CSCI 3030: Computing, Ethics and Society

COURSE DESCRIPTION : Introduction to social and ethical issues relating to computer

science and information technology. Topics include intellectual property, opensource software,

the digital divide, globalization, and professional ethics. This course will introduce students to

the wide array of ethical issues that have arisen with the advent of computer technology and the

internet.

TOPICAL OUTLINE

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Week 1-2: Introduction to Ethics (Kantianism, Utilitarianism and Social Contract Theory)

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Week 3: Technology and Education Ethics (Cheating, Plagiarism and Computer Science)

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Week 4-5: Networking Ethics (The Internet, Spam, Censorship)

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Week 6-7: Intellectual Property (Copyrights, Fair Use and Peer to Peer issues)

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Week 8: Open Source Software, etc. (GPL, Linux, Creative Commons)

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Week 9: Privacy (Public Records, Identity Theft, Data Mining)

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Week 10-11: Network Security (Viruses, Crackers & Hackers, Online Voting)

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Week 12-13: Sociological Issues (Globalization, The Digital Divide)

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Week 14: Software Engineering and Professional Ethics