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CS 4001 Georgia Institute of Technology
Computing, Society & Professionalism
Fall 2019 College of Computing 102 T/Th 9:30-10:45am
Teaching Team
Instructor: Dr. Ben Rydal Shapiro
Office Hours: Monday 1-2pm, TSRB 220
TA: Miranda Parker
Course Overview
This course examines ethical complexities in computing and design across diverse contexts. Students develop critical analysis and argumentation skills through discussion, interactive lectures, and assignments focused on artificial intelligence, predictive policing, data science, and research ethics.
Learning Goals
- Ethics & Design: Implementing moral decision-making in technology and evaluating designs through reasoned arguments grounded in ethical theories
- Professional Ethics: Understanding responsibilities of computing professionals and applying ACM/IEEE codes of ethics
- Computing & Society: Analyzing technology's societal impact and political dimensions
- Argumentation: Strengthening oral, written, and visual communication skills
Required & Recommended Texts
- Required: Ethics for the Information Age (7th Edition) by Michael Quinn
- Recommended: Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with Readings (9th Edition) by Ramage, Bean, and Johnson
Grading
Participation (25%)
Class discussion, questions, peer support, preparation
Assignments (25%)
- Assignment 1: Article argument analysis (5%)
- Assignment 2: Term paper proposal (5%)
- Assignment 3: Term paper outline (10%)
- Assignment 4: Term paper presentation (5%)
Midterm Exam (25%)
In-class exam
Term Paper (25%)
Final research paper
Course Schedule
Week 1
8/20 — Introductions & course overview
8/22 — Personal ethical dilemma activity (Complete background survey)
Week 2
8/27 — Therac 25 case study
8/29 — Introduction to argument reading/writing
- Writing Arguments Chapters 1 & 2
Week 3
9/3 — Trolley cars; Utilitarianism & Kantianism
- Quinn Chapter 2 through 2.8
- The Moral Side of Murder - Sandel (start at 24:35)
9/5 — Ethics discussion DUE: Assignment 1
Week 4
9/10 — Social contract theory; Virtue ethics
- Quinn Complete Chapter 2
- The Good Citizen - Sandel (start at 18:00)
- Virtue Ethics - Stanford Encyclopedia (optional)
9/12 — Predictive policing case study
Week 5
9/17 — Artifacts, algorithms & politics
- The Relevance of Algorithms - Gillespie
- Do Artifacts Have Politics? - Winner (skim)
9/19 — Big data issues
- Weapons of Math Destruction - O'Neil (video)
- Critical Questions for Big Data - Boyd & Crawford
Week 6
9/24 — Structuring arguments
- Writing Arguments Chapters 3 & 4
9/26 — Term paper discussion DUE: Assignment 2 (bring 3 printed copies)
Week 7
10/1 — Professional ethics I
- 2018 ACM Code of Ethics
- Quinn Chapter 9
10/3 — Mid-term review
Week 8
10/8 — Midterm Exam (In-Class)
10/10 — Professional ethics II
- Bring sample code/algorithm to class
Fall Break
10/15 — No Class
Week 9
10/17 — Data, privacy & government
- Quinn Chapter 5
10/24 — Guest visits
- Quinn Chapter 6
- From Oral Histories to Visual Narratives - Kwan (optional)
Week 10
10/29 — Visual argument
- How We Can Find Ourselves in Data - Lupi (TED video)
- Intro to D3.js (skim)
- Academic Urban Legends - Rekdal
10/31 — Peer review workshop DUE: Assignment 3
Week 11
11/5 — Visual argument II & data ethics
11/7 — Feminist ethics & AI
- Le Guin and I, Robot chapters (Canvas)
Week 12
11/12 — Feminist ethics & AI II
11/14 — Science fiction & computing
- Post 2-3 minute sci-fi video clip related to computing/professionalism
Week 13
11/19 — Intellectual property
11/21 — Ethics & machine learning
- Over 200 Tech Ethics Curricula - Fiesler
Weeks 14-15
11/26-12/3 — Summing up & Term Paper Presentations
- Assignment 4 (presentations) due
- Term Paper due
Key Readings & Resources
Case Studies & Ethics
- Medical Devices: The Therac-25 - Leveson
- Radiation Offers New Cures, and Ways to Do Harm - NY Times
- ACM Code of Ethics 2018
- Quinn, Ethics for the Information Age - Chapters 2, 5, 6, 9
Ethical Frameworks (Videos)
- The Moral Side of Murder - Michael Sandel (start at 24:35)
- The Good Citizen - Michael Sandel (start at 18:00)
- Kant's Ethics Simplified
- Virtue Ethics - Stanford Encyclopedia
Predictive Policing & Algorithms
- Can 30,000 Cameras Help Solve Chicago's Crime Problem? - NY Times
- Setting the Record Straight on Predictive Policing - HRDAG
- Crime Prediction Technology - Bloomberg
- The Relevance of Algorithms - Gillespie
- Do Artifacts Have Politics? - Winner
Big Data & Privacy
- Weapons of Math Destruction - Cathy O'Neil (Video)
- Critical Questions for Big Data - Boyd & Crawford
- Lost in Translation: Problems of Large-Scale Data Sets - Busch
- From Oral Histories to Visual Narratives - Kwan
Visual Argumentation
- How We Can Find Ourselves in Data - Giorgia Lupi (TED Talk)
- Introduction to D3.js
- Visual Vocabulary
- DataVizCatalogue
- Interactive Chart Chooser
AI, Sci-Fi & Ethics
- I, Robot excerpts - Asimov (Canvas)
- Le Guin chapters (Canvas)
- Academic Urban Legends - Rekdal
Guest Speakers
- Ellen Zegura & Amanda Meng
- Amy Bruckman - Privacy & Government
- Elizabeth Lester (Equifax) - Intellectual Property
Sample Materials
- Sample Midterm Exam
- Sample Term Paper 1
- Sample Term Paper 2 (shared with student permission)
- Sample Term Paper 3 (shared with student permission)
External Resources
Acknowledgements
Course materials developed with contributions from Amy Bruckman, Munmun De Choudhury, Sauvik Das, Kayla DesPortes, Michael Sandel, David Owens, Rogers Hall, and Andy Hostetler.