CSC 3010 Ethics in Computer Science: Fengwei Zhang

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:

Identify ethical issues that arise in software development and determine how to address them technically and ethically.
Understand the philosophical bases of intellectual property and the rationale for the legal protection of intellectual property.
Understand the philosophical basis for the legal protection of personal privacy and the impact of technological solutions to privacy problems.
Recognize the ethical responsibility of ensuring software correctness, reliability and safety and evaluate ethical/social tradeoffs in technical decisions.
Recognize the professional and ethical responsibilities, including those defined in the Software Engineering Code and ACM Code of Ethics.
Identify laws that apply to computer crimes and examine the ethical and legal issues pertaining to the internationalization of software products..
Examine different roles of software development and understand their legal and ethical responsibilities.
Interpret the intent and implementation of closed source and open source software licensing.

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

Topics	Grade
Class Participation	200
Writing Assignments	300
Final Exam	300
Term Project	200
Total	1000

A	90 - 100%	C	70 - 73%
A-	87 - 89%	C-	67 - 69%
B+	84 - 86%	D+	64 - 66%
B	80 - 83%	D	60 - 63%
B-	77 - 79%	D-	57 - 59%
C+	74 - 76%	F	0 - 56%

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