IFSC 4210 COMPUTER ETHICS

CLASS POLICIES, HELPFUL INFORMATION, AND COURSE DOWNLOADS

 

 

ACADEMIC ADVISING:  ROSS HALL 406, PHONE:  569-8688

 

Spring Semester 2003 - DATES OF INTEREST

 

CLASSES BEGIN:            

JAN 13,, 2003

 

LAST DAY TO REGISTER, ADD, OR ADJUST SCHEDULE:

JANUARY 17, BY 5:00 PM

                                             -no refunds for dropped classes after this date

                                             -grade of "W" for dropped classes after this date

                                             -last day to switch from credit to audit or vice-versa

 

HOLIDAY CLASS CANCELLATIONS:

JANUARY 20

MARCH 24-31, Spring Break

 

LAST DAY TO DROP AN INDIVIDUAL CLASS

APRIL 11, BY 500PM

 

LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW FROM THE UNIVERSITY

MAY 1, BY 500PM

 

LAST DAY OF CLASSES:

MAY 1

 

 

CLASS INFORMATION FOR IFSC 4210 SECTION 01

 

TIME:                                  M W 3:30PM-4:20 PM

LOCATION:                       ETAS 208

FINAL EXAM:                   1:30PM –330PM, Wednesday  – MAY 7, 2003,  ETAS 208

 

INSTRUCTOR:                   Dr. William Mitchell

OFFICE:                              ETAS 202

TELEPHONE:                    683-7117

E-MAIL:                              wmmitchell@ualr.edu

OFFICE HOURS:               10-11 daily

 

SECRETARY:                     Alene Washington

OFFICE                               ETAS 258

TELEPHONE:                    569-8951

 

PREREQUISITES:             Senior Standing in Information Science.

 

ATTENDANCE:                 Regular attendance is expected of all students.

 

EXAMINATIONS:             There will be no makeup on quizzes or exams.

 

ASSIGNMENTS:Written reports will be required on assigned readings.  Class presentations by groups of students will be frequent.

 

COLLUSION:                     Unless otherwise stated Collusion on assignments is strictly prohibited.   However, a class listserv will facilitate students sharing information about the assignments.    .

 

DISABLED STUDENT POLICY:

 

            It is the policy of UALR to accommodate students with disabilities, pursuant to federal and state law.  Any student with a disability who needs accommodation, for example in seating placement or in arrangements for examinations, should inform the instructor at the beginning of the course.  The chair of the department offering this course is also available to assist with accommodations.  Students with disabilities are also encouraged to      contact the Office of Disability Support Services, which is located in the Donaghey Student Center, Room 103,      telephone 569-3143.

 

HELP

There  is now a help desk in ETAS 308 that is open from 8-6 M-Th, 8-5 on Fridays, and 9-3 on Saturday.   Some questions can be answered immediately at the help desk and the rest will be collected and the answers posted within 24 hours.  Questions can be posted to http://cyberhelp.cc.ualr.edu

 

ADVICE

Many students at UALR have families and jobs and other pressures on their time.  Often these conflicting responsibilities interfere with course work.  Classes may be missed,  assignments may be late, lack of study time may result in bad test performance.   When students find themselves in a hole, especially during the short summer session, they often think that their only option is to bail out.   No matter how deep you think your hole is, do not drop a class or resign from UALR before talking to at least one  of the following:

1.       Katie Young,  Cybercollege Academic Advisor (569-8715)

2.       Academic Advising (569-3386)

3.       Financial Aid (if you have a loan or grant) (569-3035)

4.       Any faculty member in your major department

5.       the instructor of the class you propose to bail out of.

 

 

 

Course Credit Distribution:

 

GRADING:     Homework assignments =      30 % (presentations)

                              Term Paper                                     20%

                        Two exams(midterm & final)  50 %

                        Total                                        100 %

 

            Nominally the usual 10 point scale is used. 

                                    90 - 100                       A

                                    80 - 89                         B

                                    70 - 79                         C

                                    60 - 69                         D

                                    BELOW 60     F

 

 

IFSC 4210 COMPUTER ETHICS

Course Syllabus

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION (from 2002-2003 Catalog)  Prerequisite: senior standing in Information Science or consent of instructor.  Study of professional codes of ethics and the responsibilities that they place on technology professionals.   Investigation of the background and implications of ethical concerns in the application of technology  and the use of moral reasoning to comprehend issues of privacy, security, ownership, protection, and law.  Two hours lecture.  Two credit hours.

 

TEXT:             Computer Ethics, 3rd Edition

AUTHOR:       Deborah G. Johnson

PUBLISHER:  Prentice Hall

ISBN:              0-13-083699-0

 

TEXT:             CyberEthics

AUTHOR:       Baird

PUBLISHER:  Prometheus Books

ISBN:                1-57392-790-2   

 

Other Resources:

 

 

Course Objectives

  1. Confront the conflicting duties owed by a technology professional who is also an employee and a responsible member of society. 
  2. Understand how ethical theories inform professional practice. 
  3. Survey the mechanisms that society, business, and  professional organizations have established to promote ethical practice and correct malpractice.
  4. Study the affect of the incorporation of technology on the life of different economies and different world societies.
  5. Appreciate how public perceptions and public policies governing the use of technology are formed and the technology professional’s role in that process.

 

Outline of Topics (from the Johnson textbook)

 

  1. Why Computer Ethics
    1. Moral and legal issues
    2. The role of analogy in computer ethics
  2. Philosophical Ethics
    1. Ethical relativism
    2. Utilitarianism
    3. Deontological theories
    4. Rights
    5. Virtue ethics
    6. Individual and social policy ethics
  1. Professional Ethics
    1. Characteristics of professions
    2. Is computing a profession
    3. Software engineering
    4. Professional relationships
    5. Conflicting responsibilities
    6. Code of ethics and professional conduct
    7. Collective responsibility
  1. Ethics Online
    1. Hacking and hacker ethics
    2. Netiquette
    3. Access policy approaches
  1. Privacy
    1. Privacy as a social good
    2. Legislative background
    3. Global perspective     
  1. Property Rights in Computer Software
    1. Current legal protection
    2. Philosophical basis of property
    3. Proprietary software issues
  1. Accountability and Computer and Information Technology
    1. Buying and selling software
    2. Y2K problem
    3. Internet issues
    4. ISP liability
    5. Virtual action
  1. Social Implications and Social Values
    1. Embedded values, enhanced and impeded values
    2. Democratic values in the Internet
    3. Free expression
    4. Overarching and future issues

 

Meeting Schedule I led discussion on the Johnson text, students gave ppt presentations on the articles assigned in Baird and supplementary articles (S) that I posted in WebCT as pdf files.

Day

Topic

Assignment

Jan 13

1.  Are Good People good professionals?

1.1.  Critical Thinking 

        1.2.  Scenario: Legal Records 

        1.3.  Privacy Law in the Workplace 

Read J. chapt 1

Jan 15

2.  Is Computer Ethics Different?
J1.  How Do You Do Computer Ethics

Read B. Moor (#1 & #2)

Jan 20

Holiday

 

Jan 22

3  Ethical Theories
  B1: James Moor--Policy 

  B2: Aristotle 

  J2.1Traditional Ethics

Read J. chapt 2

Jan 27

4    B5: David Gleason--Subsumption 

      J 2.2.  Utilitarianism 

 

Jan 29

5   B6: Artz: Narrative vs Logical Reasoning 

      B7: Van Den Hoven: Computer Ethics 

      J2.3.  Rules and Rights 

 (S)Ethical Concepts in IT (Laudon in ACM Comm) 

(S)Ethics and Religion 

Feb 3

6   Laudon: Computer Ethics  (student)

     J2.4 Micro & Macro Ethics 

(S) 1992 ACM Code and its Application--Anderson et. al. 

 (S) Dahlbom's View of ACM code 

Feb 5

7  The Engineering Model (codes)
Using The New ACM Code Of Ethics In Decision Making  (student)

A Scandinavian View On ACM 's Code Of Ethics  (student)

 J3.1  Why Professional Ethics 

Read J. chapt 3

(S) Survey on Corporate Influence on Ethics--Kreie & Cronan 

(S)  Survey on Gender and Ethics--Kreie & Cronan 

(S)  Survey on Attitudes towards Ethics--Loch & Conger

Feb 10

8   Surveys on Ethical Behavior  (student)

J3.2.  Computing Profession? 

 (S)ACM: Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice 

(S)  Martin's view of SE code 

Feb 12

9  IEEE/ACM Software Engineering Code 

 &   Martin's Analysis of Code  (student)

 J3.3.  Professional Relationships 

(S)  Ethical Systems Analysis--Wood-Harper et. al. 

(S)  Persuasive Tech--Berdichevsky & Neuenschwander 

Feb 17

10   Designers: Ethical SA  & Persuasive Technology (student)

  J3.4  Codes and Conduct 

 

Feb 19

11 No Class

Read J. chapt 4

Feb 24

12   Ethical Issues on the Internet

 

Feb 26

13  B8: Anonymity on the Internet  (student)

 

Mar 3

14  B9: Psychology of Virtual Reality (student)

 Read J. chapt 5

Mar 5

15  Computer Privacy 

 

Mar 10
16  Social Policy on Privacy 

B13: Demise of Privacy  (student)

 

Mar 12

17   Midterm Review  

 

Mar 17

18  Midterm Exam

 

Mar 19

19   B14: Privacy and the Computer  (student)

  B15: Toward a Theory of Computer Privacy (student)

 

Mar 24

Spring Break

 

Mar 26

Spring Break

 Read J. chapt 6

Mar 31

20  J6 Property Rights in Cyberspace

 

Apr 2

21   B19: Intellectual Property in Cyberspace

 

Apr 7

22  Comments on First Drafts of Term Papers

 

Apr 9

23  B20: Collaborative Intellectual Property

Read J. chapt 7

Apr 14

24  J7 Accountability

 

Apr 16

25

 

Apr 21

26    B22: Democracy  (student)

       B23: Strangers  (student)

Read J. chapt 8

Apr 23

27  J8  Social Implications and Social Values 

 

Apr 28

28  Entertainment Industry Looses in Web Case

 

Apr 30

29  Review for Final

   Framework for Ethical Computing

 ACM article on Teaching Computing Ethics

May 7

Final Exam