Instructor Interview
Below, Prof. Erik Lin-Greenberg describes various aspects of how he teaches 17.449 Emerging Technology and International Security.
OCW: Could you briefly describe your goals for the Shark Tank Pitch? What does an assignment like this demonstrate about students’ skills and learning?
Erik Lin-Greenberg: One of my core goals when teaching this class is to help students understand the national security implications of emerging technology and to provide them with insights that they can apply once they graduate. Since many MIT undergraduates go on to work in the tech sector, with many working at or establishing start-ups, I wanted to create an assignment that mirrors something they might one day find themselves doing: pitching a new product. The assignment allows students to draw information from their engineering or science backgrounds, assess how the technology they’re pitching might influence national security, and then practice communicating it to colleagues.
OCW: Do you have an explicit policy on AI use in the course?
Erik Lin-Greenberg: Even as generative AI becomes increasingly common, I think it’s important for students to wrestle with tough concepts and to work to refine prose. The activities improve critical thinking and help students better understand the material covered in class. Because of this, I ask my students to avoid generative AI use when formulating their arguments or actually writing material. At the same time, I realize that AI is a powerful tool that students are free to use for initial research, but I expect the final product to be written without the use of generative AI.
OCW: You ask your students to model their short-form analytic article on similar pieces published in Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, and the online national-security magazine War on the Rocks. What are the chief characteristics of this form of writing that you’re asking students to emulate?
Erik Lin-Greenberg: Concisely communicating complex topics is challenging, yet it’s often the best way to convey important ideas, both in and beyond the classroom. Throughout the semester, I assign readings from outlets like Foreign Affairs and War on the Rocks alongside more traditional academic articles. The shorter policy articles demonstrate to students how they can compellingly introduce an argument, provide evidence, and address counterarguments.
OCW: In what ways have your years of military service (formerly as an active duty officer in the United States Air Force and presently in command of a squadron in the Air Force Reserve) prepared you for a career as a professor, or for academia in general?
Erik Lin-Greenberg: My military service, particularly the opportunity to serve alongside and lead junior personnel, instilled in me a passion for mentoring. Today, one of the most rewarding parts of my job as a professor is to mentor students—both undergraduates and graduate students. Much like mentoring in the military, my goal is to motivate students and to get them excited about the work and research that they are doing.
OCW: What would you like to share about teaching 17.449 that we haven’t yet addressed?
Erik Lin-Greenberg: At the end of the day, I hope the class helps prepare our students to be good stewards of the technology that many of them will go on to develop after graduating from MIT. Technology is a double-edged sword, especially in the security context. On one hand, new technologies can help states avoid conflict. But on the other, technology can sometimes introduce vexing political or strategic challenges. I hope the class provides a toolkit that helps students more effectively understand how their technologies impact the world and to better navigate the changing security environment.
Assessment
Grade Breakdown
The students’ grades were based on the following activities:
- 20% Reading and participation
- 10% Quizzes
- 70% Writing and analysis
Curriculum Information
Prerequisites
None.
Requirements Satisfied
17.449 fulfills the Social Sciences component of the General Institute Requirement (GIR) in Humanities and Social Sciences.
Offered
Occasionally.
Student Information
Enrollment
32 students.
Breakdown by Year
Primarily third- and fourth-year undergraduates.
Breakdown by Major
Roughly 50% of the students were majoring either in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science or in Aeronautics and Astronautics; most of the remainder were majoring in other engineering disciplines or in political science.
How Student Time Was Spent
During an average week, students were expected to spend 12 hours on the course, roughly divided as follows:
Seminar Sessions
Met 2 times per week for 1.5 hour per session; 26 sessions total; mandatory attendance.
Out of Class
Outside of class, students completed assigned readings, studied for quizzes, worked in teams to on the Shark Tank Pitch, and wrote the response paper and final analytic paper.
