CS4345 - Summer 98 - Course Objectives and Philosophies

Course Description

As a 4000-level course, Computerization in Society is offered primarily for seniors and graduate students. For undergraduates majoring in
computer science, this is a required course. Courses in the ethical considerations and social impact of computing have become an important
component of computer science curricula. This is because the computer science community has come to believe that, as computer scientists,
technologists, and engineers, we have a special responsibility to be well informed about the social aspects and consequences of the technologies we create. A well-educated computer professional is one who is aware of both the opportunities and problems created by computerization. As society becomes increasingly more dependent on computing, today's computing professional is challenged not only by decisions about technical issues, but also about the impacts of those choices on local and global communities.

Course Objectives

This course explores computing as a social process and will introduce you to the ethical and social responsibilities shared by all computing professionals. The course emphasizes both knowledge and skill which require the student to::
 
• Understand the impact of computer use on individuals and social groups.
• Understand what are some of the major social controversies relating to computing, and how these are represented in different kinds of publications including professional journals, magazines, newspapers, and books.
• Critically analyze situations of computer use, identifying important issues.
• Write coherent and well-structured critiques of computing-use situations and descriptions of them.
• Work and interact collaboratively in groups to develop positions about key issues in computerization and the social aspects of computers.

Teaching Philosophy

The primary purpose of this course is to help you develop into responsible and effective professionals by helping you to discover the ethical and social responsibilities shared by all computing professionals as well as the social implications of the technology you will be creating and promoting after graduation.

This is not something you can be taught. You must learn it. As instructor, I can only guide and assist you. Thus, all of the class activities are designed to help you learn.

I will make intensive use of classroom discussions and analytical writing assignments. You will be given many opportunities to express your positions on various situations where computerization is having an impact on such topics as: the economy and labor markets, work life, public safety, consumer rights, intellectual property, individual privacy, social stratification, democracy, education, gender bias, national security, health, etc.

You will be expected to participate actively in discussions. On any given issues, you may be asked to summarize and criticize reading assignments from the text or articles that you have read for your project papers.