Computer Ethics: lessons for the information age.

Course Information:

Kennesaw State University, Fall 2002, CSIS 4515. Computer Ethics. (3 credit hours). 

Meets: Fridays, 8:00 a.m. to 10:45 p.m., CL 2008.

Prerequisite: CSIS 3310 and ENGL 3140. Note – this course counts as an elective for IS majors, but NOT CS majors.

Computer Ethics, offered by the CS/IS Department, addresses a definition of ethics, provides a framework for making ethical decisions, and analyzes in detail several areas of ethical issues that computer professionals are likely to encounter in business. Each area includes information regarding U.S. Law. Topics include philosophical, business, and professional ethics, privacy, criminal conduct, property rights, free speech, access, and reliability.

Ethics cannot be memorized, but must be debated and lived. Thus, an important part of the class is the inter-active class discussions and exercises. Over the 2 and 3/4 hours of each class, the instructor will include a presentation on the topic for the day and will review the homework assignment.  Students will then use the lessons from the reading materials, assignment, and presentation in an inter-active in-class discussion and exercise. The exercises range from analyses of hypothetical ethical dilemmas to practical applications in business.

Instructor Information:

Office Hours and Location: As a part-time instructor, Ms. Moceyunas has no office on campus. However, students can call or e-mail her to arrange telephone conference times.

Class Attendance, Assignments, and Grading

Class attendance is highly encouraged as the important stuff happens in the class discussions and exercises. If you cannot attend a class, you are encouraged to seek notes from a classmate. You are responsible for materials covered in class that may not be contained within the textbook or other reading materials. Assignments must be submitted in class on the day due; if you cannot attend class, you must submit the assignment via e-mail (ann@moceyunas.com) or fax (404-252-0598) no later than 8:00 a.m. on the day due. If you cannot be in class for the Mid-term or Final exams (e.g. a business trip), you need to make special arrangements with the instructor prior to the exam date. Grading of assignments and exams is included in description of Assignments.

Schedule of Classes and Assignments

Assignments and dates may be subject to change.  Students are responsible for all changes made to the calendar as given by the instructor during the class sessions. Changes will also be noted at the Web site Updates page.

1. August 30, 2002 - Introduction to Computer Ethics.

No reading assignment or other preparation required for class. The class will include a discussion about the syllabus and assignments, a presentation on introduction to ethics, and a discussion and exercise on business writing.

2. September 6, 2002 - Individual Ethics.

Read Gift of Fire, Chapter 1 (all sections), chapter 10.1 and 10.3.1;prepare written response to exercise in Gift of Fire, Chapter 10, review exercises 10.1, 10.2 and 10.3; read Introduction to Ethics (on Web site); Prepare Assignment 1 (Ethical Analysis). The class will include a presentation and discussion about ethical principles, theories, and analysis.

3. September 13, 2002 - Business Ethics.

Read “Business Ethics: Beyond the Golden Rule” (on Web site); Prepare Assignment 2 (Business Ethics Policies).  The class will include a presentation about the Federal Sentencing Guidelines and related caselaw, conflict of interest issues, ethics policies and training

4. September 20, 2002 - Professional and Computer Ethics.

Read Gift of Fire, Chapter 10.2 through 10.3; Prepare Assignment 3 (IBM Part I). The class will include a presentation and class exercise about professional ethics as well as a discussion about IBM Part I.

5. September 27, 2002 – Current Ethical Issues

Prepare Assignment 4 (Business Ethics Case Study) individually and in assigned group. Each group will present overview of assigned Case Study and lead discussion; followed by “The Dilbert Ethics Challenge”.

6. October 4, 2002 - Midterm.

Midterm will be given from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. It will be in the form of short answer, short essay, and long essay. See Midterm Review.

7. October 11, 2002 - Introduction to Privacy.

Read Gift of Fire, Chapter 2; Prepare Assignment 5 (IBM Part II).  The class will include a presentation on privacy in Europe and the U.S., a discussion regarding IBM Part II, and a class exercise about privacy.

8. October 18, 2002 - Privacy in the Workplace.

Read “On-line Privacy: the Push and Pull of Self-Regulation and Law” (on Web site); prepare Assignment 6 (Cookies). Class will include a presentation on privacy in the workplace and a class exercise on same.

9. October 25, 2002 - Equity and Access. (NOTE: October 19 is the last day to withdraw without academic penalty).

Read Gift of Fire, Chapter 9; prepare Assignment 7 (Digital Divide). Class will include a presentation on equity and access issues and a presentation by guest speaker, Chris Miller, Tech Corps Georgia.

10.  November 1, 2002 - Property Rights.

Read Gift of Fire, Chapter 6; Read “Protecting the Value of Intellectual Property” (on Web site); Prepare Assignment 8 (Napster Case). Class will include presentation on intellectual property rights, discussion regarding the Napster Case, and an in-class exercise on identifying the intellectual property objects in a Web site.

11.  November 8, 2002 - Risks and Reliability.

Read Gift of Fire, Chapter 4; Prepare Assignment 9 (Software Licenses). Class will include presentation on risks and reliability, review assignment 9, and in-class exercise regarding software bugs.

12.  November 15, 2002 - Quality of Life.

Read Gift of Fire, Chapter 5; prepare Assignment 10 (Kennesaw State Internet Policies).  Class will include presentation on free speech and related issues and discussion regarding Assignment 10.

13.  November 22, 2002 – Honesty and Dishhonesty

Read Gift of Fire, Chapter 7. Class will include presentation on federal and state law crimes; discussion regarding preparation for Assignment 11 (Computer Virus Trial).

November 29, 2002 - Thanksgiving Holiday. Class will not meet.

14. December 6, 2002 - Honesty and Dishonesty.

Prepare Assignment 11 (Computer Virus Trial) individually and group presentations. Students will make group presentations.

15.  December 13 Final Exam.

Academic Integrity

Every KSU student is responsible for upholding the provisions of the Student Code of Conduct, as published in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs (available at http://www.kennesaw.edu/inst_res/2000ucat/2000cond.html). Section II of the Student Code of Conduct addresses the University’s policy on academic honesty, including provisions regarding plagiarism and cheating, unauthorized access to University materials, misrepresentations/falsification of University records or academic work, malicious removal, retention, or destruction of library materials, malicious/intentional misuse of computer facilities and/or services, and misuse of student identification cards. Incidents of alleged academic misconduct will be handles through the established procedures of the University Judiciary Program, which includes either an “informal” resolution by a faculty member, resulting in a grade adjustment, or a formal hearing procedure, which may subject a student to the Code of Conduct’s minimum one semester suspension requirement.

Computer Ethics is a course taught for the CS/IS Department at Kennesaw State University by Ann K. Moceyunas

Last updated: August 25, 2002. Opinions expressed on this website are those of the author, Ann K. Moceyunas. Certain Portions Copyright © 1996 -2002 Moceyunas P.C. All rights reserved. Have Questions? Contact Ann Moceyunas at ann@moceyunas.com.