Individual Homework Assignments for Benevolent Computing

HW1 - What is Computing for Good?

What Is Benevolent Computing? What is Computing for Social Good?

To help you answer this question I have found a number of resources that I have linked below for you to review. There are interviews, articles, and short documentaries about experiments in this emerging field of research. Use the linked Google form to share your thoughts about these projects, and how these examples might relate to your term project.

• Ellen Zegura, Associate Chair, CS dept at GA Tech, and director of the Computing for Good program:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpzQgZw_L30

• GA Tech Data Science for Social Good program:

https://www.news.gatech.edu/2014/06/30/georgia-tech-uses-data-science-promote-social-good

https://www.news.gatech.edu/features/computing-and-social-good-finding-innovative-solutions

• Jennifer Pahlka, founder of Code for America, interview with Mother Jones magazine:

https://www.motherjones.com/media/2012/05/code-for-america-jen-pahlka-interview/

• Jennifer Pahlka interview with Walter Isaacson on PBS’ Amanpour & Co:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/amanpour-and-company/video/jennifer-pahlka-founder-code-america-sdocgx/

https://www.codeforamerica.org

• University of Chicago Data Science for Social Good Summer Fellowship:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_ndznCKjg4

• Stanford University CS + Social Good program:

https://125.stanford.edu/cssocial-good/

 

HW2 - Creativity

Review the following videos about creativity and read the article about innovation. Then answer the questions on the linked Google form.

Steven Johnson - Where good ideas come from (4 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NugRZGDbPFU

Don Norman on the state of engineering design education (3 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOYz-9ZWVms

“Eureka! It Really Takes Years of Hard Work”, By Janet Rae-Dupree, NY Times 2/3/08
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/business/03unbox.html

 

HW3 - Teamwork

Teamwork is an essential component of the educational experience in Benevolent Computing. Team building skills are not typically taught in CS classes however. Because of increasing interest in improving outcomes of collaborative software development (from ABET and professional organizations), building effective teams has become a vigorous research area in CS education.

Please read the following articles, and then contribute your thoughts on the linked Google form below.

“Computing for Social Good”, By Christine Cesaria, Stony Brook Magazine, Winter 2018 issue

https://www.stonybrook.edu/magazine/2018-winter/computing-for-social-good

“Teaching and Assessing Teamwork Skills in Engineering and Computer Science”, By Robert W. Lingard; Systemics, Cybernetics, and Informatics, Volume 8 - Number

http://www.iiisci.org/journal/cv$/sci/pdfs/gq816ex.pdf

 

HW4 - Case Studies of Benevolent Computing Apps

Recent articles illustrate a lot about Benevolent Computing. Please read them and then share your thoughts on the linked Google form.

"When It’s Hard to Make Ends Meet, Can Smart Apps Help?", By Tina Rosenberg, NY Times, 2/4/2019

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/04/opinion/navigating-bureaucracy-try-technology.html

"I Want My Fifty Bucks’: Building Apps That Deliver for the Poor", By Tina Rosenberg, NY Times 2/12/2019

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/12/opinion/start-ups-apps-social-impact.html

 

HW5 - The Future of Computing for Good