CS 4001
Group Presentation

Proposal Due:October 2nd, 2018
Format:Proposal of approximately 1.5 to 2 pages, double spaced, 12 pt font, and in-class presentation
Grading criteria:
  • Completeness of proposal
  • Writing of proposal
  • Insight into issues
  • Selection of reading
  • Selection of group discussion
  • Oral presentation quality
  • Fairly presenting multiple sides

In groups of three to no more than four people, you will select an issue about computing and society, and prepare to lead one half of a class period about it. In your proposal, please include:

  1. The names and email addresses of your team mates
  2. The issue you have chosen. What is interesting about it? How might reasonable people disagree about it? Describe in about half a page to a page
  3. One or two readings you would like to assign to the class on this issue. Please explain why you chose these readings. Please make sure the readings are of reasonable length.
  4. The charge for an in-class, small-group discussion about your issue.

You will receive feedback from the instructor on your proposal, and may need to submit multiple revised versions until it is approved. Once your proposal is approved, you will be assigned a presentation date.

At your class, you will explain the issue to the class. All team members must participate in giving parts of the oral presentation. After your initial presentation, you will give the class your small group discussion assignment to further discuss the issue. After giving the class approximately five to ten minutes to discuss, your team will lead the class in a discussion of what was learned from the small-group discussions.

You must be as impartial as possible in your presentation. Try not to let the class know what you think on this issue--before, during, or after your session. You want them to think it through and make up their own minds. Your goal is to fairly present the complexity of the issues. Do not pick something you feel so strongly about that you can not be balanced.

Possible Topics

Select a current issue about computing and society. Some possible topics include: Before you begin work on your proposal, post your chosen topic on the group presentation thread on piazza and email your topic to the instructor and TA. We will make sure two groups don't do the same topic, and also evaluate whether your topic is acceptable/promising if it is not from the above list.

If you wish, you may pick a topic that is the term paper topic of one or more members of your group. Just please be careful to balance the workload and contributions of team members and not let the person who is writing about the topic do all the work.