School of Engineering and Applied Science
Department of Computer Science
CSci 1030 -- Technology and Society
http://www.seas.gwu.edu/~mfeldman/csci1030/summer13
Prof. Michael B. Feldman, course instructor
mfeldman@gwu.edu

Week 1: Introductions, History, and Ethics

Readings:

Baase, Chapters 1 and 9

Spinello, Chapter 1
the following URL's on moral frameworks and ethics codes:

The PDFs and links are important; the textbook readings provide useful background information.

Learning Activities:

Photo of yourself (by Friday 7/12, 11:59 PM) - using your Blackboard assignment menu, upload a digital photo of yourself for the class photo gallery. Because this is a distance-learning course, we never see each others' faces in class; the photo gallery will help us associate actual people with all the e-mail and forum discussions.

Please try to provide a passport-type "head shot" in GIF or JPG form. I can shrink your photo if necessary, but please don't make me edit it to make your face reasonably visible.  Check out the "blank" gallery HERE on the class website; I will fill in the other photos when you submit them.

Please use this standard file naming rule: Suppose your name is Jane Smith: call your file smith-jane-photo.jpg or smith-jane-photo.gif.

Electronic Introductions (by Friday 7/12, 11:59 pm) - in the Blackboard discussion area, write a brief description of your background, interests, experience with computers, discussion of the following: Since many cultures may be represented in this class, briefly describe how you think technology is viewed within your culture (good, evil, frightening, morally corrupting, progress, etc.). In particular, comment on how the general public in your country feels about "western" technology. If your culture is American, your thoughts on American culture and technology are welcome, of course!

Personal ethical frameworks (by Friday 7/12, 11:59 PM) - in the Blackboard discussion area, locate yourself on the ethical coordinate system. Given the hypothetical ethical Cartesian coordinate system (see Ethical Coordinates file), locate (plot) where you think your own ethical philosophy falls and discuss why.

Discussion of ethics scenario (by Tuesday 7/16, at 11:59 pm) - in the Blackboard discussion area, discuss the following ethics scenario to identify the ethical situation, the stakeholders, the alternatives and the possible correct action based upon a code of ethics.

(1) Look at the Ethics Code files and discuss where you think they each fall in the moral coordinate system.
(2) Consider this scenario:

Civil engineers employed by a state agency were engaged in numerous construction design projects, such as flood control, where safety of humans is a factor. They were held personally responsible for their work under a professional and business responsibility law. In their design activities, the engineers increasingly relied on computer programs that were designed by systems analysts and implemented by computer programmers. The engineers specified the problems requiring solution and, to various degrees, specified the methods of solution and test cases for demonstrating that the computer programs functioned correctly. Several of the computer programs included logic where decisions were based on engineer-specified criteria and where the program output selected types and quantities of construction materials and stated how deliverable end products were to be constructed.
 
The engineers complained to their management that they were not able to determine the correctness and integrity of the computer programs, and the results of their work relied heavily on those qualities. Therefore, an error in a computer program or an error in operation of the computer (that could be detected by a programmer) could result in a serious design flaw that could cause harm to people. The engineers wanted the systems analysts and computer programmers to share in the responsibilities for any losses under the professional and business law. The systems analysts and programmer stated that they were merely providing tools and had no involvement in their use. The engineers could test and analyze the programs to assure themselves of their accuracy. Therefore, the systems analysts and programmers should not be held responsible.

Given the above scenario, choose one of these stakeholders:

  1. The civil engineers of the state agency
  2. The editor of the local newspaper who finds about the situation
  3. The managers of the company developing the software
  4. The programmers in the company developing the software
  5. The local elected officials; state agency that licenses engineers
  6. Members of the public
In the Blackboard discussion, play the role of your chosen stakeholder and generate a set of alternative actions possible from their point of view. Use one of the ethics codes to develop alternatives. If your own intended profession has its own ethics code with similar purposes, feel free to use it instead of ACM or IEEE (don't forget to provide a link to that ethics code!).

(3) Finally, do the Individual Ethics Scenario Evaluation (short paper due Thursday 7/18)

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