Course Syllabus

Course Information
Assessment
Course Expectations
Policies

Course Information

Course Description

Humans have a long history of technological advances that includes all varieties of tools, weapons, transportation, mechanical, industrial, and medical advances. On one hand, the computer is just another invention that is part of this long line of technological advances. On the other hand, that a computer can be programmed to perform a wide diversity of different tasks makes it different from many other inventions. Computer technology has impacted diverse areas such as sports management, health care, employment, manufacturing, education, defense, and automobiles.

This course explores how computing technologies such as computer software, hardware, and networking have affected our society. You will examine the basics of how these technologies work and how they have affected areas of human endeavors. We will examine how these technologies changed, improved, simplified and complicated society.

In this course you will participate in directed discussions where we will debate current issues about computer technology in our society. We will cover issues in areas such as law, privacy, employment, and computer crime. You are expected to participate and contribute to these group discussions on a weekly basis.

In addition to the group discussions, you will also need to complete some module review questions, write a short paper and complete a set of personalized exercises. The review questions are designed to make you think about some of the topics that we study . The paper (described in depth later) can either describe how a technology works or describe the current state of an issue we study. Finally the personalized exercises (also described later) ask you to answer a few questions that apply some of principles we will learn.

Course Learning Goals

After completing this course, you will be able to:

Course Competencies

In this course, you will develop the following competencies:

Competence

Competence Statement and Criteria

S3A

Can understand different perspectives on the relationship between technology and society, and describe the scientific principles underlying technological innovations.

S3F

Can analyze the integration of new technology into a specific field of human endeavor from at least two perspectives.

H2G

Can evaluate the role and impact of mass media or information technology on society

FX

Can analyze the integration and impact of a specific information technology into a particular business or organization from at least two perspectives.

Note: If you are registered for CCS 360, the competencies you will gain in this class are as follows:

Relationship of this course to the competence statements

S3A 
Understand the scientific principles behind a computer technology and can describe how social, political, economic or ethical impact of computers on our cultural structures and beliefs.

S3F 
Can analyze the integration of a computing technology into a specific field from at least two perspectives such as historical, legal, ethical, economic, sociological, aesthetic or scientific.

H2G 
Can evaluate the role and impact of a computing technology on society.

FX
Can analyze the integration and impact of a specific information technology into a particular business or organization from at least two perspectives.

Course Resources

To buy your books, go to http://depaul-loop.bncollege.com.

Required Reading

Baas, Sara, R. (2012). A Gift Of Fire: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues for Computing Technology. (4th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. ISBN-10: 0132492679 | ISBN-13: 978-0132492676 .

Course Grading Scale

A = 95 to 100

A- = 91 to 94

B+ = 88 to 90

B = 85 to 87

B- = 81 to 84

C+ = 77 to 80

C = 73 to 76

C- = 69 to 72

D+ = 65 to 68

D = 61 to 64

F = 60 or below

INC

Please note: Grades lower than a C- do not earn credit or competence in the School for New Learning.

Course Structure

This course consists of ten modules. Each module has a discussion question And some modules also have a review question or two.

To see course due dates, click on the Checklist link on the top navigation bar.  This page contains module-specific checklists and due dates for the work due in the course.

The following table outlines the course:

Week,  Module # and Title

Readings

Assignments

Week 1, Module 1: Computers and Their Use

Read Baas, Sara. A Gift Of Fire, Chapter 1. Pay particular attention to sections describing the ubiquity of computing, issues with computers, and the benefits of computing.

Watch Video: Tech Tuesday: Things Technology Made Obsolete

1.1 Introduction Discussion

1.2 Obsolescence Discussion

Week 2, Module 2: Hardware, Software and the Internet

Watch Video: How Computers Work: Information (Part I)

Watch Video: Moore's Law In Perspective

Watch Video: Mr. Clarkson Talks About...

2.1 Need for Speed

2.2 Shopping for Computers and Definitions

Week 3, Module 3: The Internet and the World Wide Web

Read Baas, Sara. A Gift Of Fire, Chapter 6 In particular pay attention to sections on A Global Workforce.

Read The Case for Outsourcing Jobs

Watch Video: Is Outsourcing to Blame for Lack of Jobs?

3.1 Offshore Outsourcing Debate Discussion

Begin Assignment 10.1 Final Paper

Week 4, Module 4: Computers and Privacy

Read Baas, Sara. A Gift Of Fire, Chapter 2

 

The ACLU's position on public surveillance

4.1 Washington DC Security Camera Network Discussion

4.2 Final Paper Topic

Continue working on:

10.1 Final paper

Week 5, Module 5: Computer Crime

Read Baas, Sara. A Gift Of Fire, Chapter 5

Watch Video: How Computer Viruses Work

Watch Video: How Identity Theft Works

5.2 Computer Crime Discussion

Continue working on 10.1 Final Paper

Week 6, Module 6: Censorship

Read Baas, Sara. A Gift Of Fire, Chapter 3. In particular pay attention to the sections on Offensive speech and Censorship in Cyberspace and the section on Spam.

6.1 Final Paper Outline

6.2 Internet Censorship Discussion

Continue working on 10.1 Final Paper

Week 7, Module 7: Digital Rights Management

Read Baas, Sara. A Gift Of Fire, Chapter 4

 

7.1 Digital Rights Management Discussion

7.2 Review Questions

Continue working on 10.1 Final Paper

Week 8, Module 8: Collaboration Online

Read Baas, Sara. A Gift Of Fire, Chapter 7

8.1 Collaboration Discussion

8.2 Collaboration Wiki group Excercise

Continue working on 10.1 Final Paper

Week 9, Module 9: Technology and Children

Mueller, Walt. Media: The New Face of Nurture, Chapter 3 in Youth Culture 101

9.2 Youth Technology Discussion

Continue working on 10.1 Final Paper

Week 10, Module 10: Wrapping things Up

10.1 Final Paper

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Assessment of Learning

Percentage distribution of Assessments

CategoryPercent of Grade# of Deliverables
Participation in Online Discussions 25% Throughout the course
Topical Paper 35% 1
Homework 40% 3-6

Grading Policies and Practices

The criteria to complete this course require that:

Research Paper Guidelines

You need to develop a 4 page (1000 words, excluding tables, pictures and references) paper that fulfills the requirements of your selected competency. For those taking two competencies, one paper can be written or two separate papers. Papers that address two competencies should be 8 (2000 words) pages in length. The paper should be double-spaced and use a 10-12 point font with one-inch margins.

Use APA format in writing your paper and citing sources. This is described in detail in the APA format online source noted below.

This is an opportunity to delve into a subject of interest and/or relevance to you. Your paper should either be

The paper type you select should be guided by the competencies you are completing in this course. For example, students completing the S-3-A competency should pick the “How it Works” paper type. Students completing the S-3-F competency or S-2-G should do a “News Summary” paper type. (See topic selection section for more details.)

Website Resources

The following websites discuss research paper writing in detail and are references in this document:

General Guides:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/ResearchW/
http://www.nutsandboltsguide.com

APA Format/Bibliography:
http://www.nutsandboltsguide.com/apa.html

Topic Selection: 
http://members.aol.com/lklivngstn/essay/topic.html

Topic Refinement:
http://wwwtest.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/help/topic/index.htm

A discussion “Research Paper Q&A” will be available for you to discuss topic ideas with other students and narrow down options.

Overall Approach

Your paper should analyze the current news and issues about some topic that we are studying. Ideas for topics are provided below.

Timeline For the Paper
Week 1-3 Explore Paper Topics
Week 5 Topic for Paper Due
Week 4-6 Collect Research for Paper and work on outline
Week 6 Research Paper Outline Due
Week 8-10 Write Paper
Week 11 Submit Paper
Research Paper Requirements and Tips

Paper Organization 
Papers that are well-organized follow a flow that makes well-conceived transitions between topics. Each topic should be addressed fully before making the transition to the next subject area. This allows the reader to get a comprehensive understanding of the subject being addressed. As a result, the same idea is not addressed in different areas of the paper. For example, recommendations should be made in the recommendations section and not throughout the paper. Implications, however, can be made throughout the paper in discussing the subjects being addressed.

Consistent logic should be used so that the reader is clear regarding what points are being made. Drawing conclusions or stating implications can help to clarify what the author believes to be relevant about a particular situation or argument that is being addressed.

It is helpful to state main ideas clearly and concisely, particularly when a new issue is being introduced. For example, a single sentence can be used to summarize the point, followed by detail to explain it further.

Grammar and Punctuation
Appropriate grammar, punctuation and word selection will be evaluated. Paragraphs should be used to clarify ideas and there should be logical transitions between ideas.

Format
Please be sure to follow standard APA format. The following website is very helpful in providing tips and descriptions: www.nutsandboltsguide.com/apa.html

Your Assessment is to develop a 4 page paper (excluding tables and references) that fulfills the requirements of your selected competency. For those taking two competencies, one paper can be written or two separate papers. Papers that address two competencies should be 8 pages in length. The paper should be double-spaced and use a 10-12 point font with one-inch margins.

There should be a cover page. Your thesis statement should be made in the body of your opening paragraph, not simply as a title at the top of the page.

Documentation and Use of Evidence
APA format is required in this paper. Always be sure to cite sources within your paper. For online sources, authors should be cited, as available, as well as dates in which the online references were retrieved and the website location. The guide mentioned above will provide further direction in citation.

Assertions should either be based on facts, with proper citations, or they should be qualified as hypotheses. If the source is not cited, it is difficult to tell whether a hypothesis is being stated or whether a resource supports the statement being made. In addition, quotation marks must always be used for direct quotes.

Current issues in Computers and Society
All papers must evaluate a specific topic brought up from this class. The S-3-A competency requires more detailed explanation of principles of how the technology works. So for that competency, you must describe the overall workings of the technology and describe the social impact of that technology.

Topic for Paper

Statement of Topic
You should have a formal topic statement for your paper. It should clearly state what you are writing about.

Topic Selection
Your topic needs to address your competencies for this course. You may already have a topic in mind. But if not, there are numerous sources for collecting ideas. Take notes of your ideas and questions as your review materials. One of your challenges is to narrow the focus adequately so that the paper doesn’t simply require listing extensive information.

Following are some of the available sources:

Examples By Competency

Following are some examples of topical areas by competence. Keep in mind that the topic needs to be stated as either a research question or news summary topic.

S3A: Can understand the scientific principles behind a computer technology and can describe its social impact on our cultural structures or beliefs.

S3F: Can analyze the integration of a computing technology into a specific field from at least two perspectives such as historical, legal, ethical, economic, sociological, aesthetic or scientific.

S2G: Can evaluate the role and impact of a computing technology on society.

FX - Can analyze the integration and impact of a specific information technology into a particular business or organization from at least two perspectives.

Some Sources for Ideas by Area
Required Sections of the Research Paper

Introduction

Findings - This represents the body of your paper.

Conclusions

Summarize your main findings and conclusions. Clearly, state how your paper resolves your thesis statement.

References

You should include

Assessments

Your paper topic will be assessed, based on whether it is of the appropriate scope and its applicability to your chosen competence.

The paper’s reference list will be evaluated on:

  1. Are the references up-to-date, relevant, high quality references and of sufficient quantity?
    • For example, a paper on the Internet trends should probably not use references written more than 5-10 years ago.
    • If use use an Internet site, is it a reliable source? For example wikipedia is not a good source for reference paper.
  2. Your paper should thoroughly cover the selected topic and be on a topic relevant to your competency and this course. It should also state on the front page the type of paper it is (e.g., news summary, how it works, etc)
    • For example, your paper should clearly state its thesis statement and the paper should clearly discuss and resolve the statement.
    • If your paper is a news summary, it should be current AND complete. (For example, a reference that is several years old may not be approiate.)
    • If your paper describes how something works, it should not just define pieces that make things work but actually describe how things work. (For example, Don’t just say the Internet uses TCP/IP to work. You will need to describe what TCP/IP is and how it actually works to move data on the Internet.)
  3. The paper should be well written and easy to understand.
    • For example, paragraphs should be well written, using proper grammar and sentence construction.
  4. Your paper should clearly differentiate between cited facts and your opinion.
    • I am much more interested in cited facts instead of opinions. This paper is not the place to provide your personal story or story of your uncle’s personal experiences. For example, the following statement should contain a reference. “Company X is the largest distributor of Internet products for the last 3 years.” Without a reference, it is an unsubstantiated opinion.
  5. Your paper should be of the proper APA format.
    • See the cited references for details. In particular pay attention to how web sites are referenced.
  6. Your paper should be your own work. I do check references and the Internet for plagiarized papers.

General Assessment Criteria for All Writing Assignments

All writing assignments are expected to conform to basic college-level standards of mechanics and presentation.

Consider visiting the Writing Center to discuss your assignments for this course or any others. You may schedule appointments (30 or 50 minutes) on an as–needed or weekly basis, scheduling up to 3 hours worth of appointments per week. Online services include Feedback–by–Email and IM conferencing (with or without a webcam). All writing center services are free.

Writing Center tutors are specially selected and trained graduate and undergraduate students who can help you at almost any stage of your writing. They will not do your work for you, but they can help you focus and develop your ideas, review your drafts, and polish your writing. They can answer questions about grammar, mechanics, different kinds of writing styles, and documentation formats. They also can answer questions and provide feedback online, through IM/webcam chats and email.

Obviously, the tutors won’t necessarily be familiar with every class or subject, but they are able to provide valuable help from the perspective of an interested and careful reader as well as a serious and experienced student-writer.

Schedule your appointments with enough time to think about and use the feedback you’ll receive. To schedule a Face-to-Face, Written Feedback by Email, or Online Appointment, visit www.depaul.edu/writing.

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Discussion Forums

Discussion Forums are an important component of your online experience. This course contains discussion forums related to the topics you are studying each week. For requirements on your participation in the Discussion Forums, please see "Course Expectations" in the syllabus.

A Course Q & A discussion forum has also been established to manage necessary, ongoing social and administrative activities. This is where the management and administrative tasks of the course are conducted, and where you can ask 'process' questions and receive answers throughout the course. Please feel free to answer any question if you feel you know the answer; this sharing of information is valuable to other students.

Assessment Criteria for Online Discussion Participation

In the online discussions you need to:

Online Participation Guidelines

The following guidelines may encourage you to be active and critical in your participation, only together we will make this course a significant and pleasant learning experience:

Some difficulties at the beginning of an online course are quite normal; solving them is part of every distance learning experience.

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Course Expectations

Time Management and Attendance

SNL's online courses are not self-paced and require a regular time commitment EACH week throughout the quarter.

You are required to log in to your course at least four times a week so that you can participate in the ongoing course discussions.

Online courses are no less time consuming than "face to face" courses. You will have to dedicate some time every day or at least every second day to your studies. A typical four credit hour "face to face" course at SNL involves three hours of classroom meeting per week, plus at least three to six hours of study and homework per week.

This course will require at least the same time commitment, but your learning activities will be spread out through the week. If you have any problems with your technology, or if you need to improve your reading or writing skills, it may take even longer.

The instructor should be notified if your life events do not allow you to participate in the course and the online discussions for more than one week. This is particularly important when there are group discussions or you are working as part of a team.

If you find yourself getting behind, please contact the instructor immediately.

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Your Instructor's Role

Your instructor's role in this course is that of a discussion facilitator and learning advisor. It is not their responsibility to make sure you log in regularly and submit your assignments. As instructor, s/he will read all postings to the general discussion forums on a daily basis but may not choose to respond to each posting. You will receive feedback to assignments.

The instructor may choose to designate "office hours" when s/he will be online and available and will immediately respond to questions. Depending on the instructor, this response may be by e-mail, instant messenger or telephone. Otherwise, you will generally receive a response to emailed or posted queries within 48 hours.

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Your Role as a Student

As an online student, you will be taking a proactive approach to your learning. As the course instructor's role is that of a learning guide, your role is that of the leader in your own learning.

You will be managing your own time so that you can complete the readings, activities and assignments for the course, and you will also be expected to take a more active role in peer learning.

Please also note that this is a course offered by DePaul University's School for New Learning (SNL), a college for undergraduate and graduate degree-seeking students 24 years and older. SNL welcomes the perspectives and encourages the participation of all DePaul students, and students who take this course should respect and be mindful of SNL's mission in supporting a diverse and inclusive environment. More information about SNL can be found here.

View this brief demo Taking SNL Online courses in D2L to learn how to navigate through your course.

If you’re new to SNL Online see additional resources on the course home page under Student Resources/Getting Started.

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Course Netiquette

Online discussions are an important part of your course experience. To ensure a positive learning environment, please follow the following minimum expectations. Use your common sense, as not all situations can be covered:

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Policies

Academic Integrity

DePaul University is a learning community that fosters the pursuit of knowledge and the transmission of ideas within a context that emphasizes a sense of responsibility for oneself, for others and for society at large. Violations of academic integrity, in any of their forms, are, therefore, detrimental to the values of DePaul, to the students' own development as responsible members of society, and to the pursuit of knowledge and the transmission of ideas.

Violations include but are not limited to the following categories: cheating; plagiarism; fabrication; falsification or sabotage of research data; destruction or misuse of the university's academic resources; alteration or falsification of academic records; and academic misconduct. Conduct that is punishable under the Academic Integrity Policy could result in additional disciplinary actions by other university officials and possible civil or criminal prosecution. Please refer to your Student Handbook for further details.

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Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a major form of academic dishonesty involving the presentation of the work of another as one's own. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to the following:

Plagiarism, like other forms of academic dishonesty, is always a serious matter. If an instructor finds that a student has plagiarized, the appropriate penalty is at the instructor's discretion.

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DePaul University Incomplete Policy

The intent of the Incomplete grade is to allow students extra time to complete their final assignments. This need arises because, in the closing weeks of the course, they have an event of significant magnitude that adversely affects their ability to complete the course, e.g. serious illness, death in the family, overseas deployment, or natural disaster.

You must request an incomplete grade in writing two weeks before the end of the quarter. Incomplete grades will be considered only after you have satisfactorily completed at least 75 percent of the coursework, and you have such an unexpected, uncontrollable event that prevents you from completing your course. Do not assume that you will qualify for an incomplete. Students who are failing the course at the point where they request an incomplete will not receive one, nor will they be granted after the end of the quarter. Incomplete grades are given at the discretion of the instructor.

If you do receive permission from the instructor to take an incomplete in the course, you will be required to complete a contract with the instructor, specifying how you will finish the missing work within the next two quarters (excluding summer). See the Incomplete Grade Contract Form.

Undergraduate and graduate students will have up to two quarters to complete an incomplete. At the end of the second quarter (excluding summer) following the term in which the incomplete grade was assigned, remaining incompletes will automatically convert to "F" grades. Ordinarily no incomplete grade may be completed after the grace period has expired. Instructors may not change incomplete grades after the end of the grace period without the permission of a college-based Exceptions Committee. This policy applies to undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. NOTE: In the case of a student who has applied for graduation and who has been approved for an Incomplete in his or her final term, the incomplete must be resolved within the four-week grace period before final degree certification.

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Description of Pass/Fail Grading Options

Students have the option of taking all SNL undergraduate courses as Pass/Fail even if a class is initially structured for a letter grade assessment. In these cases a Pass is awarded when competence is demonstrated at a level that would otherwise earn a grade of C- or higher.

In deciding to select Pass/Fail grading students should be aware that competencies assessed in a course as Pass will earn credit hours toward degree completion but will not be included in computing grade point averages. Attempted competence demonstration assessed within a class as Fail will not only be recorded as credit hours attempted but will also be included in computing a student's grade point average.

For SNL students, competencies awarded for Independent Learning Pursuits and in the Lifelong Learning Domain do not count toward the university's specification that only twenty credit hours may be earned through the Pass/Fail assessment option.

Please note:There are three SNL courses within the BA curriculum that are always assessed on a Pass/Fail basis: Foundations of Adult Learning (course number LL 250; competences L-2 and F-1), Advanced Project (course number FA 303; competences F-11 and F-12) and Summit Seminar (course number LL 390; competence L-12). These classes may not be taken for a letter grade assessment. Therefore, work that might otherwise be assessed at grades A through C- will earn a Pass in these classes.

There are an additional five SNL courses within the Lifelong Learning Area of the BA curriculum for which instructors regularly use a Pass/Fail grading system that may instead be taken for a letter grade assessment if this is a student's preference. These classes are: Independent Learning Seminar (course number LL 103; competence L1); Writing for Competence (course number LL 260; competence L-4), Critical Thinking (course number LL 270; competence L-5), Research Seminar (course number LL 300; competences L-8 and L-9), and Externship (course number LL 302; competences L-10 and L-11). In addition, SNL's undergraduate Writing Workshop (course number LL 140; competence H-3-J) regularly uses Pass/Fail, although students may request a letter grade assessment. In these instances SNL offers undergraduate students the opportunity to request a letter grade assessment from their instructor. Students who need a letter grade for tuition reimbursement may wish to consider this option, as well as those who wish to raise their GPA. Students planning to attend graduate school may also prefer letter grades to Pass/Fail assessments.

If a student wants to switch the method of assessment, either to or from the Pass/Fail option, this must be requested from the instructor in writing by the beginning of the third week of the quarter. For courses that meet fewer than ten weeks of the quarter, this request must be made by the beginning of the third week of the course. The grading basis may not be changed after these deadlines, with no exceptions.

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For Students Who Need Accommodations Based on the Impact of a Disability

Students seeking disability-related accommodations are required to register with DePaul's Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) enabling you to access accommodations and support services to assist your success. There are two office locations:

Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD)
Loop Campus: Lewis Center 1420. (312) 362-8002
Lincoln Park Campus: Student Center 370. (773) 325-1677
csd@depaul.edu

Students are also invited to contact their instructor privately to discuss your challenges and how the instructor may assist in facilitating the accommodations you will use in this course. This is best done early in the term and the conversation will remain confidential.

Dean of Students Office

The Dean of Students Office (DOS) helps students in navigating the university, particularly during difficult situations, such as personal, financial, medical, and/or family crises. Absence Notifications to faculty, Late Withdrawals, and Community Resource Referrals, support students both in and outside of the classroom. Additionally we have resources and programs to support health and wellness, violence prevention, substance abuse and drug prevention, and LGBTQ student services. We are committed to your success as a DePaul student. Please feel free to contact us.

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Protection of Human Subjects

For more information see: http://research.depaul.edu/

Demonstrating the acquisition of competencies in this course can involve "interactions"—interviewing and or observing other people—discussing those interviews or observations with other class members and writing them up in one or more final report(s). As such, these activities qualify as "research" with "human subjects" and are subject to University and Federal guidelines. Because it takes place in the context of this course, your research is exempt from approval by the School for New Learning's Local Review Board only under the following conditions:

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Copyright and Student Privacy

In accordance with DePaul’s Acceptable Use Policy, commentary and materials within SNL Online classes shall not be copied, reproduced or published elsewhere without the express written consent of individuals involved.

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Credits

This course was designed and produced by David A. Lash and staff at SNL Online of the School for New Learning of DePaul University.

©2010 School for New Learning, DePaul University. All Rights Reserved by SNL during contractual interval with the Author.

Printed in the USA.

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