Categories
PORTFOLIO Teaching

ONLINE COURSE: Philosophy of Technology & Design – Univ. of Twente

University of Twente, Future Learn, Mentoring, Fall 2017 and Spring 2018

In collaboration with:  Prof. Peter-Paul Verbeek (University of Twente), and Roos de Jong (University of Twente).

I am a mentor of the online course “Philosophy of Technology and Design: Shaping the Relations Between Humans and Technologies“. This is a MOOC (massive open online course), which is an online course aimed at unlimited participation and has open access via the web on FutureLearn. We have so far run this course twice and have plans to continue in the future.

Access the course HERE

Some more information from the course website:

Learn about the impact of technology on society. Explore the philosophy of technology and mediation theory, focused on design.

This course has been created for anyone interested in the relations between technology and society, and in particular for people working or studying in philosophy, engineering, design, social science and policy. The course might be specifically relevant to those interested in what philosophical analysis can contribute to the practice of design, engineering, and policy-making.

Understanding and designing the relations between technology and society

In every aspect of our lives we make use of all kinds of technologies. Technologies can anticipate needs or solve problems, and they can extend or enhance human capacities and activities. Technologies have made life easier, but also complicated our world. In this course you will get acquainted with some key approaches in philosophy of technology and design. The course focuses on the relations between humans and technologies. You will learn how philosophy can help us understand the social implications of technologies. And you will find out how to apply these insights in the practice of design.

Topics covered

  • Introduction into some classical thinkers in philosophy of technology.
  • Reflecting on the power of technology and if humans are still in control.
  • Learning about the philosophical approach of technological mediation.
  • Applying the ethical dimension of technology to the design process.

By the end of the course, students will be able to…

  • Evaluate some classical thinkers in philosophy of technology.
  • Reflect on the power of technology: are humans still in control?
  • Explore the contemporary philosophical approach of technological mediation.
  • Engage in case studies to get insights in the impact of technology on society and human life.
  • Debate the ethical dimension of technology and apply this to design.
  • Discuss the ethical limits of designing technologies that influence our behaviour.
Categories
Design PORTFOLIO Research

RESEARCH ARTEFACT & STUDY: Tilting Bowl, crafting & deployments – SFU

Simon Fraser University, SIAT, Everyday Design Studio.

The tilting bowl is a glazed porcelain bowl that periodically tilts. Similar to the table-non-table, the tilting bowl tilts in short durations (3-8 seconds) at random intervals 3-6 times a day. It is approximately 35 centimeters in diameter, 16 centimeters in height and weighs approximately 3 kilograms. The tilting bowl is a fully functional bowl. The form of the bowl was produced through a type of parametric design and we utilized digital processes in the making of its mold for slip-casting. The aim of the bowl is to find the simplest and most common design form (bowls have been made for millennia) that could be integrated with an equally simple approach to computational and digital technologies. The tilting bowl is a multiple of six bowls.

The bowls are currently being deployed in households for longer periods of time. Initially for four to six months in households of philosophersand in a second deployment study for twelve months. Participants will be asked to maintain a micro-blog, keep a photo diary, and take part in a semi-structured interview.

The bowls were made in collaboration with Material Matters (ECUAD) with funding support by NSERC and SSHRC.

We have published a paper about the initial study of the tilting bowl. The postphenomenological framing of the tilting bowl is based on my doctoral work.

Wakkary, R., Oogjes, D., Lin, H., & Hauser, S. (2018). Philosophers Living with the Tilting Bowl. In Proceedings of the ACM conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI ’18). ACM, New York, NY, USA. (12pgs). *Best paper honorable mention award!