Course Topics, Textbook ReadingsTextbookGradingRules and regulationsAssignments for the first two weeksCS 335: Computer Ethics January 12, 2004CS 335 Course InformationProf. Robert H. Sloan Handout 1Class Lecture: Monday–Wednesday, 11:00–12:15, BH 317Instructor: Prof. Robert H. Sloan, 1132 SEO. Phone: 6-2369.Email: Prof’s last name at host uic.edu.Professor’s office hours: Wed. 11:00–12:00, and by appointment.TA: Xiaowei Gong. Email: [email protected] course has a web site at URL http:/www.cs.uic.edu/~sloan/CLASSES/335-course-info.All the information in this handout, and more, is there.This course also has a UIC Blackboard page, although right now it contains onlya link to this information. We will definitely use it for its grade book, and probablythat is where I will post additional reading assignments, etc, later in the course. Youcan reach Blackboard directly at http://blackboard.uic.edu or get to Blackboardfrom a quick link from the university home page.1 Course Topics, Textbook Readings— Subject to change without notice —1. Introduction, Chapter 1. January 12–14.2. Privacy: introduction, threats, issues, Chapter 2.1–2.4. January 21.3. Privacy: technical methods of protection, philosophy, policies. First studentpresentations. Chapter 2.5–2.6. January 26–28.4. Communications issues and cryptography. Chapter 3. February 2–4.5. Computer errors and failures, accountability, liability. Chapter 4.1–4.3. Febru-ary 9–11.6. Risks, comparisons with other technologies, importance of professionalism. Therac-25 case. Chapter 4.4–4.5. February 16–18.7. Freedom of speech: attempts to censor the Internet, library filters, internationalissues. Chapter 5.1–5.2. February 23-25.Book reports due Wed., Feb. 25.8. Anonymity, spam. Chapter 5.3–5.5. March 1–3.9. Intellectual property: copyright and fair use. Copyright versus patent versustrade secret. “Piracy” of s oftware, music, movies, etc. Copy protection tech-niques and controversies. DMCA controversies.Free software, free-speech issues. (Chapter 6.)(Looking at the amount of material, this may easily spill into more than oneweek!) March 8–10.10. Computer crime: hacking, online scams, fraud, civil liberties online, security,viruses. (Chapter 7.) March 15–17.(Spring break is March 22–26.)11. Computers in the workplace: effects on employment, telecommuting. Employeemonitoring. Email privacy. (Chapter 8.) March 29–31.12. Societal issues: community, access to computing (have’s vs. have-nots) , genderand race issues. Bad technologies. (Chapter 9.) April 5–7.Term papers due Monday April 5; comments on another student’sterm paper due Wednesday April 7.213. Ethical issues for computer professionals; professional code of practice. Chapter10.1–10.2, and Appendix A.1 or A.2. (I’ll announce which code we’ll examineclosely when we get close.) April 12–14.Final copy of term papers due Mon., April 12.14. Ethical issues continued. Cases. Chapter 10.3. April 19–21.15. Additional topics and/or slack because rest of schedule is tightly packed. April 26–28.Notes: there will also be additional reading assignments from outside the book.Two due for the first Wednesday of the course are listed in this document!I plan at least two outside speakers (computer law/intellectual property lawyers),so the schedule will definitely be modified as we go to accommodate them.2 TextbookThe required textbook for the course is A Gift of Fire, by Sara Baase, Prentice-Hall,2nd edition, 2003.(A single check shows it is $56.00 at BarnesandNoble.com.)Note the book’s web site.Other regular reading will also be assigned, mostly web-based.3 GradingThis policy is subject to change at any time for any reason.Pop quizzes 25%Class participation 15%3 Writing assignments 40%Debate or Leading discussion 25%Leading Discussion or DebateIf the class has the size I expect, then students will be assigned by alphabetical orderinto two-person groups, each of which will be assigned (by me) one of the generalcourse topics. For your assigned topic area your group must then select a specifictopic to use for your discussion or debate. I will provide a list of suggestions for you.For your chosen topic you will then either lead the class in a discussion, or havea debate. By the middle of the second week of class you must email me your specific3topic for my approval, as well as indicating whether you will be moderating the classdiscussion or having a debate. Your prepared portion of your discussion or debateshould last at most 25 minutes.For discussions, students should share responsibility for preparation and presen-tation.The focus here is to engage the class, to get them interested, and to get themtalking along the specific lines of your topic.For debates, students should again share the time evenly, presenting views andrebuttals of opponents positions. On the day of your debate I will choose at randomwho will argue which side, so you must understand the issues and be prepared eitherway. You should be impassioned in your argumentation, attempting to persuade thelisteners to your views by facts, analogy, and logical arguments. You must leavethe last 5 minutes of your debate for the class to interact with you. Part of yourdebate grade will be your ability to answer questions/challenges given by the class inresponse to your comments.QuizzesThere will be roughly 8–12 pop quizzes at the start of class. The subject will beassigned readings and lecture content since the previous quiz. The assigned readingsfrom the textbook will be the most heavily quizzed over the course of the semester.Quizzes will be given at the beginning of class. Those who arrive late will have lesstime to finish the quiz, which will last less than 10 minutes. No makeup quizzes willbe given, but the lowest quiz grade will be dropped.Quiz questions concerning the b ook will be drawn almost exclusively from the“Review exercises” questions at the end of the chapter and the sample quiz questionson the book’s web site.Reading for Weeks 1 and 2 are to be completed by Wednesday of that week.Reading for all later weeks must be completed by Monday of the week.Class participationDiscussion is a critically important component of this class. Class participation meansbeing actively involved in discussions and asking questions, demonstrating you haveread the material and thought about it ahead of time. After I have assigned readings, Iwill choose members from the class to comment.