CSC 3010 Ethics in Computer Science

Winter 2018 -- Fengwei Zhang

  • Instructor: Fengwei Zhang
  • Class Location: State Hall (STAT) 0135
  • Class Time: Friday, 02:30PM - 05:00PM
  • Syllabus: [PDF]
  • Office Hours: Friday, 01:00PM - 02:30PM
  • Office Address: Maccabees Building, Room 14109.3
  • Homepage: http://fengwei.me
  • Email: fengwei (at) wayne (dot) edu

Course Description

This course covers the ethical issues students will face both as members of a technological society and as professionals in computer-related fields. Students will study the ethical and legal issues that arise with the usage and development of computing technology. Students will learn the responsibilities of the computer professionals and how to make appropriate decisions when faced with legal and ethical issues in computing. This course includes writing assignments, group discussions, term projects, and the final exam.

Course Objectives

This course offers an in depth discussion of real-world computer ethical issues. Upon successful completion of this class, the student will gain experience in:

Prerequisites

[CSC 2110 with a minimum grade of C] AND [CSC 2111 with a minimum grade of C]; or permission of the instructor.

Required TextBook

Gift of Fire, A: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues for Computing Technology, 5th Edition
Sara Baase and Timothy M. Henry

New England Institute of Technology
ISBN-13: 978-0134615271
ISBN-10: 0134615271
Amazon Link

Grading Policy

The grades for the course will be based upon the tables given below

Academic Dishonesty

Please read and adhere to the University's Academic Integrity Page and WSU Student Code of Conduct.

Student Disabilities Services

If you have a documented disability that requires accommodations, you will need to register with Student Disability Services for coordination of your academic accommodations. The Student Disability Services (SDS) office is located in the Adamany Undergraduate Library. The SDS telephone number is 313-577-1851 or 313-202-4216 (Videophone use only).

Class Schedule

Date Topic (tentative) Slides & Notes
Week 1, 01/12 Course overview
Chapter 1: Unwarpping the Gift 		[Slides]
Week 2, 01/19 Chapter 1: Unwarpping the Gift [Slides]
Week 3, 01/26 Chapter 2: Privacy [Slides]
Writing Assignment 1 Due
Week 4, 02/02 Chapter 2: Privacy [Slides]
Week 5, 02/09 Chapter 3: Freedom of Speech
Writing Assignment 2 Due
Class canceled due to inclement weather
Week 6, 02/16 Chapter 3: Freedom of Speech [Slides]
Week 7, 02/23 Chapter 4: Intellectual Property [Slides]
Week 8, 03/02 Chapter 5: Crime and Security [Slides]
[Term Paper]
Writing Assignment 3 Due
Week 9, 03/09 Chapter 6: Work [Slides]
Week 10, 03/16 No Class: Holiday -- Spring Break
Week 11, 03/23 Chapter 7: Evaluating and Controlling Technology [Slides]
Writing Assignment 4 Due
Week 12, 03/30 Chapter 8: Errors, Failures and Risks [Slides]
Week 13, 04/06 Chapter 9: Professional Ethics and Responsibilities [Slides]
[ACM Code of Ethics]
[IEEE Code of Ethics]
Writing Assignment 5 Due
Week 14, 04/13 Term Project Presentations [Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's Senate Testimony]
Week 15, 04/20 Term Project Presentations
Term Project Final Reports Due
Week 16, 04/27 Final Exam