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COURSE SYLLABUS: CST405 - Computer Ethics

Course Title: CST405 - Computer Ethics
Department: School of Computer Science
Instructor: Jelena Vucetic, Ph.D., MBA, -- Vita


Course Description:

This course provides an introduction to the ethical and social issues sparked by the ever-growing information society at the local and global level. This course will also familiarize students with the impact of digitized information on individuals and societies. It focuses on privacy, reliability, security, intellectual property, control, equality of access, and authenticity. The course also explores the social impact of information technology in different areas of human life such as business, health, education, entertainment and politics.

The course is intended for those students in undergraduate and graduate programs that focus on computer, information technology, business, and applied ethics.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. Understand and discuss various kinds of social impact of computers in the information society.
  2. Become familiar with the meaning of terms such as: ethics, integrity, values, social responsibility.
  3. Understand the importance of ethical issues that emerge from the widespread use of information technology.
  4. Have the ability to apply the techniques, tools and topics from the course in decision –making personal and professional situations.
  5. Become familiar with organizations, laws and regulations related to computer ethics and individuals’ conduct in the cyberspace.
  6. Apply the Framework for Ethical Decision Making.
Required Texts  Online Bookstore

Stamatellos, G. (2007), “Computer Ethics: A Global Perspective”, Jones & Bartlett Publishers,
ISBN: 0763740845   ISBN-13: 9780763740849

Course Schedule:

Week 1
Required Readings: No Written Assignment

Week 2
Required Readings: Written Assignment #1 (20 points): The ethics and laws involved in the use of computers should balance free speech, communication of research without unnecessary obstacles, and responsible attention to law. Prepare a 3-5 page essay including at least five examples of activities involving information technology that are universally prohibited.

Week 3
Required Readings: No Written Assignment

Week 4
Required Readings: Written Assignment #2 (20 points): Review the Framework for Ethical Decision Making at: http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/framework.html and apply it on a business scenario/example of your choice.

Week 5
Required Readings: No Written Assignment

Week 6
Required Readings: Written Assignment #3 (20 points): Identify and analyze potential conflicts of interest for educational organizations, related to information security, privacy, plagiarism. Take into consideration the perspectives of: students, faculty, administrative and IT staff.

Week 7
Required Readings: No Written Assignment
The instructor will email the Final Exam before the end of Week 7

Week 8
Required Readings: Final Exam (40 points) is due end of Week 8. The student should email the exam to the instructor by the end of Day 7 of Week 8.

Readings, Written Exercises and Exams

The learning methodology used in this course consists of lectures, exercises and readings.

Readings: Students are expected to complete all text and supplementary reading assignments during the week that the assignment is due (see Course Schedule). It is student’s responsibility to make up all required readings before the end of each week.

Written Assignments: All assigned assignments will be prepared for submission according to the Course Schedule..

Work Week: For the purpose of this course, a work week begins on Monday (Day 1), and ends on Sunday (Day 7).

Grading Scale:

A = Excellent 90 - 100
B = Above Average 80 - 89
C = Average 70 - 79
D = Below Average 60 - 69
F = Failing Grade 59 or below

Evaluation:

Written Excercises 60 (3x20 points)
Final Exam 40
Total: 100 points

Assignment Formats:
Email your assignments to the faculty. Please avoid using attachments.

Late Assignments and Makeup Tests:
Any work turned in late, up to one week, will be assessed a 10% penalty; up to two weeks, 20% penalty. No work will be accepted after more then two weeks after the due date. All work must be submitted by Day 7 of Week 8.

Attendance:
There are no scheduled online sessions for this class. Most communications will be asynchronous, through threaded discussion, email and the Web site postings.

Academic Honesty:
Canyon College requires students to adhere to high standards of integrity in their academic work. Activities such as plagiarism and cheating are not acceptable and will not be condoned by the College. Students involved in such activities are subject to serious disciplinary action.

Instructor Availability:
As a student of Canyon College you will have the opportunity to communicate with the instructor using her email address: Jelena.Vucetic@att.net . Your interaction with the instructor is one-on-one and this is highly beneficial as you proceed through the course. If you send an email, on the subject line please identify the course name, and your name. All material submitted must have the class name as a header, the date, the assignment, and your first and last name.

Example Email:
Subject Line: CST405: John Smith, Assignment 2