EMIS-2375 Cultural and Ethical Implications of Technology
Course Syllabus Summer 2016 – Taos May/June/August Term
Instructor:
Gretchen Miller Coleman
gmiller@lyle.smu.edu
Office:
Taos
Blackboard:
https://courses.smu.edu/webapps/login/
click on EMIS 3375
Course Materials:
Ethics for the Information Age – 5th Edition
Michael J. Quinn
Society, Ethics, & Technology – 5th Edition
Morton Winston and Ralph Edelbach
Course Description:
This course is designed to educate students of all disciplines about the far-reaching societal
impact of the ethical decision-making process regarding the use of technology. The influence of
ethics in making choices is widespread—they affect an individual’s, a business’s, or even a
country’s security, economic strength, policies, and culture. Today’s widely available technology
has enabled participation in large-scale cheating and theft by ordinary citizens, including many
who consider themselves as upstanding members of society. The course develops the student’s
ability to think critically about contemporary technological ethical issues and the impact of
personal decisions living and working in a global technological society.
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs):
• Philosophical & Religious Inquiry and Ethics II
o Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to critically reflect on or apply the
theoretical methods of philosophy or religious studies via a focus on a specific area or set
of issues.
• Oral Communication (OC)
o Students will be able to select, organize and use appropriate evidence or information to
suit a specific or targeted audience.
o Students will be able to use appropriate vocal and visual cues to deliver a presentation to
a specific or targeted audience.
• Information Literacy (IL)
o Students will be able to select and use the appropriate research methods and search tools
for needed information.
o Students will be able to evaluate sources for quality of information for a given
information need.
Method of Presentation:
• Class lectures, film clips and discussion will complement the assigned reading material.
Students are expected to have read the assigned material before attending the class.
• Current topical information found outside the text may be assigned in class and included
in the lecture. It is important that the student attend class in order to get this information.
GMC
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EMIS-2375 Cultural and Ethical Implications of Technology
Course Syllabus Summer 2016 – Taos May/June/August Term
Method of Evaluation:
Grades are earned as follows:
Exam1
Exam 2
Discussions/Homework/Participation
Group Case Analysis
30%
30%
20%
20%
Exams:
The exams will be multiple choice as well as essay. Exams will cover material presented in class
(lecture slides and discussions) and reading assignments (textbooks and online articles), and
homework assignments. Reading topics will be posted on Blackboard.
Case Analyses:
Case analysis will be conducted in the following forums using the ethical decision making
framework and ethical theories to explain the effects on individuals, business, and society.
• Class discussion
• Homework assignments
• Presentation and submission of a group case 8-10 page research paper analyzing the case
using 5 ethical theories. This must have at least 3 academic and scholarly sources to
support the conclusions.
Discussions/Homework/Participation:
Students are expected to attend all class lectures. The participation grade is directly linked to
attendance. Students are required to actively participate in the class open discussion forum
regarding course material in a constructive/critical manner. At the end of the semester, students
will be evaluated on the frequency, quality, and depth of the comments. Homework assignments
will be given to learn and practice searching for academic and scholarly sources for a paper.
Group Case Analysis:
Each student will participate in a group case analysis covering a specific topic assigned by the
Professor. Instructions for the successful completion of the assignment will be posted on
Blackboard. You will be required to incorporate course material such as; framework for decision
making, and the ethical theories.
University Honor Code:
The SMU Honor Code applies to all work performed in this class (see
(http://smu.edu/studentlife/studenthandbook/PCL_03_Conduct_Code.asp) and the SMU student
Honor Code (http://smu.edu/studentlife/studenthandbook/PCL_05_HC.asp). Giving or
receiving dishonest aid on homework or exams, or toleration of such action, constitutes an
Honor Code violation. An example of an Honor Code violation is submitting for evaluation a
homework assignment that was completed with the aid of a solution set or was directly copied
from a classmate or done by anyone else than you (by letting someone else to complete an
assignment under your logging credentials). Unless specifically stated in writing, all in this
course is to be completed on an individual basis, and will be evaluated as such. Any
collaboration on a lab assignment, a lecture exam, or extra credit assignment will be considered
GMC
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EMIS-2375 Cultural and Ethical Implications of Technology
Course Syllabus Summer 2016 – Taos May/June/August Term
an honor violation. Honor code violations will be dealt with by the instructor and referred to the
Honor Council if necessary.
Disability Accommodations:
Students needing academic accommodations for a disability must have all documentation
completed with the SMU Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies (DASS) Office at the
Dallas campus before arrival at the Taos campus. The official DASS authorization letter must be
handed to your professor the first day of class. Students may call 214-768-1470 or
visit http://www.smu.edu/alec/dass.asp for assistance with this process.
Religious Observance:
Religiously observant students wishing to be absent on holidays that require missing class need
to make an appointment to meet with your professor after the first class session to discuss
acceptable ways of making up any work missed because of the absence.
GMC
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EMIS-2375 Cultural and Ethical Implications of Technology
Schedule May-June-Aug 2016 – Taos Summer Term
Session 1
History of Technology
- Discuss milestones in Computing, Networking, Storage and Retrieval
Chapter 1
Introduction to Ethics
Decision Making Framework
- Discuss the 5 Workable Ethical Theories
Chapter 2
Case Analysis Project Introduction – Plagiarism
Session 2
Appendix A
Networked Communications
Chapter 3
- Discuss moral issues associated with using the Internet; Spam,
Censorship, Freedom of expression, Cyberbullying, Internet addiction, etc.
Computer and Network Security
- Hacking, Malware, Cybercrime, Online voting
Chapter 7
Session 3
Intellectual Property
Chapter 4
- Intellectual property rights and protection, Fair use, Software protection,
and Creative commons
Session 4
Exam 1 – Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and Appendix A
Field Trip - Los Alamos National Lab/ Bradbury Science Museum
Session 5
Session 6
Information Privacy
Privacy definitions, Information disclosures, and Data mining
Chapter 5
Security and Surveillance
- Consequences of the information revolution, Automation and
Proliferation of military drones and the protection of civilians, the
Growing surveillance monster
Chapter 2.1
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
- Birth of a robot, and Ethics in advanced robotics
Chapter 2.2
Internet and Social Media
Chapter 2.4
- Is Google Making Us Stupid?, Corporate Censorship – Net Neutrality,
and Technical Code and the social Construction of the Internet
Session 7
Session 8
GMC
Presentations
Biotechnology
- Our Post human Future – History, Regulations, Policies, Control,
Preventing a Brave New World, and the Case against Perfection –
Cloning, Human Genome Project
Exam 2 – Chapters 5, 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, and 2.5
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Chapter 2.5