CIS 0835: Cyberspace and Society
Section 003 ---- Fall Semester 2007
Lecturer: Laurie Shteir
Tech News:
Walter Mossberg the lead
Personal Technology writer for the
Wall Street Journal will be giving a
presentation at Temple University on
October 22nd from 11:40-1:30 --Don’t miss this opportunity for an outstanding
presentation
Office Locations: Wachman Hall, room 418
Email:
laurie@temple.edu
Personal Website: http://www.temple.edu/laurie
Office Hours: Tuesday from 2 PM to 3 PM, other hours by appointment
Course Website for virtual labs: http://www.temple.edu/cybersociety
Lab Assistant: Orawee Praserthdam
E-Mail: opras@temple.edu
Office Location: Wachman Hall, room 412
Office Hours: Tuesday, 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM or by appointment
Class Meeting Times:
Tuesday: 4:40 to 7:10 in Tuttleman room 7
Objective:
This course provides students with an understanding of the underlying principles of
technologies that have an impact on their lives and how those principles are related to realworld activities. Class lectures, readings and student discussions will be utilized to integrate
the application of technology with social and ethical issues facing society. For example: What
is the impact of the Internet on intellectual property? How far can government surveillance
go to detect criminal behavior without reducing our civil liberties? How can vulnerable
groups be protected from predators, scam artists, and identity theft?
We will try to achieve an equal mix between technology, social-ethics discussions and hands
on laboratory work. I want to encourage a respectful and open environment for the free
exchange of ideas. Questioning ideas but not individuals is important to achieve this free
exchange.
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
A USB/Flash drive for working on your websites and for other homework assignments, a
Temple University Net-Access Account (commonly referred to as your “Astro” or TU mail
account)
BOOKS: An OPTIONAL technology book has been ordered for the TU bookstore. We will
be utilizing PowerPoint presentations and web resources for the technology and ethics
component of the course, if you feel you would like a text resource for the technology part of
this course, this book has been ordered for you!

Succeeding with Technology: Computer System Concepts for Real Life, Stair and Baldauf,
Thomson Course Technology, 2007
We will use Blackboard for a variety of resources so will need to check on Blackboard and
your TU mail account on a routine basis during the semester.
In addition we will access the following websites
Course Lab Website:
http://www.temple.edu/cybersociety
GRADES
Grades will be assigned as follows:
Testing
30%
Assignments
30%
Lab Assignments
30%
Class
Participation
10%
Quizzes (4 – 20 point Quizzes)
Final Examination (80-100 points)
Semester Group Project
Debate Assignment/Wiki(one of the Labs)
Mini Assignments: Summaries on Social and Ethical Issues
Other Assignments as assigned
Web page Creation, E-Commerce Review, Digital Editing,
PC Configuration Lab, Network Scavenger Hunt
4 Blogs on social and ethical issues and participating in the
class discussions
TOTAL
*One quiz will be dropped from your final grade to adjust your final grade no more than half a grade
COURSE POLICIES:
 There are no quiz makeups. If you are not present when the quiz is distributed
(late/absent/whatever) you will receive a 0 for that quiz.
 All labs are due at the beginning of Tuesday’s class unless otherwise noted. Late labs:
will result in the loss of points
1. 15% reduction for up to 1 week late
2. 30% reduction for up to 2 weeks late
 Submission of late homework assignments need to be discussed with the Instructor.
Please note: Mini-Assignments cannot be submitted late
 At the end of the semester, your lowest quiz grade will be dropped from your grade.
 Students with special needs: Any student who has a need for accommodation based on
the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss the specific situation
as soon as possible. You should also contact Disability Resources and Services at 215204-1280 in 100 Ritter Annex.
 The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and
Responsibilities (Policy # 03.70.02) which can be accessed through the following link:
http://policies.temple.edu/getdoc.asp?policy_no=03.70.02.
 Cell phones and pagers MUST be turned off in my class.
 You will be responsible for research on various topics. Wikipedia and other similar
sites are NOT acceptable sources of information for this course
 We will have a series of debates during the semester, students will work in groups of
four. The end product will consist of an in-class debate and an on-line wiki. Students
will vote confidentially for the winner of the debate.
 There is one semester-long research project. Students will work in teams of four . The
end product will consist of a paper, a PPT presentation and an in-class discussion.
COMMUNICATION OUTSIDE OF CLASS: My office hours and email are listed above.
Email is typically the easiest way to reach me outside of class or my office hours. You need to
check Blackboard and your Temple email regularly during the semester.
ATTENDANCE/PARTICIPATION: Attending classes is critical for you to be successful in
this course. The “class participation” portion of your grade is at my discretion and includes
your attendance. Required write-ups on ethics readings will also factor into this part of your
grade. Class participation is integral for this class to be effective.
ORIGINALITY OF WORK: Do not cheat in this class. I take this very seriously as does the
university!! This includes plagiarism. If you quote someone else’s material, you MUST cite it
properly. This includes all material taken from the Internet. All of your work must be your
own…this includes your lab assignments. Students should also be familiar with the
University statement on academic honesty found at the following link.
http://www.temple.edu/bulletin/Responsibilities_rights/responsibilities/responsibilities.shtm
FINAL GRADES will be assigned as follows. Your grade equals:
Final
Grade
Percentage
A
92-100
A-
90-91
B+
88-89
B
82-87
B-
80-81
C+
78-79
C
72-77
C-
70-71
D+
68-69
D
62-67
D-
60-61
F
0-59
SEMESTER SCHEDULE: This schedule is subject to change throughout the semester.
Changes will be communicated in class or thru Blackboard.
Week 1: August 28th
Course Introduction Reviewing the Syllabus, Accessing Course Content on Blackboard and the
Cyberspace website
Tech Component
Introduction to Computers, Digital Technology, Types of Computers,
Terminology and Introduction to Software
Social/Ethical
Information: How is the collection and use of information different in
Cyberspace
Lab/Hands-On
Homework
Assignment
Creating a Blog (worth 2 points)
Write a short paragraph introducing yourself to your class mates, provide
your full name, also include what you want to learn most about in class
this semester
Tech Component
Week 2: September 4th
Mobile Computing, Cell Networks, Cell Phones
Social/Ethical
Digital Divide, $100 Laptop
Lab/Hands-On
Review of posting a document on the Class Blog and the requirements for
the Blogs on Social/Ethical Issues
Misc
Debate Sign Up Sheet
Semester Group Project
Week 3: September 11th
Quiz 1: Lecture material from Weeks 1 and 2 (study notes and PPT
presentations posted on Blackboard)
The Internet and WWW
Tech Component
Social/Ethical
On-Line Dating, Internet and Education
Lab/Hands-On
Wiki Lab
Week 4: September 18th
Lab/Hands-On
Webpage Creation
Website Plan is due: October 2nd
Website due date: October 16th
Week 5 : October 2nd
Lab/Hands-On
Tech Component
Webpage Creation continued
Week 6: October 9th
The Internet/Telecommunications and Networking
Computer Software
File types and compression techniques
Social/Ethical
Intellectual Property and Content Control in Libraries
Digital Piracy, software ownership and open source
Debate: There should be unrestricted Internet access in public libraries
Lab/Hand-On
Network Scavenger Hunt (Extra Credit)
Week 7: October 16th
Quiz 2: The Internet/Telecommunications and Networking
Computer Hardware
Tech Component
Social/Ethical
Plagiarism
Debate: Wikipedia should be a valid reference source for this course
Lab/Hands-On
Configuring a PC
Week 8: October 23rd: Instructor is Out of Town
Tech Component
Week 9: October 30th
Quiz 3: Computer Hardware
Computer Crime and Security
Social/Ethical
Tradeoffs in Computer Security, Altering Digital Photographs
Debate: Online privacy and security are impossible to enforce
Lab/Hands-On
Digital Photo Lab
Tech Component
Week 10:November 6th
Quiz 4: Computer Crime and Security
E-Commerce
Social/Ethical
Privacy and Security
Debate: The victim is responsible for ID Theft
Lab/Hands-On
E-Commerce Site Evaluation
Week 11: November 13th
Tech Component
Databases
Social/Ethical
Data Mining and Data Merging
Debate: National ID cards provide more harm than benefits
Misc
Meet with group for planning purposes
Week 12: November 20th
Calendar Adjustment Day: No classes for Cyberspace and Society
Weeks 13 and 14: November 27th and December 4th
Group Presentations on Semester Projects and Reviewing for the Final Examination
Week 15: December 11th: Final Examination