News

The following courses that are eligible for the STV Diploma are available in Fall 2025:

Fundamentals:

• STV100 - Society, Technology and Values: Introduction
• STV210 - The Computing Society (0.50)
• HIST212 - The Computing Society (0.50)

Critical theory and ethics:

• ENVS105 - Environmental Sustainability and Ethics (0.50)
• PHIL215 - Professional and Business Ethics (0.50)
• PHIL226 - Biomedical Ethics (0.50)
• PHIL228 - Ethics and Artificial Intelligence (0.50)
• SOC232 - Technology and Social Change (0.50)
• STV305 - Technology, Society and the Modern City (0.50)

Critical thinking: Issues and applications:

• AE101 - History of the Built Environment (0.50)
• ARCH142 - Introduction to Cultural History (0.50)
• ENGL108D - Digital Lives (0.50)
• ENGL295 - Social Media (0.50)
• ERS215 - Environmental and Sustainability Assessment 1 (0.50)
• ERS270 - Introduction to Sustainable Agroecosystems (0.50)
• LS329 - Security and Governance (0.50)
• NE109 - Societal and Environmental Impacts of Nanotechnology (0.50)
• PACS201 - Roots of Conflict, Violence, and Peace (0.50)
• PACS315 - Engineering and Peace (0.50)
• SOC329 - Security and Governance (0.50)

Fall 2025

ENGL 344: Modern American Literature 
Modernist Techno-Culture - Data, Network, Surveillance, Automation

Taught by Professor Heather Love, this course will explore how authors responded in creative and insightful ways as they sought to understand the implications of technological changes and to articulate strategies for addressing their challenges; not to mention lessons for today’s readers. In this course, we will explore some of those transhistorical resonances by tracking connections between modernist-era texts and four present-day technology keywords: Data, Network, Surveillance, and Automation.

For more information: https://uwaterloo.ca/english/undergrad-this-years-courses/engl-344-modern-american-literature

Collaboration and teamwork are essential for solving complex, real-world problems and are in high demand by employers. In fact, according to a recent survey, the #1 attribute employers look for when hiring is the ability to work well in a team. Yet students rarely have the opportunity to study and apply the theories and best practices for making collaboration work. In this course, you will crack the code of making collaboration work by leveraging this research to acquire a variety of important skills. Open to all 2A+ UW students!

Listed on the Faculty of Engineering Complementary Studies List.

Link for more info: https://uwaterloo.ca/knowledge-integration/current-undergraduates/course-offerings/ki-elective-courses/integ-210 

Come to the opening event in our new film series about technology and society. Blade Runner (1982), the Final Cut!

Looking for an elective about technology and society to develop your critical thinking skills and give you a chance to reflect on the costs and benefits of technology? Then join our Spring 2025 tour!

Remember: all STV courses are open to everyone, and for engineers these are List A & C CSEs!

Check out our new courses for Winter 2025:

• STV 201 Technology and Society in Film
• STV 304 Technology in Canadian Society

Posters and details here.

The students we support in our Social Innovators in Training program are building prototypes and are starting down the path of putting together their pitches for the social impact fund. 

This Wednesday, we are hosting Demo Day in our GreenHouse space and it is open to all members of the community. Students will be showcasing their prototypes and would welcome members of the community to join them as they continue to test and iterate on their ideas.

 All are welcome and you may drop-in as your schedule permits.

• GreenHouse Demo Day - March 6 | 5:00-6:30pm @United College (GreenHouse space) - drop-in any time between 5:00-6:30pm

The focus of the course is on good design, particularly where design relates to society and social issues. Good design reflects not only technical achievement but also responsiveness to social context and values. Topics include the nature of design, the social and cultural implications of design, the roles of designers in relation to the social contract, and design assessment in light of social values such as risk, fairness, progress, and sustainability. Although the focus of the course is on the design of technology, any designed system is open for examination and discussion. The course material provides a mixture of theoretical concepts and practical cases of their application.

Instructor: Cameron Shelley

Cybernetics is the study of the interfaces between humans and machines. This course will present an overview of cybernetics from automation and robotics to prosthetics and wearable computing. The roles of men and women in a post-human era will be discussed along with related themes dealing with gender, cyberspace, politics and popular culture.

Instructor: Mark Morley

The course has been designed to provide a framework or set of intellectual tools to help students understand and evaluate technological change. These tools will be applied to the development of information technology, its interaction with society, and possible future senarios. Selected topics include understanding digitization as culture, visions of the future and perils of prediction, as well as issues related to application areas such as the home, manufacturing, office work, design and services, education, and law. The course will also consider some of the privacy and personal dignity issues associated with information technology.