Shifts in the `Helios', R & D Team as It Moves to the Design Phase of the Product Development Cycle."
    4. "From Technology Push to Technology Pull: The Experience of NASA's New England Based Regional Technology Transfer Center."

DIVISION 47, SAFETY ANALYSIS AND LIABILITY

Coordinators, Prof. Jonathan R. Barnett, Higgins Labs 208;
Prof. Raymond T. Hagglund, Higgins Labs 119

Projects in this division deal with issues of people and property safety and the management of risk associated with the hazards inherent in today's society.

The analysis of risk required two components:

  1. a measure of severity, and
  2. a probability distribution

Typical measures of severity include deaths, injuries, dollars of property damage and days of business interruption. The probability distribution gives a probability for each value the severity measure can take. Some of the risks that have been studied as part of this project division have included risks due to unwanted fires, the misuse and abuse of consumer products, those risks associated with workplace safety and risks associated with natural disasters. Risk management and analysis tools used have included scenario development, fault tree construction and event tree analysis.

The risk associated with unwanted fires is of special interest because each year fires claim a greater toll than earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, and all other natural disasters combined. In just a few minutes time, a single fire or explosion can have catastrophic consequences in facilities ranging from hotels, hospitals and schools to high-rise offices and complex manufacturing operations. Projects in this topic have examined fire department operation, investigated the economic consequences of design changes in residential smoke detectors and evaluated firesafety risks in passive solar heated homes.

Liability issues focus on the risk associated with products and the consequences of people's actions. Some recent projects in this have been:

  1. Forensic Investigation of an LP-Gas Cylinder Explosion
  2. An Injury Investigation of Quadriplegia Resulting from an Automatic Shoulder Seatbelt: Design Failure or Negligent in Use
  3. Rollover Propensity of the Suzuki Samurai
  4. Legal, product liability and personal injury issues resulting from the case of Locke vs. Mack Trucking, Inc.

Some useful courses for preparing for Safety Analysis and Liability IQP's include:

DIVISION 48, HUMANISTIC STUDIES OF TECHNOLOGY

Coordinators, Prof. S. Weininger, Goddard 305;
Prof. J. Zeugner, Salisbury 107

The overall theme of projects in this group is the interaction of science and technology with the humanistic and nonquantitative aspects of culture. Together with the relevant fields in science and technology, the appropriate areas of culture from which the methodologies and substance of the projects will be drawn include philosophy, literature, history, religion, humanistic psychology, and the fine arts, with emphasis on values and ideas. The interaction of all levels of technology with the cultures of traditional and developing societies, as well as developed ones, is within the scope of the group. Thus, projects can range over an enormously broad area to include such diverse topics as the relationship of the literature to technology or science, philosophical analysis of the nature and role of the individual in a high-level technological society, or an historical examination of the reductionist view of man as a machine.

Whenever possible, two faculty members will advise each project, one advisor being drawn from the appropriate humanities or art discipline. Faculty members will explain to students the scientific, technological, and humanistic background necessary to begin the projects for which they will act as advisors.

Preperation Guidelines

Besides a general familiarity with the basic concepts and ideas in the physical sciences, projects in this area involve historical, cultural, social, psychological, or philosophical analysis. Many projects are aided by a general background and familiarity with the literature and fine arts of the modern era.

Courses might also be selected from the literature, music, art, and philosophy offerings appropriate for the period and national group being studied (either American, European, or Asian), or the history of architecture.

The SS courses listed above may be counted toward the 2/3-unit social science requirement.

DIVISION 49, ECONOMIC GROWTH, STABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT

Coordinators, Prof. J. Griffin, Atwater Kent 122;
Prof. M. Radzicki, Atwater Kent 130

There are two major areas of interest in the division:

PROBLEMS OF STABILITY AND CHANGE IN MATURE COUNTRIES

This project area is concerned with many of the issues that confront the world's developed economies. These issues include the distribution of income and wealth, the kinds and quantities of available jobs, who obtains or fails to obtain the more desirable jobs, and the causes and consequences of inflation and recession. The analysis can focus upon particular sectors or upon the nation as an aggregate. Emphasis is placed upon the manner in which technological and social changes are integrated into the organization of work in society. Economic, social, psychological, as well as political and technological questions can be raised in this project area.

PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH GROWTH IN DEVELOPING NATIONS

This project area is intended to encompass a wide range of problems facing developing nations. Generally, projects analyze the environmental, social, economical, and distributional impacts of growth and development, and the design of policies aimed at eradicating poverty and unemployment. In more specific terms, these projects address such issues as sustainable development strategies, the choice of sectoral policies, the choice of monetary and fiscal policies, rapid population growth, housing and urbanization, education and training, questions of "appropriate technology" and its transfer, import substitution and export promotion, foreign aid and foreign debt, foreign investment, and the role of international firms.

Preperation Guidelines

The foci of these project areas are economics, psychology and policy studies. Students anticipating work in these areas should have a background in economics, social science, and psychology, and a familiarity with the techniques of statistical analysis and/or computer simulation. Among the courses suggested for preparation are:

The courses listed above may be counted toward the 2/3-unit social science requirement.

DIVISION 50, SOCIAL AND HUMAN SERVICES

Coordinators, Prof. L. E. Schachterle, Project Center 210;
Prof. C. S. Kasouf, Washburn 209

The delivery of social services is one of the most difficult and controversial problems currently faced by our society. In the past, IQPs have examined such issues as services for the mentally or physically handicapped, especially public school students, rehabilitation of juveniles, treatment for alcoholism and drug abuse, consumer information awareness, assessment of college life and student attitudes, and other community service concerns. Many projects in this division will be concerned with the strengths and deficiencies of the systems which the private and the public sectors of our society have established or are proposing to establish for dealing with community problems.

Preparation Guidelines

Projects in this category are multidisciplinary, and should appeal to students with widely differing backgrounds and interests. Those students who expect to do IQPs in this area should develop analytic backgrounds in the particular social science area(s) appropriate to their project. Examples of courses which introduce concepts fundamental to this division are listed below. Students anticipating IQPs which involve economic analysis should consider course work in that discipline. Also, projects involving surveying of public attitudes will require background in social analysis as found in SS 1402 and SS 2403. SS 2203 is an excellent introduction to problem-solving in the social sciences. MG 2300, Organizational Science -- Foundation

  • SS 1110, Introductory Microeconomics
  • SS 1120, Introductory Macroeconomics
  • SS 1202, Sociological Concepts and Analysis
  • SS 2203, Social Problems and Social Analysis
  • SS 2311, Legal Regulation of the Environment
  • SS 2403, Social Research and Social Problem-Solving

    The SS courses listed above may be counted towards the 2/3-unit social science requirement.

    Examples of IQPs recently completed in this division are:

    DIVISION 51, EDUCATION IN A TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY

    Coordinators, Prof. M. Humi, Stratton 303
    Prof. Lance Schachterle, Project Center

    Offerings in this area include projects in which WPI students teach and/or develop curricula at all grade levels from K through college in a variety of subjects. In other projects, students apply technology to learning (through research and development of teaching aids and machines), deal with mass media (methods and implications of teaching large segments of the population), or focus on the teaching-learning process (through study and research of learning models and theories).

    Many projects are carried out with local regional public and private schools through the "WPI School-College Collaboration in Mathematics and Science Education." WPI has a close working relationship with the nearby Doherty High School. For details of these programs, contact Prof. Lance Schachterle.

    Preparation Guidelines

    Education plays a dominant role in the modern, technical society. It is a compulsory, long-term experience for a significant segment of the American population. To prepare for projects in this area, the student should have a perspective on modern American history with emphasis on the development and growth of the present educational system, an understanding of psychological development and theories of learning, and a background in the elementary concepts of social science research.

    The SS courses listed above may be counted toward the 2/3-unit social science requirement.

    For students planning to develop science curriculum, the appropriate science and mathematics background is assumed.

    TEACHER CERTIFICATION OPTION

    Students doing education IQPs may be interested in also qualifying as a secondary school mathematics or science teacher. For information on this option, see Teacher Certification.

    DIVISION 52, LAW AND TECHNOLOGY

    Coordinator, Prof. K. J. Rissmiller, Atwater Kent 124

    Technological developments take place in the context of a complex legal and regulatory environment. For example, courts will apply principles drawn from unwritten common law to restrict land uses by property owners. In contrast, developments in communications, energy, and pharmaceuticals are governed by an interlocking structure of statutes and regulations at both the state and federal levels.

    IQPs in this division focus on the interaction between legal and regulatory institutions and technology. Project students study statutes and their history, regulatory systems, agency decision making, and judicial decisions to determine their impact on technology.

    In addition, students study the operation of technology in a legal environment to determine whether social goals expressed in law are realized in practice. Will the Clean Air Act clean air? Do regulations for the handling and disposal of toxic materials protect the public? Can regulation effectively promote energy conservation? Do procedures governing drug approval unnecessarily prevent the speedy introduction of new treatment methods?

    Aspects of legal and regulatory decision making are also studied. When do courts accept scientific evidence as determinative of facts? Can scientists provide objective, expert advice for governmental decisions or are scientists destined to become partisan policy advocates?

    The answers to all these questions are important if technology is to aid us in the achievement of social goals and if courts and regulatory agencies are to succeed in defining and implementing social policy.

    Preparation Guidelines

    Successful completion of IQPs on the topics described above depend, in part, on prior preparation in government, law and society-technology issues. The following courses support IQP research in this division:

    Students should consider combining courses listed above to form sequences in policy studies, law, or society-technology studies. Additional information on sequences appears in the description of social science courses.

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