CS2013-final-report

Issues in Computing, Saint Xavier University
Florence Appel
appel@sxu.edu
Per University requirements, all course materials are password-protected. Resources are
available upon request.
Knowledge Areas that contain topics and learning outcomes covered in the course
Knowledge Area
Total Hours of Coverage
Social Issues and Professional Practice (SP) 42
Where does the course fit in your curriculum
Issues in Computing is a required 300-level course intended for all junior and senior computing majors. All
students must have successfully completed English composition and Speech courses prior to their enrollment in
the course. We do admit students who are not at the junior/senior level if they are computing practitioners or have
been computing practitioners prior to enrolling in our program. The course is offered annually and has an
average enrollment of 25.
What is covered in the course
In the context of widespread computer usage and society’s ever-growing dependence on computer technology, the
course focuses on issues of ethics for the computing professional. A list of topics:
• Introduction to Computer Ethics
• Survey of the tools of ethical analysis
• Practical applications of the tools of ethical analysis
• Professional ethics
• Privacy issues
• Intellectual property protection issues
• Freedom of expression and the Internet
• Ethical dimensions of computer system reliability
• Digital Divide
• Social impact of technology in the workplace, in education, in healthcare
What is the format of the course
It is a 3 credit hour class that has traditionally been face-to-face, with a growing blended online component. Plans
to offer it completely online are underway. It has been offered in two 1.5 blocks as well as in one 3 hour block.
Within the three contact hours, the distribution of activity is roughly:
• Lecture 15%
• Full class discussion 20%
• Small group work 25%
• Student reports on small group work 15%
• Peer review of assignments 20%
• Individual student presentation 5%
- 430 -