The goal of this project is to get you thinking deeply about an issue pertaining to computers and society, and to come to a consensus with your group.  This can be harder than you’d think!

For the project you will research an issue or problem related to computers and society.  You will spend time learning the opinions of your group members and doing research into this problem.  The end result will be a paper presenting a “proposal argument” in which, as a group, you take a stand on the issue.  Proposal arguments are focused on invoking change and motivating an audience to take action for or against a certain issue that you believe is important.  This may be an issue that is not currently a problem, but is (in your opinion) likely to arise as one in the future because of the continued advancement and spread of technology.  It is your group’s responsibility to convince your audience that this is a worthwhile issue that must be addressed, and then you’ll need to convince them that your proposed solution is a good one.

Your proposal claim should use the following formula:
            We ought to do X (or not X) because . . .

Groups:  You must complete this project in groups containing no fewer than 3 members, and no more than 4 (the strongly recommended number is three).  Since this project will take up the bulk of the semester, make sure that you find a group of people with whom you can work.  If there are any issues in the group, address them early!  Randy Pausch has a document on tips for working successfully in a group.  It’s been included at the end of this document.  Please read it!

Make sure everyone has a chance to contribute. In extreme cases we may consider allowing groups of different sizes, but you must get permission from your instructor well in advance of the deadline for forming teams if you wish to work in such a group. (Prepare compelling reasons why you need such a group. Note that dislike for working in groups or having friends in the class are not compelling reasons. Learning to work in groups is an important part of your education, but working in groups larger than three can easily become unmanageable on a project like this, especially given the tight deadlines.)

You are free to collaborate in whatever way you and your official group members decide is most appropriate. However, bear in mind that you must show both individual contributions by each team member and team organization in your project submissions. This means that larger groups will be expected to contribute correspondingly larger projects. Collaboration with anyone outside your group besides the course staff must be acknowledged in at least your final report. The work you do should generally be your group's work, but assistance in reasonable forms (like getting feedback from your TAs) is encouraged!

Why are we writing a paper as a group? Today, collaborative writing is the reality of most professional work in industry, academia, and society. As an upper-division student you can take advantage of CPSC 430 to help you practice and develop skills that will be useful in your professional life. The course staff will provide guidance and support to help you do this.

Model your approach on the reports produced by professional research firms. Businesses and organizations use those reports to make decisions about what they ought and ought not to do -- based on solid research and clear reasoning. If you have any doubts about the value of this kind of research, look at the prices of those reports! (In particular, check out the "Information Society" and "Security" sections. Note that you can view the reports' tables of contents for free.).

Technical demos: Depending on your chosen topic, you may wish to include a technical demo as part of your project. This is optional, but you may find it easier to present a convincing argument if it is augmented by a technical proof-of-concept, and it may increase your project's appeal towards audience evaluations (see the section describing the project presentation, below). If you decide to include a technical demo, keep the following in mind: (1) All members of your group must participate as a team. That doesn't mean everyone must work on coding, but consider the skillset of your team and whether technical work will help or hinder collaboration within your team. (2) Technical work should be scoped so that it is not the primary chunk of work for your project. All projects will be evaluated according to the same standards for strength of argument and report presentation. (3) The same standards for citing sources will be required -- for example, if you use software libraries, you are required to document them. If you have any questions about whether a technical demo will aid your project, or the appropriate scope for technical work, discuss it with the course staff early.

Project Deliverables and Milestones

Here is what you need to do:

1) Submit a list of group members (due no later than 9:00 am Wednesday, July 7) - 5%

Each member of your project team must submit the SAME list of names on the Assignment section of WebCT by the deadline. This is a graded portion of your project; follow the directions carefully and exactly to receive this credit. Hint: exchange the list of names by email or instant messaging among your group members in advance to ensure that the names are in the same order and spelled the same way. 

2) Submit an initial proposal (due no later than 9:00 am Friday, July 9) - 10%

Prepare a proposal detailing the following, and have one group member submit the URL to your document* on WebCT’s Assignment’s section well in advance of the deadline.

• the issue that your group has chosen
• why you are interested in it
• a brief description of the different arguments that might be made to address this issue
• any technical work planned, if applicable
• an initial list of potential sources (references), each with a very brief explanation as to why that particular reference is relevant to your paper (minimum 5)

* Note about submission format: Documents are to be submitted as a URL to a web page. Decide as a group which method of creating and hosting a web page works for you. Tips: The UBC CS department provides web space in the World directory of your course account, which you may obtain via getacct. Alternatively, you may wish to use Google Documents for collaborative writing. To submit your Google Docs URL, change Sharing settings to "Anyone with the link" and submit the link. Do not invite the instructor's gmail account, as this will result in your TAs not having access. Finally, no matter what method you choose, do not host the web page on your personal computer; use a reliable server and verify that it can be accessed before submitting the URL.

The purpose of the proposal requirement is to help you narrow down your choice of issue, commit to it early, and begin working on your proposal argument.  The choice of issue does not affect your final grade, but a late submission of any component will result in a zero mark on that component of your project mark, for all members of your group. Submit early to avoid technical and/or coordination issues.

Your proposal does not have to be long, but you will have to live with your choice for several weeks.  Give your choice considerable and careful thought.  Discuss issues among your group.  Your textbook is a good source of issues.  Newspapers, news magazines, and Internet news sites are good sources, too.  You may also find inspiration in your day-to-day conversations with friends and family-- what are the issues that affect you, for example?

Make sure whatever you choose falls in the domain of computing.  If you’re uncertain if the topic you have chosen meets these criteria, please double check with the instructor. (Please note that simply because an issue involves computers, does not mean that the primary dilemma is one of computing.  For example, the issue "We should legalize the purchase of firearms over the Internet" might be a hot issue for somebody in the United States, and it sounds like a computing issue, but computing and the Internet haven't changed the issue from the older "We should legalize the purchase of firearms by mail." Yes, it was legal to buy and sell firearms through the U.S. mail until the 1960s). 

2)  Review your proposal with your TA -- in class, Wednesday, July 14

Your group will be assigned a primary and a secondary TA who will be responsible for advising you and marking your project. They will read your proposals, and give you feedback in a face-to-face meeting scheduled during either the beginning or end of class period on Monday, July 12. All members of your group must be present at this meeting.

Once your group agrees on a scope and plan with your TA, evaluation will be based on how well you conduct your research and idea generation with respect to this plan. If, during your research, you discover something that requires you to change your project scope or plan, discuss it with your TA without delay.

3)  Submit a revised project plan (due no later than 9:00 am Friday, July 16) - 15%

Based on the feedback from your TA, revise and refine your project plan. Prepare the following, and have one group member submit the URL to your document on WebCT’s Assignments section well in advance of the deadline.

• the outline for your project report
• a revised list of sources (references) that you expect to use, each with a very brief explanation as to why the particular reference is relevant to your paper (minimum 12)
• a breakdown of tasks (who is doing what) and a timeline (set realistic intermediary goals that break up the time between the macro-level goals for each component)

Note that all sources must have identifiable authors (just because your friend tells you they know the person, who knows this other person, who is roommates with this other person who frequently dog-sits for the person who wrote an article, doesn’t count). Wikipedia entries, for example, do not have identifiable authors.  That’s not to say that Wikipedia is not a good resource -- read it to get familiar with the issues, and then follow up with more research from reputable sources.  The web page that Eugene Barsky kindly prepared for you is a good example of where to find information of the reliable kind:

http://toby.library.ubc.ca/ereserve/er-coursepage.cfm?id=2388

4) Give a short presentation (in class, on Monday, July 26) -- 15%

Presentations will be held during lecture time, using two separate rooms; information about room schedulling will be given in class prior to the date of presentations. Each group will have exactly 7 minutes for their presentation, followed by 2 minutes of question and answer (at the discretion of the facilitator). You must finish your presentation within your time slot, or time will be called and you will be asked to allow the next group to proceed. A projector, whiteboard, and PC with internet access are available for you to use. Presentations will likely not be able to cover everything that you did; instead, provide enough background information for your classmates to understand the topic, and present the key points of your argument in a clear and understandable fashion.

If you are planning on using powerpoint slides and/or your own laptop, you are strongly advised to test your computer connection to the projector and other technical details before the day of presentations. If you spend time dealing with technical problems during your presentaton time slot, it could reduce your available time, and impact your team's ability to convey its findings (and thus, your presentation mark). You are responsible for ironing out these details before your presentation.

Presentations will be marked by the TAs responsible for your group, and your classmates in the audience. Aim for a presentation that is appealing, engaging, and interesting to the audience.

It is not a requirement that every member of your group speak during the presentation. However, every member of the group must stand together during the presentation, and help answer any questions.

5)  Submit a final project report (due no later than 9:00 am Wednesday, July 28) - 50%

Prepare the final project report, and have one group member submit the URL to your document on WebCT well in advance of the deadline. 

In addition to your main text, you must include an Executive Summary of no more that 100 words.  (An executive summary is an abstract or synopsis of the work you are about to present.  It offers someone a quick and easy look at the issue and your proposed solution.  The idea is to concisely entice someone into reading your paper and the details within.)

While you're researching and writing, keep in mind that we're not looking for survey papers (i.e. non-opinion pieces).  We're looking for a well-reasoned proposal argument.  It's not sufficient to write about net neutrality, for example -- you have to propose some action to be taken with respect to net neutrality and offer a substantial and convincing argument in support of your proposal.  Your argument must show evidence that you clearly understand all sides of the issue (research and discussion with your group is paramount to achieving this end).

The paper will be evaluated both on presentation (style, grammar, spelling) and content/strength of argument.  Look at all sides of the issue.  We want rational thought, not talk-radio rhetoric or “bumper-sticker philosophy” (e.g. “Free Internet for all living things, man!”).  Involve plenty of sources; analyze and synthesize their positions.  Don't just cut and paste a bunch of quotations.  Do not limit your research to sources on the Web, and do make sure that your Web-based sources are trustworthy. Of course, anything that you include in your paper that does not originate within your group must be appropriately cited (better to be safe, than sorry).  Don’t plagiarize.  If you are unsure if something might be construed as plagiarism, ask! This paper should involve significant effort. 

Above all, do not put off deliverables until the last minute.

6)  Submit peer evaluations (due no later than 9:00 am Thursday, July 29) - 5%

As the final component of your project, submit a WebCT Assignment to rate members of your group on teamwork.

Note: if extreme cases of poor teamwork arise, the markers reserve the right to assign different report and/or presentation marks to individual group members, at their discretion. We sincerely hope that you will have a positive experience working with your team, and the peer evaluations are designed to incentivize good teamwork.

Sample project ideas

Here are some ideas for projects, to get you started. Of course, you should discuss and customize your project topic according to the interests and knowledge of your team.

• Environments such as Second Life and World of Warcraft (and arguably, social networking sites) are affording individuals, quite literally, a second life to lead in digital form. As these environments grow in popularity, more and more things are becoming possible in this digital world. Is this a positive or negative environment? How does it impact society? What are the risks? What are the benefits? Should such environments be restricted? How much of our established societal rules and conventions should carry over to the digital world? Does, or should, this impact children?
• Internet memes are an interesting aspect of our modern-day society. Such memes attain a viral-like status, and are frequently propagated through society at an incredible rate. Why do such memes occur? Are they a benefit, or a detriment to society? An interesting experiment you may wish to attempt-- can you create an Internet meme between now and turning in your project (please keep it PG)?
• Examine a few information technology issues from the viewpoint of an accepted ethical theory other than those covered in chapter 2 of your book. (For example, you may wish to investigate how to apply one or more Eastern philosophies to IT issues.)
• Artificial intelligence is already revolutionizing the way that we do things in society. We are continually shifting our roles and responsibilities to artificial agents. Should we be alarmed by these transitions? We can’t predict the future, but assuming that AI technology will continue to develop and improve, what are our responsibilities? What are the risks? What are the rewards? Is this a reasonable tradeoff? Is it ethical?
• Children born this year in the developed world will never know a world without pervasive computing technology. How will their generation's development and course be affected by assumptions about access to technology?
• What is the right way to handle privacy on the Internet? Remember that different countries, cultures (even within a country), generations, and individuals have different orientations towards what is acceptable in terms of information privacy. What constitutes privacy and what constitutes censorship? Were Canadians helped or hindered by Canada's laggardly adoption of technologies such as Google Street View, relative to the rest of the world? Is privacy even possible on the Internet?
• What are the health impacts of technology on society? Does telecommuting make people healthier? What about radiation from mobile phones? Does open access to medical records help create a healthier society? What is a healthy amout of time to spend on the computer?
• What is the right way to handle intellectual property? Is "intellectual property" really something that needs protection in the same sense as traditional property, like jewelry? Which country, jurisdiction, or group has the best orientation towards intellectual property rights?
• You've heard about the rising influence of societies such as BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China), and the Middle East. Many of these societies have ancient ideological traditions towards speech, authority and technology that differ markedly from the Western (and especially Anglo-Saxon) traditions that have dominated the formation of the Internet as we know it. What ideologies are likely to prevail in the future? Is the popular rhetoric in Canada and the United States mostly hype and stereotyping? How does information technology affect changes in cultural influence?
• As stated in the introduction of the course web page: "There is a general sense in society that we are all held prisoner to the perpetual march of the computers." As a UBC student with a background in computer science, how does your social group's view of technology differ from that of the "layman" or other social groups? Back up your claims with verifiable research. Is the knowledge or cultural gap between "techies" and "non-techies" widening or narrowing? What are the effects? Can they be mitigated through education, and if so, what is the appropriate kind of education to be offered?

Tips for Working Successfully in a Group

Adapted from Randy Pausch, for the Building Virtual Worlds course at Carnegie Mellon, Spring 1998
With some additions and modernizations by Joseph Luk, 2010.

Meet people properly.  It all starts with the introduction.  Then, exchange contact information, and make sure you know how to pronounce everyone’s names.  Exchange phone numbers -- there is no substitute for the immediacy and reliability of a phone, especially a mobile phone, to fall back on when the unexpected happens or when you need to get answers quickly.

Find things you have in common.   You can almost always find something in common with another person, and starting from that baseline, it’s much easier to then address issues where you have differences.  This is why cities like professional sports teams, which are socially galvanizing forces that cut across boundaries of race and wealth.  If nothing else, you probably have in common things like the weather.

Make meeting conditions good.  Have a large surface to write on, make sure the room is quiet and warm enough, and that there aren’t lots of distractions.  Make sure no one is hungry, cold, or tired.  Meet over a meal if you can; food softens a meeting.  That’s why they “do lunch” in Hollywood. Life is unpredictable: plan to arrive at your meeting at least five minutes early so you are likely to start on time. An on-time start leads to much more efficient use of time and shows respect for your teammates.

Let everyone speak.  Even if you think what they’re saying is stupid.  Cutting someone off is rude, and not worth whatever small time gain you might make.  Don’t finish someone’s sentences for him or her; they can do it for themselves.  And remember: talking louder or faster doesn’t make your idea any better.  Silence is golden: it gives people an opportunity to speak and to think. If you feel compelled to say something to fill a silence, take a deep breath -- someone might have something important to contribute.

Check your egos at the door.  When you discuss ideas during brainstorming, immediately label them and write them down.  The labels should be descriptive of the idea, not the originator: “the troll bridge story,” not “Jane’s story.”

Praise each other.  Find something nice to say, even if it’s a stretch.  Even the worst of ideas has a silver lining inside it, if you just look hard enough.  Focus on the good, praise it, and then raise any objections or concerns you have about the rest of it.  

Put it in writing.  Always write down who is responsible for what, by what date/time (“action items”).  Be concrete.  Written records establish accountability.  Never assume that someone’s roommate will deliver a phone message. Take advantage of the ease of one-to-many communications provided by electronic media such as email: cc (carbon copy) all of your group members. Confirm electronic communications, even if it is just to say "Got your message; busy now but will respond later." Nothing needlessly slows down a project more than “Did you get my email?” issues.  Also, don’t get bogged down trying to discuss complex issues over email or IM when you can get the discussion done much more efficiently over the phone or in person.

Be open and honest.  Talk with your group members if there’s a problem, and talk with the instructor or course staff early if you think you need help or if you spot a budding problem.  The whole point of this course is that it’s tough to work across cultures.  If we all go into it knowing that’s an issue, we should be comfortable discussing problems when they arise -- after all, that’s what this course is really about. Be forgiving when people make mistakes, but don’t be afraid to raise the issues when they come up.

Avoid unproductive conflict at all costs. When stress occurs and tempers flare, take a short break. Clear your heads, apologize, and take another stab at it.  Apologize for upsetting your peers, even if you think someone else was primarily at fault; the goal is to work together, not start a legal battle over whose transgressions were worse. It takes two to have an argument, so be the peacemaker.

Phrase alternatives as questions.  Instead of “I think we should do A, not B,” try “What if we did A, instead of B?”  That allows people to offer comments, rather than defend one choice.

Always work towards your goal. You are not doing your group project in order to make friends, enemies, to pass time or to boost your personal social standing. Constantly consider whether your actions are constructively helping your group build the project. At the same time, do not immediately pass judgment on your team-mates’ actions: they may be doing things for reasons that you don’t know about yet. Put it in perspective: you are taking a few short weeks of your life to complete a project, so focus on the goal and work towards it in the most efficient way you can.