Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues for Computers and the Internet (2nd ed.)
by Sara Baase
Presentation assignments for Chap. 9: Broader Issues
Comments to instructors
In addition to the assignments below, some of the Class Discussion Exercises in the text on page 395 are suitable for student presentation assignments. Also consider Exercises 9.8, 9.21, and 9.22. Some essay questions, perhaps with a little rewording, can be used for presentation assignments.
For Asmt. 2, I assign students who read books about the Luddites for their book reports, so the presentations go beyond the discussion in the text. Sometimes I assign a student to the opposite side from that which he or she took in the book report.
In a few assignments, two groups of students are assigned the same topic. I do this hoping that their presentations will bring out different points. If the presentations are too similar, I just assign one group to that topic when I use it again.
General instructions given to students
The presentations should analyze the situation, use analogies and similar cases where possible, mention various possible risks or consequences, etc. Include some discussion of how the new technology changes the situation. What advantages or problems result from using it, compared to the old way of doing things? Present the group's proposals and/or conclusions, supported by arguments.
Asmt. 1: The impact of the Web on universities
What will be the impact of the Web on universities? Will universities be replaced by courses and degree programs on the Web? What do you think will actually happen, and why? What are some advantages and disadvantages of the likely changes? Overall, will the changes be good or bad?
Groups 1 and 2: Both do the same assignment.
Asmt. 2: Luddite criticisms of computers and technology
Group 1: Present and support Luddite criticisms of computers and technology in general.
Group 2: Criticism of the Luddite position.
Asmt. 3: Zeus or the Luddites?
In the Prometheus myth, Zeus, the king of the gods, was furious at Prometheus for teaching science and technological skills to mankind because they made people more powerful. Zeus was jealous of his power and determined to withhold fire from mankind so that people would have to eat their food raw. Zeus and the Luddites represent different viewpoints on who benefits most from technology.
Group 1: Argue in support of Zeus' view that technology helps the less powerful, reducing the advantage of the more powerful.
Group 2: Argue in support of the Luddite view that technology helps the more powerful (e.g., governments and large corporations) most.
Asmt. 4: Online suicide
In January, 2003, a 21-year-old man took an overdose of drugs and died in front of his Webcam, while others watched and chatted with him online. Some watchers tried to call for help, but others egged him on, encouraging him to take more pills. To what extent is this event, and particularly the egging-on by other chat room participants, an Internet phenomenon? Does the anonymity of the Internet increase the likelihood of the "egging on" or the difficulty of getting help? What impact, if any, do you think the Internet has on suicides by teenagers? (Find teenage suicide statistics from, say, 1980 and 2000, if you can.)
Comments to instructors
If no students bring up analogies to non-Internet public suicides,
generate a discussion by asking them to compare this incident to a
person threatening to jump from the roof of a tall building. In such
incidents, there have sometimes been people in the (somewhat anonymous)
crowd egging on the prospective jumper.
Asmt. 5: Women in computer science
Although women are roughly half the users of the Internet in the U.S., only 14% of high school students who took the Advanced Placement exam in computer science in 2002 were girls.
Group 1: Present reasons why relatively few girls choose to study computer science.
Group 2: Describe several possible ways to encourage more girls to choose computer science as a college major and professional area. Evaluate them based on fairness and effectiveness.
Asmt. 6: Technology and public comment to government agencies
Many U.S. government agencies are required to consider public comments when making regulatory rules. Many advocacy organizations, with various political points of view, have online action sites that make it easy for members and supporters to send form-letter e-mail to government agencies and elected officials. An agency proposed a rule that it could ignore comments on form letters, preprinted postcards, and similar "duplicative" materials.
Group 1: Representatives of the agency explaining why they want this rule.
Group 2: Representatives of an organization with an online action site arguing against the proposed rule.
Group 3: A panel of experts from relevant fields asked to evaluate the arguments and make a recommendation as to whether the agency's proposed rule should be accepted or rejected.
Comments to instructors
The U.S. Forest Service proposed the rule, but later abandonned the proposal
after criticism from various organizations.
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