Course Schedule and Catalog
Course Schedule - Spring Semester 2026
Meeting location information can now be found on student schedules in ESTHER (for students) or on the Course Roster in ESTHER (for faculty and instructors).Additional information available here.
Meeting location information can now be found on student schedules in ESTHER (for students) or on the Course Roster in ESTHER (for faculty and instructors).Additional information available here.
COLL 148 001 (CRN: 25859)
THE HISTORY OF TECHNOLOGY
Long Title: THE GOOD OLD DAYS (OR NOT): EXPLORING GROUNDBREAKING TECHNOLOGIES (WIESS)
Department: College Courses
Instructors:
Meeting: 7:00PM - 7:50PM M (12-JAN-2026 - 24-APR-2026)
Part of Term: Full Term - No WL Purge
Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Course Type: Seminar
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Method of Instruction: Face to Face
Credit Hours: 1
Course Syllabus:
Course Materials: Rice Campus Store
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Undergraduate Professional
Visiting Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Section Max Enrollment: 19
Section Enrolled: 15
Waitlisted: 0 (Max 99)
Current members of the waitlist have priority for available seats.
Enrollment data as of: 25-NOV-2025 1:40AM
Final Exam: No Final Exam
Description: Have you ever wondered what life would look like without your phone? Soap? Coffee? Or even toilet paper? Well, now is your chance to find out. This is not your typical history course, but will prioritize learning through the lens of lived human experience. Students will reckon with the effects of technological shifts throughout history in a hands-on manner through participation in simulations (ie, going a day without looking at a mirror), hands-on in-class activities (ie, tea tasting), and active discussions with their peers. This course explores not only why major technologies were developed, but also how they affect everything from household activities to human relationships. Additionally, students will learn about the interrelationship between technology and human cultural development. This survey class covers groundbreaking technologies from Biblical Times to the Middle Ages to the Age of the iPhone. Students will walk away from this course with proficiency in identifying the advantages and disadvantages of quintessential technologies and the ability to develop and articulate their own nuanced position on such technologies.