CS300
Computers in Society
Web- based course
Rekha Gupta
CS 300
• Delivery
– BlackBoard
• Discussion boards
• Assignment submission
• Announcements
Course Characteristics
• Discussions (Blackboard)
– Current Events
– Debates on Societal Issues
• Presentation
– Multimedia presentation given in a forum
environment
• Written paper
– Research paper on Computers in Society
Syllabus
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Goals and Objectives
Course Requirements
Schedule
Grading Criteria
Required Text
Contact Information
Forum
• Common theme for discussion/research
• Moderated discussion of topics
• Group project with individual requirements:
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PowerPoint Presentation
Submitted to the course Blackboard
Length of 8 – 10 minutes
Evaluations of other students
Contribute to forum environment of other forum groups
Written Project
• Background: historical context, applicable
literature
• Benefits and ethical issues of Computers in
Society
• Through: supporting arguments,
conclusions, references
Current Events
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Due every week
Keeps the course content current
Schedule of topics provided
Used as a resource for written projects and
forum presentations
Current Event Requirements
• Submit on time through the Discussion
Board
• Must be
– Pertinent
– Current
– Reputable
Current Event Requirements
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Text version, or URL of on-line version
Article date
Summary
Description of associated computer
technology
• Relation to course topic
• Interest
Lots to Discuss
• Current Events
• Forum presentations
– Planning of your own
– Debate of others
• Course lecture topics
Grading
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Current Events - 15%
Examinations (2) - 30%
Final Paper - 20%
Forum Presentation - 20%
Discussion Participation - 15%
Course Topics
• History of computers and definitions of a
society
• History of the Internet and current uses
• Societal issues due to computers
Topics
• Computers and their roles in the areas of:
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Communications
Government - Privacy and Information
Security
Computer Crime
Education
Business
Transportation
Medicine
Reliability
Intellectual Property/Constitutional Issues
Professional Ethics and Responsibilities