Risk education: Teaching (and learning) about technology and uncertainty in society

Recently heightened concerns about governmental and corporate surveillance, coupled with long-term social and psychological research on privacy, present both an opportunity and a challenge for discussions about risks and risk assessments related to national security and civil liberties, as well as discussions about the social implications of technology in general. These issues include ethics, assessing uncertainty, balancing risks, and negotiating multidisciplinary expertise. This paper contextualizes the planning, implementing, and responses to several iterations of the Honors course "Who's watching? Media, privacy, and surveillance," within the larger topic of pedagogical practices appropriate for examining important, but controversial, topics related to technology and society.