CSC 385 – First Day
Handout
General Course Information
Course description: Societal and ethical issues and obligations of computer science and related disciplines. Topics include ethical issues and obligations of professional practice, electronic privacy and security, intellectual property, and whistleblowing. Students are given opportunity to craft research articles in an iterative piece-meal fashion that allows for instructor feedback and student updates in a manner typical of research paper development. Course includes student presentations and discussions of case studies relating to computer ethics.
Catalog
Description
CSC 385. Professional and
Ethical Issues in Computer Science (3) Prerequisite:
ENG 101 or equivalent and junior or senior standing in computer science.
Ethical and professional issues arising from the impact of computer science and
related technologies on society. Topics include ethical issues, obligations of
professional practice, privacy and security, intellectual property, work and
health issues, and the impact of emerging technologies. Students give both oral
and written presentations and participate in the discussion of case studies.
_________________________________________________________________________
Course
Information
Meeting Days/Time: MWF 11:00 – 11:50am
Location: CI 1006
_________________________________________________________________________
Instructor
Information
Name:
Office
Location:
CI 2046
Office
Hours:
M – F 10-11am or by appointment.
Phone: (910) 962-3819
email:
simmondsd[at]uncw.edu
_________________________________________________________________________
Required
Text
Ethics and Technology: Controversies, Questions,
and Strategies for Ethical Computing
Herman T. Tavani, Wiley, 2010
ISBN-10: 0470509503
ISBN-13: 978-0470509500
Writing for Computer Science 2nd Ed.
Justin
Zobel, Springer, 2004
ISBN-10: 9781852338022
ISBN-13: 978-1852338022
Paperback: 280 pages
Recommended supplement: Strunk & White, The Elements of Style. 4th Edition. 1999,
Pearson. ISBN 0-205-30902-X.
Course Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the course the student will be able to:
1. Identify ethical issues as they impact
computer science and related disciplines; [WI2]
2. Differentiate
between the main ethical theories and be able to use the ethical theories in
evaluating the ethical issues impacting computer science and related disciplines.
[WI5] [WI2]
3. Discuss ethical issues in writing, using
appropriate reference to the established Code of Ethics of the professional
society relevant to that student's field (ACM, IEEE, etc), and apply
professional codes of ethics to analyze and resolve ethical questions. [WI5]
[WI2]
4. Demonstrate
the ability to write within the computer science discipline including writing
one or more research papers that demonstrate the students grasp of ethical
issues, display a clear understanding of how the ideas of other persons
may be properly cited and used in written documents, and illustrate use of
popular formats for presenting published papers in computer science. [WI3]
[WI4]
5. Prepare and present information on a technical
topic, in a professional manner.
6. Identify and locate appropriate sources of information to support decisions and written ideas. [WI1]
7. Analyze and evaluate arguments using rules of logic and be able to formulate effective arguments based on sound premises. [WI2] [WI4] [WI5]
Course Description & Grading (Devon M. Simmonds, Instructor)
Computer and information technology has pervaded
modern society. With the introduction of this unavoidable computing presence
have come many important social and ethical issues and concerns. This course
will examine some of these issues and concerns.
Relation to program outcome: This course teaches the principles of ethical analysis and how technology, law, and ethics interact in society, to help the graduate confront and deal with the ethical challenges that arise in professional practice. This course also improves the graduate's ability to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences, both technical and non-technical.
This course is used in part to assess CSC’s achievement of ABET General Criteria E, F, G, and H (An understanding of professional, ethical, and social responsibilities; An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences; An ability to analyze the impact of computing on individuals, organizations, and society, including ethical, legal, security, and global policy issues; Recognize the need for, and an ability to engage in, continuing professional development).
Grading
Grades will be determined on
the basis of students’ performance on the items shown in the table below.
|
COURSE ITEM |
GRADE
PERCENT |
|
Small writing assignments (5 or 6) |
25% |
|
Formal Written Research Paper |
20% |
|
Formal Research Paper Presentation |
10% |
|
Presentation of an Ethical Issue |
10% |
|
Resume |
5% |
|
Midtern exam |
10% |
|
Final Examination |
20% |
A modified 10-point scale will be used to compute your course grade. If your course score falls just below a cutoff, the higher grade may be assigned solely at the discretion of the instructor. Factors that affect this judgment are the distribution of grades, improvement during the semester, and attendance.
·
90% or above A
·
80% - 89% B
·
65% - 79% C
·
50% - 64% D
·
below 50% F
Assignments:
Small writing assignments (about 5 or 6): 25% of grade.
These are assigned approximately one week before they are due. Expected length is 1000 words (about 4 pages of double-spaced 12- point type with 1-inch margins). These assignments will present the student with one or more readings addressing some current issue relating to ethics in technology or the impact of technology on society. The student will describe, evaluate and react to it in some way; supporting, critiquing, etc. These assignments are designed to help students hone their writing and evaluative skills.
Formal
Written Research Paper: 10 % of grade.
The student will design and conduct a simple research assignment— for example, comparison of algorithms, analysis of spam email received, evaluation of software development tools or languages, etc. The assignment must gather and analyze data in order to answer some question. (There is no requirement the question be deep or even particularly difficult, but must be a serious question of interest.) The student will write up results in a manner consistent with submission for publication; that is, the write-up must include an abstract, introduction and discussion of the problem, explanation of how data was gathered, a summary of results, and discussion of what those results mean. Bibliographic references are required. This is a formal written paper with an expected length of about 2500 words, or 10 internal pages, (i.e. not including title page, bibliography, or charts/graphics) and 8-15 references. Formatting instructions for this paper will be provided by the instructor. Each student paper will be developed in an iterative manner that allows for instructor feedback and student updates as needed.
Formal
Research Paper Presentation: 10
% of grade.
The student will make a presentation to the class on their research findings. The presentation will be evaluated by the instructor and by all students in the class. It is expected that the research will be completed prior to the presentation of findings. Formal attire is required for all presentations.
Presentation of Ethical Issues: 10% of grade.
Each student will make one or more class presentations on an ethical issue. Students are expected to read any relevant material in the course text and supplement the material in the course text by sourcing other material through their own research efforts. As with the Formal Research Paper Presentation, the presentation will be evaluated by the instructor and by all students in the class. The final grade, however, will be determined by the instructor.
Midterm
exam: 10% of grade.
Final
exam: 20% of grade.
Class
participation: 10% of grade.
5% of the grade is based on attendance, 5% on participation in class discussion. Repeated tardiness or absence will have an effect on course grade.
Regular class attendance is mandatory. Completion of assignments will entail reading the textbook and researching various topics germane to the course. A student may be required to lead class discussion based on a scheduled lecture topic. Expect to spend several hours researching and formulating each topics so you can lead a discussion group.
Resumé: 5% of grade.
In this assignment, you will create a résumé and letter of application that are geared toward a particular job advertisement or career fair event. You will use actual education and work-related information about yourself to create useful and realistic documents. This assignment will either help you to create a résumé and letter from “the ground up,” or it will help you to substantially improve documents that you have previously prepared.
Instructional Strategies:
Students are expected to have read course material before class. Class sessions will focus on discussion of readings and exploration of alternative views. Any changes to assignments or changes in deadlines will be posted on the course webpage, along with assigned readings or required Internet links.
Last-minute or "breaking-news" readings may be
distributed in class. This course makes heavy use of class discussion. You will
be responsible for knowing what was discussed in class. You should not
assume that doing the reading and showing up to class on test day will be
adequate.
This is a writing-intensive course. Students should plan on spending substantial time weekly on preparing and revising assignments for the course. Likewise, there is a comparatively large amount of reading to be done for this course. Students who are having problems with the course should see me after the first or second assignment, so we can develop a plan for successful completion of the course. Research takes time; writing takes time. Be sure to allocate enough!
Late work is accepted only in documented cases of illness or other circumstance outside the student's control. Any other arrangements for late submissions must be made in advance. Any reconsideration of a grade must be requested within 5 working days after the grade is assigned.
Evaluation
criteria:
No assignments are dropped. The small writing assignments are intended as "practice writing" and will be graded relatively lightly; however, the formal research report and final paper are considered formal writing, and graded as such. Draft submissions are used to provide feedback to students and are not graded. However, if the draft for the midterm or final are not turned in, the grade for the finished product will be penalized. Grading rubrics for assignments are posted on the course web page.
Work
Submission:
Assignments will be uploaded electronically as described on the course web page. Acceptable file formats, document layout, etc., will be discussed in class.
Academic
Honesty:
All submissions are expected to be your original, individual work. Departmental policy will be strictly followed in cases of suspected plagiarism or other academic dishonesty. More information is on the course web page. Due Dates for assignments will be announced in class and on the course web page.
Deadlines
A due date will be specified for every
assignment when it is distributed. Late assignments will not be accepted. If
you have an emergency that interferes with your ability to attend class or to
complete an assignment on time, let me know as soon as possible and as far in
advance as possible. Do so before the due date has passed. Once the deadline
has passed, I will likely be unable to offer you an extension.
Mapping Student Learning Outcomes to
Course Content è see this link for more information.
Honor Code
It is the responsibility of every student to
follow the UNCW Academic Honor Code (see Section V of your Student Handbook).
You violate the honor code when you represent someone else's work as your own.
Learning Strategies
You are expected to take an active role in
your learning in this course. This includes regular attendance, paying
attention in class, reading the textbook, and completing all course
requirements. You are encouraged to study with your classmates outside of
class.
Students with Disabilities
If you have a
disability and need reasonable accommodation in this course, you should inform
the instructor of this fact in writing within the first week of class or as
soon as possible. If you have not already done so, you must register with the
Office of Disability Services in Westside Hall (extension 3746) and obtain a
copy of your Accommodation Letter. You should then meet with your instructor to
make mutually agreeable arrangements based on the recommendations of the
Accommodation Letter.
The Writing Center
The University Learning
Center
Westside Hall, first floor,
office #1056
910.962.7857
All
writers need readers, and the more readers you have while drafting a paper, the
better your paper can become. The Writing Center provides experienced peer
readers for all UNCW students as they develop and improve their writing
skills. The Writing Center is not remedial, but is designed for all
student writers who want to improve their papers. Consultations are led by
faculty recommended peer writing tutors who are trained to help students
identify areas to improve and develop specific revision plans. Visit our
website to schedule an appointment: http://www.uncw.edu/writing.htm
Students
can also receive electronic response to their developing papers through our
Online Writing & Learning (OWL) program. Visit our website for a variety of
writing resources: handouts, guides, useful links, and the Online Consultation
link: http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/uls/owl.htm
Writing Center Hours:
Sunday
2pm – 10pm
Monday – Thursday 9am – 10pm
Friday
9am – 5pm