CS 306 Computer In Society
Fall 2010
CS 306 Computers in Society
Instructor: Jacques Chansavang
Computer Science
Email: chansavj@ipfw.edu
Classroom Kettler Hall 226; 12:00 - 1:15 PM TR
Computer Science Office Ph: 481-0205
Office: ET 125K Computer Science
Office Hours: T-TR 10:30 A.M. – 12:00 A.M.
Other best time is by appointment
PLEASE TURN OFF CELL PHONES AND PAGERS DURING CLASS!
DO NOT SURF THE WEB, I.M. WITH FRIENDS, OR READ EMAIL IN CLASS!
IT’S RUDE AND ANNOYING TO YOUR FELLOW CLASSMATES AND MYSELF
IF CAUGHT YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO DO SOMETHING UNPLEASANT
Textbooks
Textbook_1: A Gift of Fire
Sara Baase, Prentice Hall, 2008
ISBN 10-13-601918-8
Textbook_2: Computers in Society 10/11, 16th Edition
Author/Editor: Paul DePalma, 2011 by The Publisher McGraw-Hill,
Annual Editions, ISBN-978-0-07-352858-8
Overview
CS 306 is an Area VI General Education course offering that analyzes the impact of technology on
individuals, societies and cultures across the glove. The widespread use of computing technology
has changed the way we work, play, and interact with other people. These changes have created a
flood of new social and legal issues that demand critical examination.
Here are a few examples of the issues we will be talking about:

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There is a great deal of information about all of us recorded in computer databases. What
rules should govern how this information is used? (We all get privacy notices in fine print
from our banks, credit card companies, etc. -- what do they really mean?) Hacking, identify
theft and credit card fraud has increased in recent years. What are responses to these types of
fraud and what precautions can we take to prevent this from happening?
New encryption methods make it possible to keep e-mail and phone conversations secret
from others. How should our desire for privacy be balanced with the need of lawenforcement agencies to intercept communications of suspected criminals or terrorists?
How serious are the problems created by Web sites that contain pornography, 'hate' material
directed at various groups, bomb-making information, etc? Should there be any restrictions
on material that is put on the Web?
Computers are increasingly used to control medical devices, airplanes and other safetycritical systems. How safe are such systems? How safe is 'safe enough'? What can we do to
manage the risks involved?
It is easy to use computers to copy music, software, books, etc., in violation of copyright
law. What is the extent of this problem? What can or should be done about it? What is free
software? Should all software be free?
There are (at least) two sides to almost all of the questions we will consider in this course. We will
spend much of our class time discussing the issues and exploring different points of view.
Course Objectives
Case study analysis of the social impacts of computerization and networking. Topics include
computer ethics, crime, privacy, security, reliability, and vulnerability. Other topics include
cyberphilia, cyberphobia, censorship, depersonalization, disenfranchisement, automated decision
making, artificial intelligence, cognitive science, and ergonomics. Students present projects
applying these issues to today’s environment.
After successfully completing this course, you will:
 understand how computing and information systems give rise to social issues and ethical
dilemmas
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CS 306 Computer In Society
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 be familiar with some of the issues you may face as a member of a complex technological
society
 be able to discuss the benefits offered by computing technology in many different areas and
the risks and problems associated these technologies
 understand some social, legal, philosophical, political, constitutional and economical issues
related to computers and the historical background of these issues
 be able to explore the arguments on all sides of a controversial issue, and argue convincingly
for the position you select
 have an increased awareness of current social and legal developments related to computers
Course Requirements
Most of the issues discussed in this course do not have simple or 'pat' answers that everyone will
agree with. An important part of the course will be discussing the issues and debating various points
of view. Most of these discussions will take place online using Blackboard. The course will also
have an online component dealing with current events related to the course material.
Term paper
As part of this course and as an Area VI requirement, you are asked to expand your knowledge
outside of our textbook & class discussions and write a term paper.
Each student will write a term paper on some topic related to the course. This paper will focus on a
social impact of computing technology or on a computer-related public policy or legal issue. The
paper will include background research, a discussion of related issues and critical evaluation by the
student. Each person will also read and comment on another student's paper.
There will be one midterm exam and a final exam. Exams may cover anything from the text and
supplemental material. Some of this information will not be repeated in class or in the assignments.
Be sure to keep up with the assigned readings. (You may want to check your understanding using
the questions at the end of the chapters in the text -- some of these same questions may appear on an
exam.)
Grading Policy
Grading Table
Mid-Term 20%
Scale
(Multiple Choice and Essay Questions)
Final Examination 30%
(Multiple Choice and Essay Questions)
Term Paper 20%
(See Handout)
Assignments: Discussion/Participation 20%
(Weekly Hwk: Group assignment/presentation,
Handouts/Current_Events)
Attendance*
90-100%
80-89%
70-79%
60-69%
Below 60%
A
B
C
D
F
10%
(Class Attendance and Discussion, if you miss 3 and more
class periods your grade could be dropped by a Letter Grade)
Total 100%
Your grade will be calculated as follows:
(total discussion points/total assigned points) (20) + (total term paper points/150) (20) + (total midterm
points/100) (20 + (total final exam points/100) (30) + (Attendance 10%).
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*I feel that class participation is very important in this class. We will be talking about a great deal of topics and the
more people that join the discussions the better the class will go. This is divided between your attendance and your
participation.
Tentative Class Schedule
Week 1 –
Due Date
Week 2 – Topic Selection
Sep-12-10
Week 3 – Sources
Sep-12-10
Week 4 – Outlines
Sep-19-10
Week 5 –
Week 6 –
Week 7 – Speakers
Week 8 – Mid-Term Review and Mid-Term
Week 9 –
Week 10 –
Week 11 –
Week 12 – Term Paper Nov-29-10
Week 13 –
Week 14 – Informal Group Presentation
Week 15 –
Week 16 – Final Exam
______________________
Holiday will be announced in the classroom.
Final is: TBA
I take an attendance on every class period.
- You will be responsible for participating in class discussions every week.
Preparation
- You are responsible for all readings and assignments.
Make-Ups – I do not allow make-ups!
If you have a conflict, you need to contact me via email as soon as you know or are physically able.
I have the discretion to either allow a makeup with penalty, a makeup without penalty, or deny a
makeup – depending on the reason and the promptness of notice. Expect to document reason for
the makeup.
Do Your Own Work
Unless I specify, you are to do all work on your own. You are encouraged to help and consult each
other on questions, however you are NOT allowed to copy any portion of your assigned work from
another student or ALLOW any other student to do so from your work. If I catch you cheating or
plagiarizing you will receive a zero for the assignment, and if I catch you a second time you will be
receiving a failing grade for the course.
Due Dates
Unless otherwise announced, all assignments are due at the time on the due date specified. Late
work will be accepted – this does not apply to discussion postings, but penalized as follows:
1 class period late
-10%
2 class periods late
-25%
- Don’t accept after then
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Exam Facts
There are only two exams for this class and they are given as the mid-term and the final. The final
is not cumulative.
Each exam consists of multiple choice, True and False and essay questions. Before you cringe too
much over the essay questions, remember most students do better on essay questions than on any
other kind of question. I will give you a list of around ten essay questions and ask you to choose
two to answer.
Term Papers
There is a dreaded term paper that I’m asking you to write. I know for a great many students this is
a terrifying request but I think once you see the handout you will find that I’m not asking you for
anything beyond your ability.
Investigate the topic. Use articles and/or books, etc., for background. Your project must include
some background research and some activity, e.g., an interview or a site visit. (If you choose a topic
for which you can't think of an appropriate activity, discuss it with me.)
Be passionate! Don't just report. Discuss pros and cons. Evaluate. Use your own words. Quote
where appropriate. Give citations for facts and quotes. Discuss how your topic relates to material
covered in the text and/or in class discussions. In your comments and evaluation section tell me
what you really think, how you feel about it, where do you think it will go? Pick a topic you are
interested in and have fun with it!
The paper should be 20 pages double-spaced.
Requirements:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Font size 12 Time New Roman
A cover page with research title, course/section and your name
Name your document file as “LastNameFirstName(assignment_Name).docx
Outlines of your papers
Introduction/overview of (topics and issues)
- Background, description, and/or history of the issue
- Issues, various points of views and/or court cases
- Results of interviews, observations, research, etc.
- Your comments or evaluations
6. Summary
7. List of references
8. You require to turn in both Hardcopy (Hand in class) and Softcopy (Email me)
DO NOT EMAIL ME, UNLESS TOLD!
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CS 306 Computer In Society
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Calendar
Fall 2010
CS 306 Computer in Society
Textbook 1: Gift of Fire (3rd Edition) Sara Baase, ISBN 10-13-600848-8
Textbook 2: Computers in Society 10/11 Author/Editor: Paul DePalma Publisher McGraw-Hill 2008, ISBN-978-0-07-352858-8
Instructor: Jacques Chansavang
Email: Chansavj@ipfw.edu
CS Dept. Phone: 260-481-6803
Chapters & Discussion
Topics:
Reading Assignments:
- Gift of Fire (GoF)
- Computer In Society (CinS)
- Web Site (URL)
- Handouts (HO)
- Presentation (Pres)
- All Assignment file Names MUST
BE:
Discussions and Other
Assignments:
Assignment instructions are found
in Discussion Assignments.
Current_Events (CE1,2,3 etc) due
Weekly on Sunday at 11:59 PM
LastNameFirstName(assignment
name & Number).docx
Ex:1: SmithJon(CE1).docx
Ex_2: SmithJoe(HW1).docx
HO: Syllabus, Calendar, Discussion
Guidelines and Current Events
Assignment
GoF: Ch 1.1 -1.2
URL: Internet World Stats
CinS Unit 1: Five Things We Need
To Know about Technological
Change (read)
Homework:
Themes and Issues
Ethics
GoF: Ch 1.3 - 1.4
GoF: Ch 2.1-2.2
Homework:
Weekly Current Event # 1 (CE1)
Ch2: Privacy:
Databases
"Keeping up with the
Joneses"
URL: "Keeping up with the Joneses"
Dis_Assign #2 – Privacy Issues
CinS Unit_2: The Economy
Select: Term Paper Topic due
9/12/10
Ch2: Privacy cont.:
Surveillance Technology
GoF: Ch 2.3-2.6
CinS Unit_2: The Economy
Library Presentation: Using
Library Databases to
Research Your Paper (IPFW
Library)
URL: Federal Privacy laws
URL: How Stuff Works: How
Encryption Works
Homework:
Weekly Current Event # 2 (CE2)
Dis_Assign #3 – Privacy
(Cell Phones)
Ch3: Freedom of Speech
GoF: Ch 3.1-3.3
Visit: Hate.com: Extremists
on the Internet
Visit Writing Center (IPFW)
CinS Unit 4: Computer, People, and
Social Participation
Ch3: Freedom of Speech
continues…
Censorship and Anonymity
on the Internet
Visit Electronic Librarian for
CS306
GoF: Ch 3.3 - 3.6
Textbooks:
Cover both Gift Of Fire
And
Week
Computer In Society
Week 1
Course Requirements:
Introduction to computers
and Society
Overview Gift of Fire:
Ch1: Unwrapping The Gift
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Office: ET 125K
Office hours: By appointment or Email
Dis_Assign #1 – Introductions
Select Sources due
9-12-10
Homework:
Weekly Current Event # 3(CE3)
Dis_Assign #4 - Hate and Internet
Term Paper Outlines due
9-19-10
CinS Unit 5: Social Institutions:
Law, Politics, Education, and the
Military
CS 306 Fall 2010 – August 23rd, 2010 - December 19th, 2010
Homework:
Weekly Current Event # 4 (CE4)
Dis_Assign #5 – “Online
Predators”
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Week 6
Ch4: Intellectual Property
GoF: Ch 4.1 - 4.2
Homework:
Weekly Current Event # 5 (CE5)
Dis_Assign #6 - Intellectual
Property - “Free Software”
Week 7
Ch4: Intellectual Property
cont.:
File sharing and piracy
GoF: Ch 4.3 - 4.7
URL: Philip Larson Blog: P2P
Filesharing
Homework:
HWK: Current Event # 6 (CE6)
Dis_Assign #7 – “Digital Rights
Management”
Week 8
Midterm
GoF: Midterm Exams Chapters 1 –
4
CinS: Units Cover above
Homework:
Weekly Current Event # 7 (CE7)
Dis_Assign #8 – “Patents”
Week 9
Ch5: Crime
Suggested Guest speaker:
Campus Information
Security Officer
GoF: Ch 5.1 - 5.3
Homework:
Weekly Current Event # 8 (CE8)
Extra Credit: 10-15 points
Applied to Exams.
Dis_Assign #9 – Phishing
Ch5: Crime continues…
Crime Fighting
GoF: Ch 5.4 - 5.6
Week
10
URL: How Phishing Works
URL: 10 Tips to Avoid Phishing
Scams
CinS Unit 7: International
Perspectives and Issues
URL: Internet Fraud Watch, includes
statistics on Internet fraud
Week
11
Ch6: Work
GoF: Ch 6
CinS Unit_3: Work and Work Place
URL: Is There Privacy in the
Workplace?
URL: Monitoring Employees at
Work
Week
12
Ch7: Evaluating and
controlling Technology
GoF: Ch 7
URL: "Microsoft: Future homes to
use smart appliances, interactive
wallpaper"
Homework:
Weekly Current Event # 9 (CE9)
Dis_Assign #10 – Safety on
Internet
Homework:
Weekly Current Event # 10
(CE10)
Dis_Assign #11 – “As We Live?”
Homework:
Weekly Current Event # 11
(CE11)
Dis_Assign # 12 - Therac-25
Mock Trial (Hospital)
URL: "As We May Live"
Reminder: Term Papers due date
Nov-29-10
Week
13
Ch8: Errors, Failures and
Risk
GoF: Ch 8.1 - 8.2
CinS Unit 6: Risk and Avoiding Risk
CinS Unit 3: 11 How Deep Can you
Probe?
CinS Unit 3: 12 Privacy, Legislation,
and Surveillance Software
Homework:
Weekly Current Event # 12
(CE12)
Dis_Assign # 13 - Therac-25
Mock Trial (manufacturer)
Week
14
Ch8: Errors, Failures and
Risk cont.:
Therac-25 case study
GoF: Ch 8.3 - 8.4
URL: Therac-25 Case Materials
Homework:
Dis_Assign #14 - Therac-25 Mock
Trial (Programmer)
Ch9: Professional Ethics
and Responsibilities
GoF: Ch 9
CinS Unit 3: 10 Computer Software
Engineers
Homework:
Dis_Assign #15 – Ethical Making
Decisions
Week
15
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Week
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Final Exam
Fall 2010
GoF: Ch 5 – 9
CinS: Units cover above
Computer Science
Final Exam: Chapters
(5, 6, 7, 8 & 9)
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