Syllabus
Instructor
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Lectures
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Office hours
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Charles Wallace
205 Rekhi Hall
(906) 487-3431
wallace@mtu.edu
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Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 3-4 PM
Dillman 320
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Monday, 2-3 PM
Thursday, 3-4 PM
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Course description
Computing technology is constantly changing — and it is changing
us. The ways in which we use computers raise important social
and ethical problems, with few easy answers. As computing
professionals, you are in a unique, technically informed position to
address these problems. In this course, we will consider some of the many ways in which computers
and human concerns intersect.
Readings
Quinn. Ethics for the Information Age. Addison Wesley, 2009.
ISBN: 978-0321536853
We will also be using the following book, available for free online:
Lessig. Code, Version 2.0. Basic Books, 2006. ISBN: 978-0465039142
Other readings, available for free online, are given in the course schedule.
Course requirements and grading
You will be assessed on the following criteria:
- Class participation (20%): I expect you to attend each
class and participate in our discussions. Each week, you will discuss the assigned readings with a team of 3-4 students (chosen by me) and write notes on your discussion. During our class meetings, I will call on particular teams to lead the class discussion, using your notes as a guide. Teams will rotate during the course of the semester.
- Homework assignments (accounting for 30% of your grade):
Each week, your team will turn in the notes you have written, along with your answers to selected exercises. Please type your answers and give me a hard copy.
- In-class assignments (20%): These will typically be
assigned on Fridays and are to be turned in at the end of class. Like
the homeworks, they are team assignments; unlike the homeworks, they
need not be typed.
- Term paper (30%): With your team members (chosen by me),
you will select a relevant topic, find appropriate source material,
and write a paper that gives a broad survey of your topic. During the
last two weeks of class, teams will give presentations in class on their
paper topics. In an appendix, please describe what each team
member contributed to the paper. I will be looking for the following:
- Interesting choice of topic
- Varied, high-quality sources
- Multiple perspectives
- Clear, carefully written prose
- Informative presentation
Please note: I will be taking attendance in class. One or two unexcused absences will hurt your participation score, but more than two will result in your failing the course.