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  • CPE 101
  • CSC 508
  • CSC 508
  • CSC 302 Computers and Society

• To examine the kinds of tasks to which computers are being applied in the modern world.
• To gain a technical understanding of how computers work to a level sufficient to understand their capabilities and limitations.
• To understand the ways in which computers are affecting us individually and as a society.
• To develop an awareness of the methods used and difficulties inherent in applying computers to solve social, economic, scientific, mathematical, artistic, and commercial problems.
• To think critically about beneficial and detrimental impacts of computers.
• To apply a formal philosophical framework to analyzing ethical issues around computer use.
• To understand and be able to articulate the considerations (which may include scientific, technical, economic, commercial, and social) that are necessary for making rational, ethical, and humane technological decisions.
• To help you as a professional and as a citizen to make informed, reasoned judgements about policy issues regarding computing technology.

There will be regular required reading assignments from the textbook (Baase, Petroski) and supplemental articles made at times for the class. Class discussions usually go into depth on a small number of issues from the text or current issues related to topics in the text. Much of the material in the text is not presented or discussed explicitly in class, so you need to do the readings in advance so you understand the concepts behind the issues we will discuss in class.  Not only does it do my heart good to see that you have done the readings, but it will enhance your understanding and possibly increase your interest and enjoyment of the class.

    WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

Student Journals: Weekly Entries Required. You will keep a journal during this class and weekly entries will be required (minimum of 300 words per week).  This journal will be kept by the student in the appropriate file structure under Polylearn - there will be a link there (to be discussed in class week 1.)   In general, the journal should show your thinking, reaction and analytic responses to the issues and ideas covered by the readings and discussed in the class.  Note that the structure below is a rough rubric for grading of your journal entries.  Your grade will reflect the extent to which you really consider the following:

• Your reaction to key ideas presented
  
• Ideas you find surprising or new
• Evidence given for or against the arguments made
  
• Relationship of the issues discussed to your own professional work or aspirations
  
• Problems you see with the proposed directions or solutions 
  

 
    WRITTEN EXAMINATIONS

There will be two in-class written examinations: one midterm and a final. The questions will be mainly multiple-choice and scantrons will be required.   Exam rules:  present ID, no headsets, no cell phones, no computers, restricted bathroom breaks.

    QUIZZES:  There will also be (nearly) weekly quizzes on the readings and highlights of class discussion.  The quizzes will be given on the PolyLearn page and will normally be 10 questions with a 10 minute time limit.  The quizzes will be available for a given amount of time and students are expected to take them before they close.  A zero grade will result for a quiz that is attempted after it closes.  Instructions will be on the page.

   TEAMS

Teams will form during the first week of classes and are to be of size 6 - 7 each.  Other sizes for a Team are possible with instructor approval.  Each Team will have the responsibility to cooperatively produce a final Team Poster for the class and to produce Team Class Activity Reports periodically (may be a handwritten response or a questionairre provided in class - probably once a week.)

    TEAM PROJECTS: POSTER

You will work with several other students on your Team to investigate a topic of current interest about computers in society and present the results of your explorations to the class in the form of a Poster to be presented during the last day of class.  The topic for the Poster must be chosen by the Team and approved by the Instructor by second class of Week 3.  

    TEAM CLASS REPORTS

During lecture and class discussion we will encounter some important issues and potential solutions.  The instructor may periodically ask all the teams to come together during class to take 10 minutes to discuss and make a short written report involving a definition of the issue, the stakeholders and their interests, the tradeoffs that must be made and a recommended solution.  Each member of the team signs and dates the report to submit to the instructor during class (paper).   This written work will go into a paper folder produced by the Team so that the Instructor may collect the Team's work and organize it in a paper file.

    *EXTRA CREDIT

Consult with the instructor about extra credit opportunities.  Possibilites include writing a term paper.  If you elect to work on such an extra credit activity, it must be arranged with the instructor by the second class of week 5 of the term.  There will also be weekly opportunities to give a "mini-report."  Frequently during class discussions questions of fact will arise about which no one in class has accurate information. The instructor may ask for a volunteer to investigate the question and report the results at the next class meeting.  If you make such a report and write up one page about it for the instructor, you may receive one point towards your final grade.

Note that class participation is very important to a class like this even though the class is large.  Your participation is encouraged and may make a difference in your grade beyond that indicated above.  Participation is not only comment and response during class, but it is coming to office hours and raising interesting topics to the Instructor.   It can be getting the best out of your Team. 

ATTENDANCE

Missed classes can not be "made up." If you are absent, get notes and information from other students who were in class.  This is important to exams: actual lectures often stray from the formal posted lecture notes and you are responsible for the discussions that actually occur, not just for the published lecture notes or book chapters. 

You may obtain permission to be excused from class for valid academic or medical reasons, but it is your responsibility to secure permission from the instructor BEFORE the date you will be absent. The instructor may request appropriate documentation of your excuse.  The midterm and final examinations may only be taken during the scheduled exam period.

LATE WORK

Overall, University students are expected to behave responsibly and be accountable for their actions.  On that basis, no late work is accepted in this class.  Assignments, journal entires, short talks / reports are expected to be submitted to the proper polylearn location (TBD) by the due date so that they may be graded.  Quizzes will be timed and required to be taken/completed by certain times.  No exceptions.  Failure to appear for a midterm or a failure to participate in your Team's Project Poster will result in a failing grade for that assignment.  No makeups or extra assignments will be given without formal medical documentation.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

This course involves both individual work and collaborative work. It is your responsibility to understand the guidelines that apply to each kind of work, and to be clear about which assignments are individual assignments and which are collaborative.

Individual Assignments

Homework assignments, short talks, journal entries, and exams are individual efforts. You may verbally discuss the topics, questions, and solutions with other students and are highly encouraged to do so. However, any written work which you submit must be entirely your own. You may not "work together" to write up individual assignments.  Assignments that appear to be copied from another student or other resource will be considered plagiarized. Failure to credit outside sources appropriately may be an instance of this sort of plagiarism.  Violations of this policy may result in being failed from the course. See the campus statement on Academic Dishonesty: Cheating and Plagiarism.)  When incorporating the work of another person (a scholar, newspaper, another student...) into yours, proper citation and credit must be given to the source or that may be considered plagiarized.

Collaborative Assignments

The Team Project is a collaborative effort. Students are expected to work cooperatively to ensure an even distribution of work and to facilitate the overall success of the project. Ideally, each person will take responsibility for a clearly defined component of the finished product.  Each person's contributions must be documented in the credits page (TBD) of each work product.  A single grade is awarded to everyone for the finished product unless a student has not significantly contributed to it.
 

COMPUTING POLICIES

Students are expected to learn and abide by the Campus computing and Communication Policies, Calif. state laws (see Penal Code Section 502), and federal laws.

CLASSROOM CLIMATE

The topics in this course are potentially controversial and students often hold diverse views.  It is a core value of academic discourse to be tolerant of views different than our own and to treat others with respect. 

In addition, an atmosphere conducive to learning can be fostered by minimizing distractions for others who are trying to  concentrate.  Common courtesies include:

• Arrive on time.  If you arrive late please enter quietly and take a seat in the row nearest the door.
• Don't use cell phones or laptops in class unless researching a class discussion topic;  turn off any audible alarms.
• Only one person speaks at a time during discussions; no side conversations.
• Wait until class has been dismissed before packing up.

The use of audio-visual recording devices of any kind (camera, tape recorder, etc) are not allowed without the instructor's permission.

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