Dr. Bob Mathis mathis.28@osu.edu
(do not use or copy to other addresses) (start subject with "601")
Office: DL 250, before & after class, Tuesday & Thursday, by appointment
Send an e-mail in advance for planning. (Questions most easily resolved through e-mail.)
CSE 601: Social and Ethical Issues in Computing U G 1
Social, ethical, and legal issues facing computing professionals;
ethical principles; discussion of case studies.
Wi, Sp Qtrs. 1 1.5-hr cl. Prereq: 560.
Although there are multiple sections and two different class meeting days,
both Mathis sections will be treated as one course. If you can't come on your
assigned day, come the other day of that week. The other instructor
(on Wednesday) has a separate class.
Things are likely to happen (power outages, snow storms, traffic accidents, trips to the hospital, etc.).
Do not wait to the last minute. The instructor will try to handle things reasonably, but wants to keep
to the arranged schedule as much as possible.
Class attendance and participation is part of your grade.
Course "Handout"
(this page - syllabus/description/general information)
(
http://www.cse.ohio-state.edu/~bmathis/601/601-desc-sch-wi12.html)
Personal record (to be handed in at last class):
601-personal-record.doc
Grading rubric for paper:
601-rubric-paper.doc
Grading rubric for presentation:
601-rubric-talk.doc
Instructor's in class slides (
http://www.cse.ohio-state.edu/~bmathis/601)
Introduction:
601-A-intro.ppt
Ethics, professional ethics, ACM & IEEE:
601-B-ethics.ppt
Presentation Information: 601-C-suggest-for-present.ppt
Current Events:
601-D-current-events.ppt
Suggested Topics:
601-suggested-topics.doc
Grader:
Course Objectives:
The primary objective is for each participant to become informed, and
to develop reasoned opinions, about the ethical, social, and legal dimensions
of various situations that may be encountered by computer professionals,
and about social issues that arise from computer technology.
Participants will practice how to: hold an opinion, have reasons for their opinions,
change opinions when compelled by best judgment, and rationally discuss opinions
in cooperative pursuit of truth and good practices. Additional objectives are to develop
communication skills, both written and oral, and to encourage ethical and responsible behavior.
Week: Topics, activities, schedule of student presentations (eventually)
Assignments and Grading:
(1) each student will write a three-page analysis paper on a topic related to the course,
(2) each student will make one 10 minute classroom presentation on a selected topic, and
(3) each student will attend class 10 times.
The course grade will based on points given for the paper, presentation, and class participation.
First Assignment - due as e-mail
attachment (to both instructor and grader)
by 9:00pm, Thursday, January 26, 2012
Each student will explore a new or recent product or practice or event (p/p/e), consider
the impact it may have in a "global, economic, environmental, and societal context" and
consider as well any relevant contemporary issues and how they affect these considerations;
and present the findings in a 3-4 page paper. Target length for the paper is about 900 words
(approximately 3 pages of 12 pt., double spaced). Paper may be rewritten once for a higher grade.
Writing assignment must be submitted by 9:00pm on the due date. (At this point you will have
known about it for about 3 weeks, not getting it in on time is inexcusable.)
A grading rubric will be used to evaluate the student's paper. The rubric evaluates
the student's paper along six dimensions, having to do respectively with the student's
awareness of global effects that the product/ practice/ event etc. (p/p/e) in
question may have; understanding of the involved economic factors; the implications
to society at large; awareness of other relevant contemporary issues; the quality of
the presentation of the ideas in the student's paper; and the style of writing.
Each of these six dimensions is assigned a score of 1 through 4, these values
representing increasing degrees of achievement in the particular dimension, as
described in the table below in the rows corresponding to the various dimensions.
The numbers in the last column are the actual scores assigned to this particular student,
based on his or her paper, along the six dimensions. The overall total score is assigned
by simply adding together the scores corresponding to the six dimensions.
Some ideas for the rubrics came from http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/rubrics.shtml
In-class Presentations will be graded using another rubric
ased on: effectiveness of communication, clarity, strength of preparation,
accuracy of reported material, and strength of argumentation (for debates).
Pick a topic you know something about (so the rest of the class will learn something);
pick a topic you're interested in so you'll be motivated and make it interesting.
Class participation grade will be based on attendance.