1. Students will learn to develop an informed opinion on societal issues pertaining to computers.
We will explore such issues as the following:
2. Students will learn the importance of their professional responsibilities.
How would you act?
Structure of the Course:
The course meets twice a week. Each week has a theme or topic as shown on the syllabus. Each week has a link showing the assigned reading and other links of interest. You are expected to have done the reading and followed the links before class on Day 1 (Mondays or Tuesdays). Being prepared for class will help make this an interesting class for everyone. We split the class into two sections to encourage everyone to participate.
Each Day 1 (Monday or Tuesday) class will have assigned reading in preparation for my introduction to the topic, our discussions or whatever is appropriate to the topic. On Day 1 (Monday or Tuesday) there will usually be a quiz on the assigned reading.
CSCI 240 has a web site at http://www.eg.bucknell.edu/~cs240/
Student Leaders of Discussion:
On Day 2 (Wednesdays or Thursdays), several students, typically two, will lead the discussion based on their article reviews. Each student will be required to lead the discussion twice in the semester. For each time, he or she will find, read and review two (2) scholarly articles. The two or three page review plus a xerox copy of the original article is due in class on Day 1 (Monday or Tuesday) before the discussion. I encourage the discussants to be creative in their form of presentations. For example, you may engage the class in discussion, ask questions, etc. Normally, each student acts individually. However, in teams of two or three, they could arrange a debate on a controversial issue, a panel with different perspectives or aspects or even a socio-drama. It is wise to consult with me before hand if you want to have a team effort.
Reading Newspapers:
Each student is encouraged to read a national newspaper (or a web-based news service) at least one day a week to find articles on societial impact of computers. Students should seek and bring newspaper clippings (or a xerox copy) to class. Place your name on the clipping and hand it in. We will reserve five or ten minutes of each class to discuss these.
Resources on CSCI 240 Course Web Page:
We will use the resources of the WWW to gain access to news and views. As we discover new items, especially hot topics in the news about societal issues, links will be added to the course pages as the semester progresses. So it is important that you revisit the web pages as we get close to that topic. New readings and links will be added and occasionally some reading materials will be removed from the assignment (a good reason to revisit!)
Term Paper:
A ten (10) page paper on a topic of your interest, as approved by the instructor, will be due near the end of the semester. Details to follow about dates and format.
Grading:
Two written reviews (10% each) 20%
(total of 4 articles)
Two class presentations (5% each) 10%
Term paper 30%
Quizes 20%
Newspaper clippings 5%
Class participation 15%
Class participation includes attendance, which is required.
Full Course Credit:
CSCI 240 may be taken for 1.0 course credit to encourage non-computer science majors to take the course. Please encourage your friends to take the course. The prerequisites are at least junior standing. One course in computer science, e.g., CSCI 180 is preferred but not required. See me if you or a friend want to take the course for 1.0 credit and we will negotiate what extra work needs to be done to make it a full credit course.