COMP
96, Summer Session 2 2001
Misc-01
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You are responsible for all information contained in this
syllabus. If you have questions or
need clarification please ask.
Knowing the rules and expectations can make the difference between a
satisfying experience and an academic disaster. |
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Instructor |
Andy Wilson |
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Office |
326 Sitterson (elevator to level 3, turn right, go
down to the end of the hall, turn right) |
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Phone |
962-1839 |
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Email |
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Web |
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Office Hours |
Mon-Fri 2:30-4:00; & by appointment. Walk-ins welcome. |
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Quiet Hours (do not disturb) |
Mon &
Wed 8:00-10:15 am and Mon-Fri 5:30-6:00pm |
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Comp 96 Web page |
http://www.cs.unc.edu/~awilson/comp96/ |
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Course overview |
Comp 96 is a philosophical perspective course. Through readings, lecture, and discussion,
we will identify and explore the cultural, social, philosophical, and
economic effects of information technology on individuals and on society. |
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Goals and Objectives |
This course is directed towards undergraduate
students who wish to understand the impact, in particular, of computer
technology, and, in general, of what has been termed "high
technology," on the institutions, beliefs, values, tastes, activities,
ideals, paradigms, and processes of our society. Students should develop the following skills: • Have a
very basic understanding of how computers are (logically) organized, what
they do, and the general manner in which they do it. • Understand a certain amount of related jargon and abbreviations. • Develop
an appreciation for computers by studying a brief history of early mind
tools. • Identify
a number of controversial side effects of computer use on social,
psychological, philosophical, and political attitudes and institutions. • Describe
a number of controversial issues in this subject, understand the dilemmas,
identify tradeoffs, and discuss them intelligently in a group format. • Analyze
and evaluate arguments on multiple sides of an issue, and write a well
structured, logically coherent essay that takes a particular stance and
argues for it successfully. • Work
cooperatively and effectively as a team member. • Deliver a
well developed, professional presentation as part of a small team. • Use the
Internet as another research tool. |
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Note: This class will
not teach programming or computer operations. If you are looking for hands-on
training, we suggest you enroll in classes offered by ATN. These mini-courses are free to UNC
students; call 962-0101. If you are
looking for a basic intro to computers course, which includes computer
concepts as well as hands-on experience with popular software, we suggest you
consider Comp 4, which is generally offered both sessions of summer school
and each fall semester. |
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Prerequisites |
None.
Assumes no previous knowledge of or about computers. However, we encourage you to use a
computer and word processing software for preparing your papers. In addition, you will learn how to access
information on the Web. |
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Requirements satisfied |
Satisfies the philosophical perspectives requirement
for the General College. |
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Required reading |
(TX) Text:
Computers, Ethics, and Society, 2nd ed, Ermann et al, Oxford Univ. Press. (ER) Electronic
Reserves readings (details coming). (RH) Reading Handouts, from various sources. (TH) Team Handouts (details coming later). Also: The
Elements of Style, by Strunk and
White, 1996, and the MLA Handbook, available at the UNC Textbook Dept.
(English section). One of the
original versions of the former is available on the Web (a link is provided
on the course home page). The Student
Guide to Freshman Composition,
found under Eng 10. Please study carefully
pages 16 through 23 regarding plagiarism¾critical for this course! Electronic mail from the teaching staff. Read it at least every two days. Also consult the Comp 96 Web page from
time to time. |
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Possible topics |
Because new and interesting topics can arise during
the course of a semester, we may not hold to a particular schedule for topic
discussion. A list of possible topics follows, some of which may be covered
only by student presentations and/or assigned readings: Introduction and course overview How computers work Hardware, software, jargon Reliability issues and risk Early mind tools and technological
change Networks and cyberspace The Internet, the World Wide Web E-commerce The National Information
Infrastructure Clashes in cyberspace Universal access; the global
society and democracy; virtual communities and social changes; anonymity v.
accountability; censorship v. free speech; ownership of electronic
information; liability issues; copyright & fair use Privacy and data integrity Freedom of information v. privacy What can they find out,
anyway? Why worry? Surveillance Privacy on-line Crime and security Kinds of "computer
crime" Hackers and crackers; the hacker
ethic Computer graphics, virtual reality When does manipulation become
deception? What is virtual reality? What is it good for? Can it be harmful? Should it be regulated? Computers and the workplace Technology and the quality of work
life Are machines intelligent? Should we strive to make them so? What is intelligence? Knowledge?
Would a sentient machine have a right to life? Other rights? Would it be unethical to unplug it? |
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Class format |
After the first few weeks, a discussion format
should predominate. We all want this course to be as useful and
enjoyable as possible. The success of
this course will depend most heavily on you.
If you do not enjoy speaking in class or participating in lively
discussions, then this is not the right course for you. At least ten percent of your final grade
will depend on weekly participation. Many of the topics we will discuss are
controversial. No one has all the
answers to the questions we will raise.
With no agreed-on right answers, the best way for you to come to some
coherent position is to understand the arguments on all sides. We expect lots of people to disagree with
each other; this disagreement should be rational, respectful, and
non-confrontational. Please study the
forthcoming handout, Misc-02—General
Guidelines for Discussion. One or two guest speakers may also be invited to
share their experiences and perspectives¾as available. Attendance. Attendance
is required and records will be kept.
You cannot participate if you are not here. Unexcused absences will have a negative effect on your final
grade. Excused
absences. Students who are members of regularly organized and authorized
University activities and who may be out of town taking part in some
scheduled event are excused during the approved period of absence. Notification of such an absence must be
sent by the responsible University official to the office of the student's
dean, and a note should be given to me as soon as possible. All other absences for valid reasons are excused
only by me. The student should present an explanation for an absence as far
in advance as possible, and not later than the next class meeting. Advance notice is always preferred. If you can't reach me in person, send
electronic mail or leave voice mail; both are checked daily. If you miss class for any reason, you are
responsible to find out what you missed:
lecture, announcements, assignments, handouts, etc. Readings and other handouts are brought to
class only once; extra copies will be placed on the Comp 96 shelves, level 0,
Sitterson Hall. We will maintain a
list of handouts, assigned readings, assignments, due dates, etc. on the Web,
which is updated at least every two days. Late arrivals to and early departures from class are
an unnecessary disruption to your classmates and should be avoided unless you
have good reason. But having said
that¾we'd much rather have you attend some of the class
than to skip it altogether! A simple
explanation after class is all that is asked. Please see also Item #5 on page 7 of this document. Reading
assignments. Check the board for daily reading
assignments, which will be labeled and numbered, as follows: TX Textbook (Computers, Ethics, and Society)
ER Electronic Reserves
readings RH Reading Handout no. TH Team Handout no. (later during the semester) Handouts. You'll
receive many handouts in this course.
To help you to stay organized (and lose less hair), all handouts will
be labeled and numbered, and 3-hole-punched¾so get your 3-ring binder ready with the following
five labeled sections asap: Misc Syllabus,
Important dates, other miscellaneous handouts RH Reading
handouts TH Team handouts Lec Lecture slides Asg Assignments Seating. A seating
chart will be created, most likely on Mon,
2 Jul, once the drop/adds are complete. We'll also take your picture
on that day. |
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Basic workload |
PARTICIPATE. Participate
in class discussions, both during class and on-line (we may use a Web-based
discussion forum). Everyone
will be expected to participate. If
you don't volunteer, you may be called on.
Take good notes—the handouts should serve as an aid to help you to
organize your note-taking efforts, rather than as a replacement for taking
notes. READ. Make sure
you've done the assigned readings in time for class so that you may
participate in our discussions. If I
determine that you aren't prepared, I will institute the Dreaded Pop-Quiz
Policy (see Testing, below). Expect
some pressure from your peers. J In addition to traditional methods, we will
communicate with you via email—details coming. Read it at least every two days. This is also a great way for you to ask us questions. Of course, e-mail is not a replacement for
face-to-face meetings. WRITE. The bulk of
your grade will depend on essays that you write, both in the form of
assignments and exams. There will
likely be two short papers and one longer term paper assigned. You should expect your papers to be graded
on content and organization, and on spelling, punctuation, grammar, and
style. Details and requirements for
each paper will be distributed during class, and you should also consult
carefully the forthcoming handout, Misc-03—Written
Assignments: Guidelines. I expect that, by this point in your college career,
you can write an essay that is clear, well organized, and essentially free
from most surface errors (spelling, punctuation, and grammar). If that is not true of your writing, then
this may not be the course for you.
Consult Strunk & White's The
Elements of Style, and other similar resources. I also recommend the Grammar Hotline (962-4060) for grammar
questions and the Writing Center (lower level of Phillips Annex, 962-7710;
Web address available from our home page) for more general writing help. Because of the nature of this course, your
writing will affect your grade. PRESENT. In addition
to participating in informal class discussions, you will give a formal
presentation as a member of a small team, and based on your term paper. Dates and details will be provided in
class.
You must be ready to present on your assigned day—only an official
University excused absence will be considered (see Attendance policies,
above). All class members will be
expected to participate in the ensuing discussions. IMP NOTE:
Because your team member(s) will rely heavily on you, sub-standard
performance as a team member could result in an "F" grade for the
entire course, no matter what your course average is otherwise. |
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Late assignments |
Due dates. Assignments
are due at start of class time. ¾ A paper turned
in after that time but during class is docked a "third" of a letter
grade: A becomes B+, B+ becomes B, B becomes B-, and so forth. ¾ A paper
turned in after class and by 6:00 pm the next weekday is docked as one day
late, or one full letter grade: A
becomes B, B+ becomes C+… ¾ Each
additional weekday late reduces your grade by another full letter. Simplify your life and ours: be on time. No fuss, no penalties. However,
we're reasonable. If you have an
emergency that interferes with your ability to attend class or to complete an
assignment on time, let the TA know as
soon as possible and as far in advance as possible. Do so before the due date has passed, or we will likely be
unable to offer you a time extension.
In any case, plan ahead.
Equipment failure will carry no weight in waiving penalties—nor will
excuses such as "I was going to finish it last night but I got
sick." Plan for the unexpected and complete it early. |
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Testing |
Exams will include material from lectures, guest
lectures, discussions, readings, videos, and any other class experience or
assignment. You should bring blue
books for all exams. You will also be
able to bring in a "crib sheet," to be discussed in class. Prepare your own, else it won't be of much
help¾the learning is in the effort put in to creating it,
not in using it. Preparing it with one or two of your classmates is
also acceptable, as long as you participate fully. There will be two exams given: a midterm and a final, most likely in
essay and short-answer format. Essays
are worth more than the short answers (weights shown on each exam). The midterm
exam will be given around Mon, 16 July. The final exam date is set by the
University: August 1, 11:30AM. Makeups. It is to
your advantage to take exams at the announced scheduled time. The excused absences policy stated above
will be followed for the midterm. The
University's policy for final exam makeup will be strictly followed; that is,
I must have the signed slip from your Dean's office in hand before the final exam period begins¾no exceptions.
Details coming later. For all other absences: If you think that you must miss a scheduled exam for a very
pressing reason, you must notify me prior to the exam date and as far in
advance as possible. I will determine
if the forthcoming absence is excusable. You may be able to take the exam with the other
section; or, if necessary, a single makeup exam (with different questions)
will be given for each, at our convenience (we do our best to accommodate
your schedules). The
Dreaded Pop-quiz Policy. If it is determined that our classroom
discussions are uninspiring because people aren't completing the readings
before class, or just don't feel like talking, then unannounced quizzes will
be given, covering the readings due that day. Don't count on the same few people to participate¾they will not save you from the DPP. If the DPP is instituted, then a portion of the
percentage currently assigned to exams would be reassigned to quiz
grades. It is likely that one
additional quiz would be given than those that will count toward your final
grade (i.e., you could drop one), so there are no quiz make-ups. Note: Quizzes are not representative of the kinds of questions
you will find on exams. Rather, they
are composed of simple and obvious content questions to determine whether or
not you read the assignment. |
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Honor Code |
The Honor Code is in full effect. The following sections explain what is
expected from you. If you need
clarification, please do not hesitate to ask. ·
Pledge. The Instrument of Student Judicial Governance requires that you
sign a pledge on all graded work.
This includes all papers, graded assignments, exams, and quizzes. When you sign the pledge, you are agreeing
to the following: "On my honor,
I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this class
work." Simply write the word
"Pledge" and sign your name. ·
Exams and quizzes. You are encouraged to study with other C96 students; you can
learn much from each other. All
quizzes are to be taken without the assistance of books, notes, or other
people. Exams should be taken without
the aid of books, notes, or other people—with one exception: you may bring a single sheet of 8.5"
x 11" paper upon which you can write or type anything you please (two
sides), from the readings, class notes, etc.
NOTE: Graded blue books
will be returned to you during class, for your perusal during that class
time; however, they MUST BE RETURNED to the instructor BEFORE YOU
LEAVE the room, or we will consider it an automatic honor code
violation. You may come by most any
time later to discuss your exam further or to spend more time looking it
over. · Papers. Please consult the Authorized aid section of the handout Misc-03—Written Assignments: Guidelines. See also Basic Workload—Write, on page 4 of this syllabus. |
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Grading |
Weights: The table below represents percent of final grade
assigned to various activities; these weights may be adjusted, if necessary,
but only slightly (and would be announced). Short papers............................................................... 20% Paper 1:........................................... 09% Paper 2:........................................... 11% Term project:.............................................................. 27% Oral ..................................... 12% Written paper.................................. 14% Outline.............................................. 01% Tests:.......................................................................... 40% Midterm Exam................................. 20% Final Exam...................................... 20% Possible Quizzes........................... (4-8% of
Exams) Misc. assignments....................................................... 03% Participation............................................................... 10% TOTAL..................................................................... 100% |
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Letter grades will be assigned to all written
papers, with a corresponding percentage recorded in the gradesheet
(below). Percentage grades will be
assigned to exams. A 97% A- 92% B+ 88% B 85% B- 81% C+ 78% C 75% C- 71% D+ 68% D 65% D- 61% F <61%
(case-specific) Your final course letter grade will be assigned
approximately as follows: Average
within this range: will receive this
letter grade: 94–100%................. A 90–93%................... A– 87–89%................... B+ 83–86%................... B 80–82%................... B– 77–79%................... C+ 73–76%................... C 70-72%.................... C– 67-69%.................... D+ 60-66%.................... D < 60% ..................... F |
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Verifying grades |
Grades will be posted at the Comp 96 shelves and on
the Web, by Hacker ID—details coming.
Kindly verify that grades
posted for you are correct. It will be your responsibility to keep on
file all graded and returned papers.
Should a discrepancy arise between the grade recorded and what you
received, bring graded assignment to the instructor at the earliest possible
time. She will correct clerical
errors reported at any time but no later than the time of the final exam. Re-grading of an assignment or exam will
not be considered more than two weeks after the paper in question has been
made available for return, nor later than the time of your final exam. |
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Safety |
The Campus Security Committee reminds those of us
who attend classes, meetings, and other campus activities (such as using
campus labs) in the evening to be conscious of their personal safety when
traveling to and from those activities.
You are strongly encouraged to use the following free campus escort
services: SAFE Escort, 962-SAFE (for
solo females only); or Point-to-Point shuttle, 962-PTOP (the latter for
evening hours only, unless physically challenged). |
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Weather |
In case of inclement weather, classes will be
canceled if all classes during that time slot are canceled by the
University. Any other cancellation
would be determined only by me; should that be necessary, I will notify the
receptionist at Sitterson Hall, who will post a notice at that station (level
1 lobby). Phone: 962-1700. |
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Miscellaneous |
Handouts
shelves: 0 level of Sitterson Hall (near the elevator, by loading dock). Postings: by handout
shelves; however, many postings will be handled only electronically, so read email and check the Web page often. Refreshments: please
dispose of properly and completely after each class so that we may continue
to enjoy the privilege. Thanks! |
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A MODEST PROPOSAL TO STUDENTS* |
Read carefully.
And please don't take offense¾if you already adhere to these suggestions, then
it's meant for those who don't. You
know who they are. 1. Enthusiasm
is contagious. Profs respond and
teach so much better to an alert, attentive, and interested class, in just
the way an entertainer puts on a better show for an enthusiastic audience. 2. Be
involved. Participate. Care.
Even if you have nothing to say, then show that you are interested and
engaged by making eye contact with me.
You would find it boring if I never made eye contact with you. I will find you pretty boring and
assume you are not interested if you never look up. 3. The "I'm just too cool for
this" posture is unacceptable and offensive. And worse, it makes you look like a high
school brat. Don't carry on private
conversations, give me the hairy-eyebrow look, slouch, sleep, or glare at
your watch. I see your facial
expressions and body language. Will
you appreciate such posture when you come up here to speak? Do you ever wonder why profs get
grouchy? As hard as it is to believe,
we have feelings, too. 4. When
another student speaks, don't think of it as an opportunity to tune out, or
to start your own private conversation.
Even whispers are obnoxious
to everyone around you, and to the prof.
Respecting your classmates includes listening to their questions and
comments. 5. PLEASE
don't close your notebooks and unzip your backpack to signal the end of
class. I know what time it is. Having said that:
If you have a class right after (or before) this one which is on the
other side of campus, see me asap to make arrangements to assign you an end
seat. 6. Contrary to popular opinion, grading is
not easy, and profs and teaching assistants do not take sadistic
pleasure in it. It is by far the
hardest part of the job, and while we must maintain high standards, we also
strive be as fair as humanly possible. 7. Don't wait
until it's too late to seek help. If you are having problems that may
interfere with your fulfilling any course obligation or meeting any deadline,
please discuss this with one of us as soon as possible, and as far in advance
of the due date as possible. We will
do everything that we can to assist you.
We can do much more for you if you come to us before a deadline
date—and your excuse will be far more credible. And remember that we cannot help if you don't communicate with
us. Communication via e-mail is
convenient, and an easy way to reach us.
However, face-to-face meetings (especially to resolve problems) are
always welcome and strongly encouraged. |
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*Excerpts from The Teaching Professor, Aug/Sept. 1999
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"Life, liberty, and property do not exist because men have made laws. On the contrary, it was the fact that life, liberty, and property existed beforehand that caused men to make laws in the first place." Bastiat |
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" Laws and
institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind
..." Thomas
Jefferson |
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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin
Franklin |
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"Those
who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must undergo the fatigue of
supporting it." Thomas Paine |
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"I
disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say
it." Voltaire |