All students in this course are expected to adhere to the MIT policy on academic integrity.
All students are expected to attend all classes and ALL PROJECT AND PROPOSAL PRESENTATIONS. The last two days of class are mandatory.
Please contact betterfuture-staff at media.mit.edu in advance if you have an emergency and have to miss class or be late on an assignment.
Absence from class, especially on project and proposal presentation days, will reduce your learning experience, and will be reflected in a lower class participation grade.
In case of snowstorms/school closings, we will try to meet on Zoom. Watch for email from the course staff instructing us in such cases.
CONVERSATIONS among students and listeners in the class or as part of the homework for the class are CONFIDENTIAL to the class. Please do not identify the speaker and what they said outside of this class.
If you want to quote somebody's classroom conversation or ideas outside the class, you must ask and obtain their permission first. Confirming in writing is best, e.g. with a quick E-mail or slack message.
20% Class attendance and participation
20% Weekly assignments (includes readings, meeting w/classmates to discuss them, and briefly writing up that conversation)
20% Short mid-term paper writing up conversations around technology & ethics/religion/philosophy topic
40% Final project, including its written report and oral presentation
No final exam
If you have a medical or family emergency that threatens timely completion of your work, let any of the course staff know before the deadline and we will give an extension.
You may use spell checkers and Grammarly for grammar. (Both are free for students).
You are allowed to use Gen AI for brainstorming purposes. BE AWARE that it often generates things that are not factual. You are responsible for fact-checking. Gen-AI should not be the author of your work. What you hand in should be your own, and you are also responsible for any references you cite, making sure they are accurately cited and you are familiar with their content.
If caught submitting work by an AI as your own work, you will get a zero on the assignment and the grade will be given to the AI (when it can successfully enroll at MIT.)
You are expected to write and speak in clear English, even if it is not your first language. Grades in this class are affected by communication style as well as by the ideas being communicated.
The Writing and Communication Center at MIT offers free professional advice from published writers about oral presentations and about all types of academic, creative, and professional writing. To schedule an appointment online, click on the MIT Writing and Communications Center website. If you are at all uncertain about your English, whether or not you are a native English speaker, you are recommended to go ahead and book an appointment before your assignment due dates so they can help you tune up your communication.
In the past they have often had cancellations on the day of the appointment and have offered a wait list with email notification that day if a spot opens up, but it's still best to book early.