cse course information
CSE 301 Computing Ethics (1)
| Instructor Information | |
| Spring 2008 | Xue, G Liu, H |
| Fall 2008 | Baral, C Sundaram, H |
Catalog Description
Ethics for computing majors: history of computing, intellectual property, privacy, ethical frameworks, professional ethical responsibilities, and risks of computer-based systems.
Textbook
Herman T. Tavani, Ethics and Technology: Ethical Issues in an Age of Information, Wiley, 2nd Edition, 2003
Course Objectives and Outcomes
- To understand and apply basics of ethics for the field of computing including
- Students will understand the contributions made by pioneers in mathematics and computer science.
- Students will be aware of intellectual property rights, including: copyrights, and patents.
- Students will understand issues associated with privacy.
- Students will be aware of methods and tools of analysis (ethical frameworks): Identify and evaluate ethical choices, including utilitarianism, Kantanian, and social contract philosophies.
- Students will understand professional and ethical responsibilities, including those defined in the ACM/IEEE Professional Code of Ethics.
- Students will be able to analyze risks of computer-based systems through case study.
- Students will understand the contributions made by pioneers in mathematics and computer science.
Prerequisites by Course & Topic
CSE 205
Major Topics Covered in the Course
There are 8 modules of material in this course. Students will spend approximately 2 weeks on each module.
- History of computing
- Philosophical frameworks/Methods and tools of analysis Intellectual Property
- Privacy and civil liberties
- Professional and ethical responsibilities
- Risks of computer-based systems
Contribution to EC 2000 Professional Component
Engineering Topics: 100%
Problem Analysis
Students are assessed on their understanding of course topics through discussions, homework, and exams.
Assessment
- Class participation (25%) – students are responsible for participating in class discussions and on-line discussions on the course message board. A minimum guideline is that students are expected to share at least one meaningful comment during each class discussion and message board discussion. Of course, students are not limited to only one comment per discussion. Every attempt is made to fairly grade class participation. If a student is concerned about their class participation grading, they should keep a log of their class participation (with dates and their comments) to discuss this with the instructor.
- Exams (45%) – three exams will be given, each worth 15% of the grade.
- Exam 1 covers material on History of Computing and Philosophical Frameworks/Methods and tools of analysis
- Exam 2 covers material on Intellectual Property and Privacy and Civil Liberties
- Exam 3 covers material on Professional and ethical responsibilities and Risks of computer-based systems
- Exam 1 covers material on History of Computing and Philosophical Frameworks/Methods and tools of analysis
- Homework (15%) – five homework assignments will be given, each worth 3% of the grade.
- Oral Presentation (15%) – students will give an oral presentation that (1) measures their understanding of an assigned course topic for presentation and (2) measures their oral communication skills.