CSCE 390: Professional Issues in Computer Science and Engineering (Spring 2010)

Prerequisites: CSCE 240, SPCH 140

Meeting time and venue: Th 1530-1620 in 300M B213

Instructor: Marco Valtorta
Office: Swearingen 3A55, 777-4641
E-mail: mgv@cse.sc.edu
Office Hours: MWF 11-noon, or by previous appointment.

Syllabus

Grading Policy

Reference materials:

  • Robert N. Barger. Computer Ethics: A Case-based Approach. Cambridge University Press, 2008 (required text, referred to as [B]). Supplementary materials from the publisher are available online.
    • Here is the current departmental syllabus for CSCE 390. Note that the texbook listed on the departmental syllabus is not the one we are going to use. Specific objectives of this course are:

    Questionnaires

    Notes
    Philosphical Belief Systems, Part I: Idealism and Realism
    Philosphical Belief Systems, Part I: Pragmatism and Existentialism
    Three Simple Ethical Cases: Absolutist and Relativist Positions
    The Ethical Decision-Making Process
    Psychology and Computer Ethics
    The Computing Field as a Profession
    Computer-Related Codes of Ethics
    Legal and Ethical Issues in Computer Security
    Three Case Studies for the ACM/IEEE-CS Code of Ethics
    Privacy Concerns

    Quizzes (In-Class Exercises)

    Tests

    Homework
    Points per assignment.

    See lecture log for a more complete list, which includes assignments for which no handout was given.

    1. (HW1) Do the exercises at the end of chapters 1 and 2 of [B]. Due date: Thursday, January 21, 2010.
      • Your homework essay must be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point font. The essay, in total, must be no longer than two pages. Please type the questions as well as your answers.
      • Please turn in hard copy, but save the source file, because you may be asked to submit an electronic version later.
      • For question 1 on p.15, provide only one occurrence and why you think it should have been included.
      • For question 2 on p.15, provide only one example of each of the two kinds and explain why they meet the conditions of the question.
      • For question 3 on p.15, provide only one kind of problem and explain why the computer has raised a unique dilemma.
    2. (HW2) Do the exercises at the end of chapters 3, 4, and 5 of [B]. Due date: Thursday, February 4, 2010. Use the same format as for the first assignment.
    3. (HW3) Do the exercises at the end of chapters 6 and 7 of [B]. Due date: Thursday, February 18, 2010.
    4. (HW4) Attend the SET career fair on Monday, February 15, and write a one-page report. Due Thursday, February 18, 2010. Note: This satisfies the "Professional Activities" requirement described in the "Grading Policy" page.
    5. (HW5) Do exercises 1 and 4 at the end of chapter 9 of [B]. Due date: Thursday, February 18, 2010.
    6. (HW6) Do exercise 1 at the end of chapter 15 of [B] for two case studies of your choice in chapter 15. Write a one-page paper for each of the two cases you choose. Due date: Thursday, April 8, 2010.
    7. (HW7) Do exercise 1 at the end of chapter 17 of [B] for case study 17.8 in [B]. Write a two page paper on this. Also analyze the same case using the ACM/IEEE-CS Joint Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice. Write at least a one-page paper on this. Due Thursday, April 15, 2010.
    8. (HW8) Choose a topic of professional interest that includes a non-trivial ethical issue from ACM TechNews archives. Write a 5-page paper in which (1) you summarize the topic (with appropriate references), (2) you apply the 8-step ethical decision-making process to the problem, (3) you apply the ACM Code or the ACM/IEEE-CS Code. Prepare a 5-slide PowerPoint presentation for your topic and your analysis of it. The paper is due on Thursday, April 23, 2010. The PowerPoint presentation is due by 1700 (5pm) on Tuesday, April 21. Some students will be asked to present in class on April 23; I expect to contact them by email on Wednesday, April 22.

    Lecture Log

    Student Presentations

    The USC Blackboard has a site for this course.

    Some useful links:

    1. The League of Technical Voters Website, recommended by Professor Duncan Buell
    2. The ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (html)
    3. The Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice (Version 5.2) as recommended by the ACM/IEEE-CS Joint Task Force on Software Engineering Ethics and Professional Practices and jointly approved by the ACM and the IEEE-CS as the standard for teaching and practicing software engineering (html)
    4. Gotterbarn, D. and Miller, K. W. 2004. "Computer ethics in the undergraduate curriculum: case studies and the joint software engineer's code." J. Comput. Small Coll. 20, 2 (Dec. 2004), 156-167 (local copy, pdf).
    5. Links concerning professional codes of ethics
      1. The ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
      2. The Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice
      3. The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics (from the site of Computer Professional for Social Responsibility)
      4. Gotterbarn, D. and Miller, K. W. 2004. Computer ethics in the undergraduate curriculum: case studies and the joint software engineer's code. J. Comput. Small Coll. 20, 2 (Dec. 2004), 156-167.
      5. Local copy of the above.
      6. Peter Aiken, Robert M. Stanley, Juanita Billings, and Luke Anderson. "Using Codes of Conduct to Resolve Legal Disputes." Computer, 43, 4 (April 2010), pp.29-34 (local copy, pdf).
      7. "Codes of Ethics in English" Online Ethics Center for Engineering 10/13/2009 National Academy of Engineering Accessed: Monday, April 12, 2010 (Note that the ACM/IEEE-CS Software Engineering and Professional Practice was not on this page when accessed.)
    6. Norman Matloff's Introduction to the vi Text editor
    7. Norman Matloff's Unix Tutorial Center