Knowledge Units in the Tenth Subject Area

A knowledge unit defines a coherent collection of subject matter that is so fundamental to the designated subject area that it should occur in every undergraduate curriculum. Frequently the subject matter of a particular knowledge unit is related to other knowledge units in the common requirements and can be introduced within any of several alternative course structures. This is often the case with the knowledge units that we will describe in this new subject area designated Ethical and Social Impact of Computing (ES). The conceptual framework, principles and skills explicated in The Consequences of Computing [3], the first report from the ImpactCS Project, are used as the basis of the knowledge space of this new subject area. The five fundamental knowledge units of Ethical and Social Impact of Computing are:

ES1: Responsibility of the Computer Professional ES2: Basic Elements of Ethical Analysis ES3: Basic Skills of Ethical Analysis ES4: Basic Elements of Social Analysis ES5: Basic Skills of Social Analysis

Each of the knowledge units will be described in terms of learning objectives, recurring concepts, and core content. We will also describe the amount of time needed to teach these units, the role of laboratories in each of the knowledge units and the connections to other knowledge units in the curriculum. It is important to note that these knowledge units should be taught in a computing context using topics related to computing, such as privacy, automation, freedom of speech on networks, risks and reliability, and equity of access to computer technology. We will use a format similar to the one presented in Computing Curricula 1991 to describe each of the knowledge units:

KU tag #: Knowledge Unit Name Paragraph : describing the learning objectives and general subject matter coverage required. Recurring concepts: list of CS recurring concepts that are appropriate to the unit Lecture topics: (minimum number of lecture hours): description of topics to cover Suggested laboratory activities:(minimum number of hours): description of activities Connections to other knowledge units: Related to: other knowledge units in the curriculum Prerequisites: