• Soft Skills

The course aims at cultivating a critical approach to the understanding of technology and innovation. Particularly, it aims at showing how the decision to develop a technology (meant at large), the processes of its design, development, management, control, and production are inherently social. It is intended to give students a chance to reflect on the ethical, social, and cultural impact of technological applications.

The impact of emerging technologies will be addressed focusing on some key features of innovation: complexity, cultural variables, non-linear character, ethical implications. The first module will address the basic terminology of innovation studies and some fundamental issues of technological innovation. General aim is to show that innovation is not a linear process that can be designed and driven, but a complex one. The second module will address more in details some specific issues raised by emerging technologies. By adopting an interactive and participatory approach the second module will allow time for discussion, cross-fertilization and feedback on specific societal challenges related to emerging technologies.

In the first module, carried out in the form of lectures, major topics of innovation theories will be addressed: conceptual aspects (technology push vs. market pull innovation, radical and incremental innovation, innovation of product and process, etc.) and theoretical approaches (diffusion of innovations, models of innovation, technological determinism, agency of the objects and new materiality, practices and affordances, gender issues, etc.). The active participation of students during classes is strongly encouraged.

In the second module, based on case studies and theoretical interpretations, four fundamental but often neglected features of innovation processes will be highlighted: the role of users and social groups of reference; the agency of technological artifacts; Responsible Research and Innovation; digital fabrication. This part of the course will take the form of symposia, in which students will have to introduce and discuss some significant texts with respect to a specific theme ("flipped classroom" method).

It is however possible to take and pass the exam without attending classes (see below, "safeguard exam").

There are no pre-requisites for attendance.

Safeguard exam:

All students can take the exam in any official exam session of the course. This exam is oral and consists of an interview of about half an hour on the content of the texts listed in bibliography. The exam questions will aim to verify the knowledge acquired by the student and his/her ability to master the topics indicated and to treat them with a critical attitude.

Evaluation of students attending classes:

For students who are actively attending the course, a classroom exercise will be held at the end of the first module. The exercise is written and consists of answering two open questions concerning the topics discussed up to that point. The exercise is evaluated: the evaluation will be expressed in thirtieths and may, at the discretion of the student, contribute to the final grade (in which case there will be a corresponding reduction in the exam questions).

Students taking part in the group work during the second module will receive a special assessment, also expressed in thirtieths, which can, at the discretion of the student, contribute to the final grade.

Consequently, those who obtain positive marks both in the evaluated exercise and in the group work will be exempted from the oral exam.

Only chapter 1, "Elements of diffusion", pp. 1-38

Chapter of Technology and Values: Essential Readings, pp. 273-288.

in "Research Policy" 31, pp. 1257-1274

in Shaping technology/Building society: Studies in sociotechnical change, pp. 225-258