* * * Under Gradual Construction * * *
Version: January 5 2012
Class Hours
Class Mailing ListInformation about running the course will be disseminated by email using the class mailing list. If you join after the beginning term, it is your responsibility to subscribe to it, through the link below.The course has a MyWpi site, though I currently expect a limited use for it, principally the discussion boards for your convenience in off-class discussions. Use it as a course-wiki.
Mail sent to cs3043-staff
at cs dot wpi dot edu will go to the
professor and the TA.
Note that you can subscribe or unsubscribe yourself to the class mailing list "cs3043". Teaching Staff
Textbook
An older book, that includes many good expositions of topics we discuss in the course, and several extended case reports. I put a copy on reserve in the library. 3. A wide range of relevant topics (and a large bibliography) in a current, detailed article on computer ethics in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Course ObjectivesWe will study and discuss the issues involved in the proliferation of computers embedded in our lives and the world around us. The course will:
Course MethodologyTo achieve these objectives, you will:
While we view all four methods as
important, especially for the discussion, it is imperative that you attend
class regularly and stay up to date on readings and
assignments.
A short time after each meeting I shall post the notes prepared for the class
in Class Notes
GradingFor the course:
WritingYou will write and submit six short essays during the course. The topic for the first essay, which is due on Monday, January 16, will be emailed a few days before the course starts.
Due dates for homework are listed following the schedule, below.
The following is trite boilerplate, which you have surely seen multiple
times, and still, it deserves attention! Administrative Note: Because of technical limitations (of the way I use email) the essays, and your critiquing, must all be submitted in ascii files. If using MS systems, Notepad is your only editor. On varieties of linux use vim or emacs; I believe there is a Notepad for the Mac, or its equivalent. One more detail, to simplify this chore for me, avoid using attachments; put your message in the body of the email. Thank you for your attention. Writing Center TutorsIf you feel your writing skills are weaker than you would wish, and that you are having difficulty trying to present your opinions and point of view, then consider attending WPI's Writing Center. Tutors from the center can be scheduled (best done online, but you may want to go there first) to help you with your homework assignments and project.Guidelines --- Peer grading
A feature of the course: you not only write essays, you get to critique
and evaluate them! While the grades are assigned by the instructor, your
evaluation is taken into account. Moreover: your critique is part
of the grade you get for that week's assignment.
It provides 20% of the grade. The peer grading is completely randomized and anonymized: your essays will be evaluated by another student drawn at random from the set of students who submitted. Each week you evaluate a single paper. You need to read and evaluate the paper according to your understanding of the assignment. You need to provide two kinds of output: comments, and a grade, writing them below the essay you get mailed, and email it all back. Your comments will be sent to the writer of the essay, with the grade assigned by us. The comments therefore need to be directed to the student writer; aimed to show how one of his/her peers understands his writing. For such comments to lead over time to better presentation, they need to be quite explicit and detailed. Each of the criteria I mention below needs to be considered in your evaluation and grade, but their relative importance is up to you. Criteria:
A.
Does the paper use well the information provided?
Does it answer a question? The grade you assign is on a scale of 0 to 10. Our current plan is to drop the poorest weekly grade when we compute the final grade. Academic honestyIn a course having professional ethics as one of its focal points, issues of academic honesty should be self evident!Please familiarize yourself with WPI's Academic Honesty Policy. Laptop Use and Notes"Recent (2009) work has shown that students who take notes retain more information, and that students who multi-task during class (e.g., with laptops or cell phones) learn less. In fact, those who believed that they gained by multi-tasking, did the worst."You can find an interview with the lead researcher in a related work here. Laptop use in class is acceptable as long as it is restricted to note taking. Any other activity that distracts you or the people around you, preventing thoughtful participation in the class, is inappropriate. Provisions for students with disabilities:"If you need special adaptations or accommodations in tests or homework because of a disability, or if you have medical information to share with me, please get to see me as soon as possible. If you have not already done so, students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class, are encouraged to contact the Disability Services Office (DSO), as soon as possible to ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. The DSO is located in Daniels Hall, (508) 831-5235." Provisions for student absence due to Religious Beliefs:Massachusetts state law specifies that a student--- Tentative Class OutlineThe following outline is tentative. It is possible to achieve the course objectives in different ways, and while there are topics we really should devote some time to, things may change as we go along.
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