Units / ATS3415
ATS3415 · Innovation and social change: The history of technology
2026 Handbook6 credit pointsLevel 3History
Last checked: 23 Aug 2026 UTCOverview
In this unit, you will be introduced to humanistic and social scientific concepts that can help you evaluate the role that technological objects, systems, and processes play in social change as well as in shaping politics and the experience of everyday life. You will begin by investigating the relationship between technology and history, exploring notions of progress and technological determinism. You will then evaluate the connections between technology, politics, and society through case studies of different technological objects and systems in a variety of locations and time periods. Through readings, in-class discussions, and an independent research project that you design, you will apply appropriate theories and methods from the field of history of technology, science and technology studies, and material culture studies to the analysis of a specific technological artefact, system, process, or practice.
Areas of study: History
Offerings
The Handbook publishes no offerings for this unit.
Assessment
The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.
| # | Assessment | Type | Weight | Hurdle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weekly Moodle Forum | Exercise | 10% | — |
| 2 | Research Proposal | Written | 15% | — |
| 3 | Literature Review | Written | 25% | — |
| 4 | Research Project | Written | 35% | — |
| 5 | Concept Analysis | Exercise | 15% | — |
Within semester assessment: 100%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Requisites
The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.
Learning outcomes
- evaluate and apply key concepts (e.g., technological determinism, agency, socio-technical systems) from a variety of scholarly texts related to the humanistic study of technology;
- explain the complex relationships between technology and society, politics, and economics in different time periods and locations;
- critically analyse contemporary issues related to the effects of technological change on social and cultural life;
- design and complete an analytical research project on a topic relevant to the course, critically integrating primary and secondary sources;
- develop and communicate ideas and arguments orally and in writing about technological and social change.
Workload
| Activity | Duration |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 12 hours |
| Tutorials | 24 hours |
Ask about ATS3415
Answered from the Handbook fields above — no AI, no guessing. Every answer links back to the source.
Community discussions about ATS3415
CommunityStudent experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.