CSE 302 - Professional
Ethics for Computer Science
General Info:
Instructor: Prof.
Klaus Mueller
Office hours: CS 2428, We 2-3pm
(or send email for other arrangements)
Phone: 632-1524
Email:
mueller_remove_this@cs.sunysb.edu
Meeting time and venue:
Computer Science 2129A, Tu 8:20 - 9:40 pm
Summary:
Ethics in Information
Technology is designed to educate existing and future business managers
and IT professionals on the tremendous impact ethical issues play in the
use of information technology in the modern business world. The topics
covered in this course are extremely current and relevant to anyone
preparing to enter the field of IT. Thge course will give students the
foundation they need to make appropriate decisions when faced with
difficult situations and make a positive impact in the field of
information technology.
Prerequisites:
CSE 219 (Computer Science III) or
CSE 260 (Computer Science B: Honors)
Texts:
George Reynolds, Ethics in Information Technology, Thomson
Course Technology, 2007. ISBN 13: 978-1-4188-3631-3
Grading:
Attendance (taken every session):
10%
Term paper: 50%
Class presentation: 40%
Assignments:
Students will be expected to perform the
following:
- Reading Assignments: The topics discussed in the lectures
correspond to the various chapters of the course textbook. The course
outline gives the approximate dates for each major topic to be
discussed. You are responsible for reading the appropriate chapter from
the text and the appropriate set of transparencies from the lecture
notes before each class.
- Term paper: You will write an 8-page term paper on a topic
related to professional ethics in computing, drawing on one of the case
studies in the syllabus or on personal experience. See also the Topics
Page for a source of possible topics. The term-paper topic is due at the
end of week 4; a draft is due at the end of week 9; and the final draft
is due at the end of the semester.
- Class Presentation: You will make a 10-minute class presentation
(Powerpoint) on the topic of his term paper. The presenting student will
be evaluated on his coverage of the topic and his ability to engage
fellow students in discussion. Students in the class will be asked to
evaluate their fellow students' presentations on content, clarity, and
excitement level. For schedule see
below.
Schedule:
Watch this course webpage as more detailed schedule
develops. There will be 14 sessions in total.:
Date
|
Topic
|
Reading
(chapters)
|
Notes
|
9/02
|
Course overview
|
Reynolds: 1
|
intro
|
9/09
|
Introduction to computer ethics |
Reynolds: 1
|
see above
|
9/16
|
Ethics for IT professionals and users
|
Reynolds: 2
|
chapter2
|
9/23
|
Computer and internet crime (cont'd)
Discussion of term paper proposals |
Reynolds: 3
|
chapter3
|
10/07
|
Privacy |
Reynolds: 4
|
chapter4
|
10/14
|
Software development |
Reynolds: 7
|
chapter7 |
10/21
|
No class
|
|
|
10/28
|
Student presentations
|
|
|
11/04
|
Student presentations |
|
|
11/11
|
Student presentations |
|
|
11/18
|
Student presentations |
|
|
11/25
|
Student presentations |
|
|
12/02
|
Student presentations |
|
|
12/09
|
Student presentations |
|
|
Presentation Schedule
Presentation peer-review results.
NEW: Term paper
due date is Friday December 19, 2008 via email to instructor
See this presentation on how to give a good
powerpoint talk. Make sure you look at this.
Possible topics for term paper and
class presentation:
Here a list of possible topics and sources of topics
for your term paper/class presentation. You can chose a topic not on the
list as well.
- A very good source of topics is the course textbook, Reynolds, Ethics
in Information Technology. In particular, each chapter of the book
ends with a section called Cases, which provides a brief
introduction to several case studies relevant to the chapter in
question.
- Online Ethics Center.
Clicking on several of the menu items just below the page header
(Engineering Practice, Diverse Workplace, Computers & Software)
brings up a list of items including cases.
- The Case Materials page of ComputingCases.org desribes
several case studies.
- Stony
Brook Computer Science Professional Ethics
- Case
Studies in Information and Computer Ethics
- Some general topics of interest are software piracy, intellectual
property protection, user privacy, software reliability, computerized
medicine, and safety critical systems
Useful links:
Course policies:
NO
INCOMPLETES will be given for this course. Collaboration on assignments
and exams is not permitted. Students found in violation of this rule of
conduct will automatically receive an F on the assignment or exam in
question. The offical university position on academic dishonesty is the
following:
Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be
personally accountable for all submitted work. Representing another
person's work as your own is always wrong. Any suspected instance of
academic dishonesty will be reported to the Academic Judiciary. For more
comprehensive information on academic integrity, including categories of
academic dishonesty, please refer to the
academic
judiciary website.
Disability notice:
If you have a physical, psychological, medical or
learning disability that may impact on your ability to carry out
assigned course work, I would urge that you contact the staff in the
Disabled Student Services office (DSS), Room 133, Humanities,
632-6748v/TDD. DSS will review your concerns and determine with you what
accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and
documentation of disability are confidential.