This basic courses was very valuable as a designer, because the whole course is about how Users, the Society and Enterprises shape new technologies into products. With clear examples throughout the history of technology, I learned what the effects of certain new technologies are and how stakeholders react to them. This will help me to understand the current developments better and the developments in the future and what my role as designer is in this process.
The course also taught me how you can look at problems and dilemma’s from different ethical theories, exposing the consequences and helping to make more sophisticated discussions. In the assignments I could really see were the pros and cons of the different theories were.
USE really helped me to develop the competency area “Social Cultural Awareness” and forced me to really study the theory so I also remember the different terms and there definitions. If I would have developed this competency all by myself, I wouldn’t probably be able to really learn all these terms by heart. I would probably just read it in interest only remembering a small percentage in the future. By making us do an exam, really forced us to know all the terms, theories and history.