IT 285 Social Issues and Ethics in Computing

 

Course Description

This course explores some of the ethical and societal issues that are raised by computing.  Topics include privacy, freedom of expression, intellectual property and liability.  Students write an analytical paper on an appropriate topic and also present their findings to the class.

Our purpose here is basically twofold:

  1. To examine some of the ethical and societal issues around our discipline.
  2. To learn how to present some of these issues to others. (Yes, you will be giving oral presentations to your classmates.)

Why do we (the computer science department and I) think these things are important?

  1. Thinking about computing's ethical and societal impact is important because we practice our craft within a wider community that has ethical standards and laws. We want to do right by that community. The companies we work for (or the companies we found) must surely need to know about these issues. We'll have more to say within our company if we can converse on these issues.
  2. Being able to present one's views is most important if only so that we may advocate for what we'd like to do. We will soon find ourselves doing less programming and more presentations. Companies are run by people so we have to learn to run with them.

Don't worry if you think you can't do this. Heck, I'm no expert either. And I sometimes feel uncomfortable making presentations in front of others -- even after 20 years of teaching! I do read the headlines (and an article here and there) from the newspapers that come in the morning. And I read Slashdot when I can. But in general, I like to program. If I can think about and talk about this stuff, then you can.

Now, about this ethics thing: I want to make it clear that there are no right or wrong answers to some of the questions we ask. The important thing is to ask these questions and to think about them honestly.

Texts

There is one required text and one or two books :

·      Richard A. Spinello. Case Studies in Information Technology Ethics. (Paperback) Prentice-Hall (Pearson Education), 2003. ISBN: 0-13-099150-3.

There is also a rich depository of material on this topic on the MIT web http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Electrical-Engineering-and-Computer-Science/6-805Fall-2005/CourseHome/index.htm .  We will be using this, and perhaps additional books that we find during the term.

Syllabus

I'd like to run this class more as a seminar where we do the assigned readings and then discuss them in class. So, in the first half of the semester, we shall read and discuss articles from the two texts. Or discussions will follow the chapters in those texts:

·      Frameworks for ethical and policy analysis.

·      Free expression in cyberspace.

·      Intellectual property: software ownership.

·      Intellectual property: digital music, interconnectivity, and trespass.

·      Privacy.

·      Security and cybercrime.

·      Liability, reliability and safety.

·      Fair competition.

·      Research Methods (1 class).

·      Giving Presentations (1 class).

·       Student Presentations and Discussions.

Grading

Your grade will depend on several pieces of work:

 

Here you will be asked to write an eight to twelve page paper that more deeply examines one of the issues discussed in class, or an altogether different topic in computing (e.g. nanotechnology) but from a social policy perspective. Additional ideas for topics appear in Appendix A of the Stacey Edgar text. Additional topic suggestions may be found in http://www.cs.umb.edu/~wrc/cs485/f06/projects.html .  NB the MLA has a nice set of citation examples for your bibliography at http://www.aresearchguide.com/12biblio.html.

Present the topic, discussed in your research paper, to the class.

This will cover the readings that we have discussed in class.

This will cover both the readings we've discussed in class as well as your classmates' presentations and the ensuing discussions.

I understand that not everyone is comfortable speaking up in class. But you have to try. It is important that you get practice in advocating for your wishes and opinions as you will have to do so in the workplace. In this class we shall make use of the CS Forums -- there will be one dedicated to this class. If something comes to mind about a topic we have discussed earlier put it there; and feel free to respond! Participation on the Forum will count as class participation.

Also, I will be asking you to write a one or two page response (not a summary!) to the readings that have been assigned for a given day -- in this way we will know we are all on the same page, so to speak. ;) These responses -- your reactions to points made in the readings should be thoughtful and should address specific points made in the readings, and will play apart of your grade for class participation.

Cell phones

I shouldn't have to talk about this, but recent experience suggests otherwise. If you have a cell phone, please turn it off during class. If you must keep it on (because you've a child at home), please p ut the ringer in silent mode and go out of the room to answer it.

Student Conduct

All students are expected to follow the University's Code of Student Conduct. If you are caught cheating, we will follow the guidelines for punishment outlined in the code. 

When you turn in work that you have discussed with someone, or which contains ideas that you found in a book, you must indicate that fact. We expect you to talk to each other and to read materials other than those assigned. We also expect to see in your work evidence that you have done so. Learning to acknowledge intellectual debts is part of learning. You should be reading, talking to each other, and telling the world that you have done so. When group work is called for the group solution should note whenever a part of the project was done by only a part of the group.

Some kinds of sharing, however, are unacceptable. You may not use the computer to copy someone's work and submit it as your own -- even if you acknowledge that theft! You may not have your friends do your work for you. Versions of some of the assignments in this course may have been given in previous years. You may not use answers to those assignments.

Accommodations

Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 offers guidelines for curriculum modifications and adaptations for students with documented disabilities. If applicable, students may obtain adaptation recommendations from the Ross Center for Disability Services, Campus Center 2nd Floor, 2100 Street, Room 2010, 617-287-7430. The student must present these recommendations and discuss them with each professor within a reasonable period, preferably by the end of Drop/Add period.

 

Should you have any problems or questions, contact me early; don't let small problems become big ones! Telephone me, visit me at my office or stop by after class to set up an appointment. Also, I encourage questions in class; if you don't understand something, there is a good chance that others don't. I like questions.