ENCS 393 AA Social and Ethical Dimensions of Information
and Communication Technology
Prerequisites: ENCS 282; 40 credits in BCompSc program.
NOTE: Students who have received credit for ENCS 410 may not take this
course for credit.
Information technology and society are rapidly transforming each other
creating new ethical dilemmas that reshape computer science practice.
Course Description
In this course we will assess how information technology impacts society, and introduce pressing
ethical questions concerning the use of computers. We will also explore how society shapes
information technology, and what this means for the roles and responsibilities of computer
scientists. The profound changes of the information age have a series of social, political,
economic, legal, and ethical implications; these changes are both positive and negative because
information technology both empowers people and exposes their vulnerabilities, changing our
relations to others including family, the community, the state, corporations and ourselves. This
course examines how we as a society, and you as computer scientists specifically, can evaluate
these changes and steer information technology in ways that lead towards fair and just societal
outcomes.
The course will cover topics including: ethics in an information society; computer mediated
experience; information productivity and the work/life balance; economic globalization and
intellectual property in a digital world: the digital divide; surveillance and privacy; electronic
democracy; and, computer-based profiling and hacking.
, Course Objectives
• Develop an understanding of the place of information technology and
computer science within broader social and historical contexts.
• Understand the dimensions of social and ethical computer science
practice.
• Recognise, analyse, and evaluate the role that information technology
and computers play in important contemporary issues, and the impact
of information technology interventions in a global context.
• Promote ability to think critically, clearly and analytically.
• Improve skills learned in ENCS 282 Technical Communication,
improve capacity for effective writing and public speaking.
Course Policies
• Attendance – Your presence in class is mandatory. We cover lots of
material in class and for that reason it is critical that you attend in
order to do well. Attendance also means refraining from playing with
your cell phone, reading the newspaper, surfing the internet, using
other electronic devices or doing other coursework while in the
classroom. This course is designed for courteous, motivated students
who attend each class, do all the reading, and ask questions when
they don‘t understand something. If you miss class, you are
responsible for getting materials we covered from a classmate.
• Academic Integrity – I expect that the work you complete for this
course will be your own; cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of
academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Any written assignment
that borrows from other sources without giving proper credit or that
is plagiarized in whole or in part from another source (including other
student‘s work) is grounds for an ―F‖ on the assignment, or depending
on the severity of the crime, is grounds for an ―FNS‖ in the course.
You must certify that you understand these requirements by
completing the ―Expectations of Originality Statement‖ at the
beginning of the semester. Furthermore, on the cover sheet of every
assignment you [or your group] must write the following: ―I [We]
certify that this submission is my [our] original work and meets the
Faculty's Expectations of Originality‖ You must sign the statement,
write the date and your I.D. number.
• Late Assignments – Late assignments will be penalized by 1/3 letter
grade per day. For example, an assignment that would have been a B,
would be a B- if it is one done day late, a C+ if it is two days late, and
so on.
• Special Accommodations – Please inform the professor of any special
needs or circumstances as soon as possible. Reasonable
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