CISC 355: Computers, Ethics, and Society

Fall 2011
Instructor: Richard Gordon

Course Info, Grades, and Texts   |   Syllabus   |   Log in to Sakai@UD

General Information

Instructor:
Richard Gordon
Office: 227LL, UDCC (192 S. Chapel Street)
Office Hours: Perkins Scrounge Wednesdays, Noon - 1 pm & By Appointment
Phone: (302) 831-1717
T.A./Grader:
TBD
Office: 103 Smith Hall (TA Room)
Office Hours: 103 Smith Hall, TBA

Meeting Information:
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:00 - 6:15 p.m.
220 Smith Hall

Required Texts:
  • Quinn, M. (2010) Ethics for the Information Age. 4th Edition (Quinn)
  • Singh, S. (1999) The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography. (Singh)
  • An assortment of readings on the World-Wide Web.

Course Requirements:

In part because the content for this class changes from year to year--and sometimes from week to week, I'm always tinkering with this course. This year, we'll use
  • Sakai
  • possibly Diigo
  • Google Groups
  • and maybe Google Sites or Piazza.

The best way to teach an applied ethics class is to give students the opportunity to discuss situations, either deciding how one could sort it out, or making sure one understands where other people's decisions come from. Therefore, I try to keep lecture to a minimum to leave plenty of time for our discussion. And you'll have plenty of opportunity to continue class discussion on line.

Here's how your work will be evaluated: 30% of your grade will come from "daily work" (online quizzes, in class exercises); 35% of your grade will come from online discussion (including current news stories); 30% of your grade will come from test and exam scores; and 5% of your grade will come from a class project.

Class Attendance, Participation, Late Assignments, Academic Honesty:

  1. Students are expected to participate actively in all class discussions. Hence the daily quizzes and exercises. Being an active listener is fine. However, being physically present and reading the newspaper or studying for an exam in another class or "chatting on line with babes all day" does not make you an active participant.

    Use the Google Groups area to post ideas about readings on days you miss class: if you want your daily work credit for a day you miss, take the quiz or complete the exercise and make a Google Groups posting. The point is, since this is a "participatory" class. your absence deprives your colleagues of the benefit of your contribution to class discussion. Therefore, if you miss class, respond to the reading.

  2. You are adults and can make your own decisions about class attendance. Rule of thumb for this and all classes: try not to cut class more often than the instructor does. Seriously, use common sense and courtesy and let your instructors know when you have to miss class.

    In this class, if you want your "quiz credit" for a day you've missed, you'd better have negotiated an "excused" absence with your instructor AND had better have written in Google Groups about part of the reading for the day you've missed. It's a participatory class. If you miss, you are depriving your colleagues of your input. (This must be an important point; I've typed it into this document twice.)

    Whether you are present or absent, you are responsible for every class meeting. All class meetings are recorded by the UD Capture service. There's a link to the recordings on the class Sakai page.

  3. Students are expected to do their own work. I fully expect you to discuss things outside of class with your colleagues; however, when it comes time to take a quiz, do an individual project, write an exam, etc., all students need to write independently--unless the assignment specifically asks for you to collaborate with classmates.
  4. Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the date indicated (unless otherwise noted on the syllabus). Any change in a due date must be negotiated with the instructor ahead of time. Do not assume that a date change has been granted just because you asked for one. Wait for the instructor's written approval or denial of your request. However, ask for an extension rather than copy someone else's assignment. Several years ago, two students received zeros on their final exams because one copied the other's exam with that student's permission.

Grade Scale:

                   A = 94.0 and up; A- = 90.1 - 93.9
B+ = 87.5 - 90.0;  B = 83.5 - 87.4; B- = 80.1 - 83.4
C+ = 77.5 - 80.0;  C = 74.0 - 77.4; C- = 71.1 - 73.9
D+ = 68.0 - 71.0;  D = 65.0 - 67.9; D- = 63.0 - 64.9
F  = under 63.0

If you keep up with the work, grades are not usually too much of an issue. In aggregate, over 80% of the students in my sections did work that earned a grade of B- or higher. Given how easy the quizzes usually are, it is rare for a student's work to earn a grade under 75 in my sections. But it does happen; three students' work (or lack thereof) did earn "F" marks in the past couple of years. But keep up and the grades will work themselves out.

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Fall 2011 Syllabus

The syllabus and this course information page were last updated on August 30, 2011. They will be updated from time to time during the semester.

The on-line syllabus is the official reading list. Check it frequently. Actual assignments (with work due) will be posted in Sakai.