The Great I, Robot Discussion

I, Robot Study

Similar to the career-related study, I did a study on I, Robot essays I got from students. The journal the study will be published in is Computers and Composition, and it should be out soon. The "student voice" component of the study was highly valued by the journal.

Discussion Goals for I, Robot

In order to bolster discussion, let's consider the following issues related to technology studies and, of course, technical communication:

1. Critical Technological Awareness
   -or-
   Critical Workplace Awareness

2. Robot Marketing

3. Labor Issues Surrounding Robots

4. QT: the Existential Robot

5. Redhead Stereotypes

6. The Precarious Situation of Having a Love Interest on the Job
   -or-
   Women in Engineering and Science (see ADVANCE)*

7. Scientific and Technological Races

8. Government Support of Technology and War

9. Corporate Chicanery

10. The Fallacy of Machine Predictability

11. Robots vs. Humans

In groups of 2 or 3 (no more than 3), discuss two of the above topics that correspond to your row number (rows go front to back):

• Row 1--9, 10, 11

• Row 2--4, 5, 6

• Row 3--1, 2, 3

• Row 4--7, 8, 9

• Row 5--11, 1, 2

• Row 6--3, 4, 5

Specific/Starting Discussion Points

Below I have a few images to get us thinking:

• Cover of I, Robot from the early 1980s
  
  
   

• Back cover of I, Robot from the early 1980s
  
  
   

• Three Laws of Robotics (PDF)

Here is the list of topics for your short essays.

Asimov Links to Wikipedia

Isaac Asimov

I, Robot Cover

I, Robot Cover--Runaround