Department of Mathematics and Philosophy of Engineering

Bachelor of Technology/ Bachelor of Software Engineering

Level 5

Course Title: Technology, Society and Environment

Course Code : MPJ5233/MPJ5263 Assignment No : 01

Due Date: 26.02.2014 Academic Year 2013/2014

Instructions

Answer all questions in your own words.

Marks will be deducted, if a direct copy from the texts or the internet.

This paper contains 2 pages

1. Watch the film Who killed the electric car? and discuss factors that prevent the quick

growth of renewable energy technologies (This film is available at the main library of

Colombo Regional Center. You can visit the main library to watch the film if you want

and answer the question or otherwise select the other option of answering the question of

the story of stuff.)

OR

Watch the video clip The Story of Stuff and discuss guidelines you can recommend to

design a better world (You can watch this video clip in MOODLE and under learning re-

sources in web page)

2. List down separately the research institutions established before 1948 under British Rule and

research institutions established after independence in 1948. Based on the 2 lists, analyse

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the nature of development models promoted by the British Rule and the post-independence

governments of Sri Lanka. Which model you prefer? (Give reasons)

3. Given below are statistics of the Sri Lankan university system for 2012.

Table 3.1: Gender breakdown in student enrolment

Faculty Male (%) Female (%)

Arts / humanities / education / law 29.4 70.6

Management 46.3 53.7

Medicine 47.1 52.9

Science 41.5 58.5

Engineering 77.9 22.1

Total 41.5 58.5

Table 3.2: Gender breakdown in senior lecturer

Faculty Male (%) Female (%)

Arts / humanities / education / law 64.09 35.01

Management 61.3 37.7

Medicine 44.88 55.12

Engineering 79.76 20.24

Total 62.11 37.89

Assuming that no gender category is inferior in intelligence than the other

(a) Analyze why the female student enrolment in the category arts / humanities / ed-

ucation / law is very high (70.6) and in the category engineering very low (22.1)

compared to the general case (58.5).

(b) Analyze why the number of female senior lecturers are very low for arts / humanities

/ education / law and management compared to the high female student enrolment

ratios for the same streams.

(c) Suggest ways to improve female student enrolment ratio in engineering.

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