CPSC 430: Computers and Society (2010 Summer)
Course Information

Contents

General description
Schedule
Evaluation
Resources
Vista (formerly WebCT)
Academic conduct

Course Description

Course Objectives

Some days we seem to forget that we run the computers, and not the other way around. We write the programs, we run the programs. Yet somehow there is a general sense in society that we are all held prisoner to the perpetual march of the computers. That technology has us at its disposal, and it will take us where it wants to go; that we are powerless to stop it. Is that really how we want our relationship with computers to be?

It is our responsibility, particularly as computer scientists, to think about this very question. Computers have brought many wonderful things to society; they have also brought many horrible things, or at least made it far easier to do some horrible things. Does the good outweigh the bad? Does it matter? Some people paint grim visions of the future in which computers invariably rule. But the reality is, we're still on the other side of the power button-- how can we ensure a lasting, beneficial relationship between computers and society? That's what we're here to explore. Hopefully, over the course of this semester, you'll encounter some really tough questions that truly challenge you think about what you think is right. Through addressing these issues, we also hope you will come away with a deeper respect and admiration not only for the computer and the society in which it resides, but for the computer scientist, too.

Course Staff

Course Structure

Lectures

• MWF 12:30-15:00, DMP 310

Labs

• There are no lab sections for this class. Student particiation is expected in class and will count toward your overall grade.

WebCT (a.k.a. Vista) Service

• Lecture slides, resources, assignments and grades are accessible on WebCT.
• WebCT has a discussion board feature. Important course announcements will occur there. Checking the discussion board prior to each lecture is required. In addition, you are encouraged to use the discussion board to ask questions and to exchange information with your classmates. Because all of the course staff and your classmates will be checking the discussion board, you will generally get the fastest response to your question if you post it on WebCT.

Other Online Groups

• There is a CPSC 430 Blog.
  • Reading the blog with the same frequency as WebCT is required.
  • Registering an email address address so you can post entries is required. There is an Assignment on WebCT to submit your email address.
  • Use the blog to post any articles of interest, and to comment on postings or issues (you do not need to be logged in to comment). Posting on the blog is optional, but highly encouraged.
  • The blog's subscription features make it easy to integrate into your online routine: you can subscribe to the blog via RSS or email, and share articles via Facebook, etc.
  • Remember that the blog is a public forum. To share remarks with the class only, use the WebCT Discussions feature. We reserve the right to delete inappropriate remarks.
• There is a Facebook Group: UBC CPSC 430 - 2010 Summer Term 2. Participation in this group is optional.

Schedule

Materials, including assignments and slides, are on WebCT.

Content shown in grey is provided to give you an estimate of the tentative future schedule. It is subject to change. Reload this page to ensure that you are seeing the latest version.

RQ# stands for Reading Question. TEXT stands for Ethics for the Information Age, Fourth Edition.

Evaluation

Your final mark will be calculated using the following formula:

• 10% for active class participation
• 5% for reading questions (RQs)
• 5% for quizzes and assignments
• 25% for the research project
• 20% for the midterm examination
• 35% for the final examination

Active class participation will be assessed on a combination of:

• clicker response records,
• TA and instructor evaluations of individual students' participation and effort to contribute on in-class activities,
• records of journal / blog / discussion board postings, and
• other criteria such as peer evaluations.

See the Lateness and Makeup Policy, below, for more information on what happens when exceptional circumstances arise.

Reading questions (RQs) are brief question(s) that you generate while you are reading the assigned material in preparation for class. They are due by 9:00 a.m. on the day of the lecture. There will be 8 reading questions due throughout the term, and they will be marked as follows:

• 0 marks: for not participating or submitting a frivolous question
• 1 mark: for any question(s) that shows real thought and effort
• 2 marks: for an exemplary question(s) (all questions selected for discussion in class earn 2 marks)

A score of 10 or above earns full credit on the reading question portion of your grade.

Quizzes and assignments are marked exercises designed to give you practice answering questions about the course material. Quizzes will be generally brief (a few short-answer questions), in-class, and may be given without prior notice. No make-up quizzes will be given. There will be 5 quizzes, and the highest 4 scores will be used to calculate a student's total quiz mark.

Minimim Passing Criteria: To pass this course, you must obtain a 50% overall mark and, in addition:

• achieve a passing grade for the in-class particpation*, AND
• achieve a passing grade for the course project, AND
• achieve a passing grade on the final examination.

* I will not accept students coming to me at the end of semester with excuses for why they were unable to particpate all semester! If you're having problems, come talk to me!

Students who fail to meet these requirements will be assigned, as final grade in the course, the minimum of 45% and the grade computed using the above formula.

Please note that the instructor reserves the right to modify the course grading scheme at any time.

Course Project

The course project is designed to help you gain experience with an in-depth analysis of a particular sub-topic of "Computers and Society".

More information about the project is provided here.

The course has a research project with a substantial written project report. Assessment criteria for the course project includes:

• Clarity of argument and writing. This includes assessment of effective use of English.*
• Application of concepts learned in the course.
• Original research and contributions, including proper and complete attribution of sources.
• Quality of argument. You will be asked to take positions on issues and to justify them using the techniques of discourse covered in the course. Vague positions will result in poor performance on this assessment criterion.
• Steady progress on the project, as measured by meeting various milestones. To help you proceed on your project, we will assign interim deliverables, including a proposal, review meeting, and an outline. You must meet these milestones on schedule in order to receive a passing mark on the course project.

* We understand the challenges of English as a second language. You may use the office hours of TAs and the instructor to obtain feedback and suggestions on your writing.

Lateness and Makeup Policy

Since CPSC 430 is an upper-division, discourse-based class, all students must stay in sync with the class in order to facilitate smooth discussion and fair group work. Therefore, late assignments will not be accepted under most circumstances. Warning: this policy will be strictly and automatically observed by WebCT in applying the cutoff deadlines. In other words, if an assignment is due at 09:00 a.m., you are advised to submit it the night before, and confirm that it has been received. The plea of technical difficulties or clock sync issues will not result in mark adjustments. Submit early or risk getting zero credit. Note that the scoring schemes for quizzes and RQs have been designed so that it is possible to achieve a full aggregate score even if something unexpected happens.

Original documentation must be provided in all cases of unplanned absences (e.g., medical). However, note that participation marks will not generally be awarded in lieu of attendance in class, regardless of the reason for absence. Like reading questions and quizzes, participation marks will be calcuated with a reasonable allowance for exceptional circumstances; you can miss up to a maximum of two classes and still be eligible for full credit on the overall participation score. (Of course, it goes without saying that if you miss a class, you are still responsible for all of the material covered in class.)

If you suspect you may miss a deadline for an assignment or project-related milestone, you are expected to contact the instructor as soon as possible. If this is done early enough, it may be possible to work out an arrangement. Please note that this is a privilege, not an absolute-- do not expect to be granted leniency! We understand and respect the challenges of being a student, and we in turn ask you to understand and respect the importance of deadlines, hard work and good organizational skills. If you, or your group, are having trouble forming a work plan for your project, please contact the instructor for some guidance (I'm happy to provide "real" deadlines, if it helps, for example).

General Advice

• If you don't understand something covered in class, ask about it right away. The only silly question is the one which is not asked. This class is about participation, so don't be shy-- have some fun!
• If you get a mark you do not understand on a quiz or the midterm, find out why right away. Don't wait a month before asking!
• As with any course, you will get as much out of the course as you put into it. It is therefore, advisable to start reviewing material and planning for your project early and not fall behind. And participate!
• If you decide to use a laptop or smartphone in class, resist the temptation to do non-course-related computing such as Facebook, email, MSN, etc.. You can do these things on your break time or before or after class. If you remain focused during class time, not only will you earn participation marks, but you will also use your own time more efficiently by not having to go back and learn material you missed while distracted. It's tempting to Facebook in class, but your actual cost/benefit ratio lies strongly against it. If a TA or the instructor observes you doing non-course related computing in class, your participation marks for that day may be cancelled without warning. If you use a laptop for note-taking, you may find it helpful to turn off the wireless networking function during class time until needed.

Examinations

There will be one midterm, and a final examination. Each exam will be closed-book. Please see the course schedule above for information on the exam dates.

The final exam will be comprehensive (i.e., it will assess material presented in class both before and after the midterm). It will be given on the last day of class, July 30. No exceptions will be made for the convenience of travel plans, work, family commitments, etc.

Do not write an examination if there is a medical factor which might significantly impair your performance. If you are unable to write the midterm due to illness, you must inform your instructor immediately and present a note from your physician as soon as possible, detailing the period during which you were ill, in order not to be penalized (i.e., receive a grade of 0). The instructor will then tell you the course of action to follow regarding the missed exam.

If you have been or will be unable to write the final examination due to illness, you should contact the Science Undergraduate Advising office as soon as possible (within 48 hours of the exam).

Course Resources

Textbook

The textbook material for the course is:

• Ethics for the Information Age, by Michael J. Quinn, Fourth Edition

Library Resources

For your final project, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of having thoroughly researched your topic. Some of you may be relatively new to self-directed research. As such, the following Library URL has been prepared specifically for this class:

• Library Resources for CPSC 430

General Online Resources

The course material is available on the course web site: http://www.ugrad.cs.ubc.ca/~cs430, or from the CPSC 430 WebCT site found at:

www.vista.ubc.ca

The WebCT site also contains the course bulletin board and the student grades for the various course activities. To access the WebCT site you need to use your Campus Wide Login (CWL) id and password. The course home site is accessible without any password.

Do you part to ensure this course runs smoothly!

Please note that you are expected to log into WebCT at least prior to every lecture (daily checking is recommended) to check for updates. Additionally, questions pertaining to course material should be posted on the WebCT forums and not sent to the instructor or TAs. This will ensure that your question is answered as quickly as possible, and that everyone benefits from the question. Of course, concerns of a more personal nature should be sent to the instructor directly.

Academic Conduct

Unless otherwise stated, all work in this course is to be done on an individual basis. Students who do not do their own work ultimately cheat themselves the most. Submitting the work of another person as your own (i.e., plagiarism) constitutes academic misconduct, as does communication with others (either as donor or recipient) in ways other than those specified by the instructor. Such actions will not be tolerated. In this course, students may collaborate on assignments by discussing topics with each other. After such discussion, engagement in a mind-emptying activity (such as watching episodes of Gilligan's Island) for at least an hour is required before students continue to work on their own assignment. This ensures that each student has a thorough understanding of the concepts as a result of the collaboration. All offences will be reported to the Department of Computer Science.

As a student at UBC you should be familiar with the "Student Discipline" policies outlined in the "Academic Regulations" section of the UBC Calendar. As a Computer Science student, you are also expected to be familiar with the Computer Science Department Lab policies and responsibilities found at:

• http://www.cs.ubc.ca/about/policies

The standard UBC regulations regarding misconduct will apply to all work submitted for grading in this course. It is sincerely hoped that there will be no need to invoke this policy.

The penalties for engaging in academic misconduct at UBC are very high - even for a first offence. Don't risk your entire academic career. If you feel the urge to cheat, it's often because you are overwhelmed by the material-- this is the perfect time to talk to the instructor. I have lots of strategies that will help get you through and will help you find your strengths!

Respectful conduct. CPSC 430 deals with many controversial issues. CPSC 430 students are expected to contribute to an environment, both inside and outside the classroom, that is condusive to open communication and respectful discussion of issues. Harassment, name-calling, or unwillingness to engage in respectful academic discussion will result in failure to earn class participation marks. Severe cases will also be referred to the Dean of the Faculty of Science and the Department of Computer Science for assessment with respect to the university's academic regulations and departmental policies.