| Week | Assessment | Due Date |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Paper 0 (positionality) | Sept 23, end of the day |
| 5 | Paper 1 First draft (technology analysis) | Oct 7, end of the day |
| 7 | Paper 1 Final draft (technology analysis) | Oct 21, end of the day |
| 9 | Paper 2 First Draft (application analysis) | Nov 4, end of the day |
| 11 | Paper 2 Final Draft (application analysis) | Nov 18, end of the day |
| 13 | Paper 3 First Draft (reflection paper) | Dec 2, end of the day |
| 15 | Paper 3 Final Draft (reflection paper) | Dec 16, end of the day |
Syllabus
CSCI 3921W - Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues in Computing
Course Information
- Department: Computer Science and Engineering
- Course Number: CSCI 3921W
- Course Name: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues in Computing
- Location: Akerman Hall 319
- Credits: 3
- Modality: In-person
- Meeting time: Monday and Wednesday 09:45 AM - 11:00 AM
Instructor
- Adriana Picoral (PhD, she/her)
- apicoral@umn.edu
- Office: 300A Lind Hall
- office hours (drop in):
- Monday 12pm to 2pm
- Tuesday 1pm to 3pm
- office hours (drop in):
Come to student drop-in hours if you have questions, want to discuss the material, or feel free to tell me more about yourself and your interests and activities outside of class.
Contacting me by email: At some points in the term, my inbox gets quite full, but I do want to hear from you. If you email me and don’t hear back from me within two business days, please send a follow up email. I will appreciate the gentle reminder.
Teaching Assistants
When you have questions about the course material, questions about the subject more broadly, concerns to discuss, accommodations you need, or thoughts you want to share, please start by going to office hours. Me and my staff care about students’ success and we all have expertise to share.
TAs can review the course material, and assignments with you, and suggest study strategies. They can also give you tips about the resources that the campus offers, and can provide insights into how to succeed in college more broadly.
The following teaching assistants are affiliated with this course and may be responsible for grading:
- Risako Owan
- Amvi Dwivedi
- Sarah Peng
TA assignments and contact information will be updated at the start of the semester.
General course description
Computing technology has profound effects on society and is strongly affected by society. This provides many benefits and also presents many challenges. This course will examine many important areas, such as privacy, equity, social media, artificial intelligence, information reliability, intellectual property rights, professional conduct, and other current issues in computing and society.
CSCI 3921W fulfills the Liberal Education (LE) Civic Life and Ethics Theme. Please view this document for more information: https://z.umn.edu/CSCI3921-civic-live-and-ethics
Course Catalog Description
Number of Credits: 3
Impact of computers on society. Computer science perspective of ethical, legal, social, philosophical, political, and economic aspects of computing.
Prerequisites
Sophomore standing or above. Some computer background will be helpful for the class but is not necessary.
Course Learning Goals
Upon successfully completing this course students should be able to:
- Engage in constructive discussions using the basic terminology, concepts, and tools in areas such as ethical systems, intellectual property law, privacy, computer security, etc.
- Explain why these concepts are important
- Discuss, analyze, and make recommendations on ethical or social issues in computing
- Express and analyze perspectives on ethical or social issues in computing by listening to and discussing them with others in the class
- Clarify their values and further develop their ways of thinking about issues involving computers and society
- Analyze societal influences on and effects of computing
- Provide examples of important ways that computing influences, and is influenced by society
- List and use different resources where issues of computers and society are being debated or resolved across the globe
- Clearly and accurately communicate their analysis and recommendations about situations involving social, legal, and ethical aspects of computing.
Modality
This course is scheduled as an in-person course. I intend to hold all class ses- sions in-person except if situational factors arise, such as personal illness of the instructor or inclement weather, when the class may be held synchronously via Zoom or recorded for later viewing.
There will be no outside regularly-scheduled-class meetings.
Workload
According to University guidelines, one course credit represents an average of three hours of academic work per week. This is a 3-credit class, so the expected workload (lecture, reading and written assignments) to succeed in this course is 9 hours a week (3 hours for lecture participation, and approximately 6 hours a week that you should dedicate to course readings and written assignments).
Textbook
Due to the ever-changing nature of the topics in the class, instead of a textbook the class will use a number of online resources that will be linked to the class website in the weekly modules. You are expected to spend a lot of time reading for this class with the goal of preparing for in-class discussions.
In-class Discussions
Discussions require a much deeper engagement with a topic – reading about a topic in advance will help you to engage in productive and critical discussions. Discussion is a powerful tool for developing one’s critical consciousness of computing. After each in-class discussion exercise, you will be given time to reflect on what you have learned and what you still have questions about. You will write your reflections in a journal, which will help you with your major writing assignments.
Writing-Intensive Designation
CSCI 3921W is designated a Writing-Intesive course. This means that each student must complete minimum writing requirements.
As a writing-intensive course, the purpose is to improve writing in English. The only way to do this is to practice writing in English. This is also University Policy. This means that writing may not be done in another language and then put through a translation too. The purpose of having TAs (and the writing center) is to help you with this process. Please use these resources!
In particular, the following requirements must be met:
Writing is comprehensively integrated into the course
During lectures, short writing will be assigned, in which students describe their reactions and opinions to the topics presented (approximately 250-500 words per week)
Writing is a significant part of the course work
The major writing assignments all have minimum word counts and require a rough and final draft:
- Paper 0: 750-1,0000 words
- Paper 1: 1,000-1,500 words
- Paper 2: 1,500-2,000 words
- Paper 3: 750-1,000 words
Writing is a significant part of the course grade
Writing assignments make up 90% of the course grade
Your final grade is based on the following categories and weights:
| Assignment | Points |
|---|---|
| In-Class Activities | 25 |
| Journal | 10 |
| Paper 0 | 5 |
| Paper 1 | 20 |
| Paper 2 | 20 |
| Paper 3 | 20 |
| Total points | 100 |
Writing is learned through revision
Students are required to submit rough drafts of all major writing assignments. A draft is due every two weeks, so feedback for each draft will be provided in about one week for the revision cycle.
- Students who earn less than a B on any writing assignment are required to meet with a TA before submitting the final draft of the following assignment.
- Students who earn a B-, B, or B+ on any writing assignment are not required to meet with a TA, but are required to send a rough draft to a TA before submitting the final draft of the following assignment.
- Students may resubmit major writing assignments with no penalty until the last day of class by meeting with a TA and revising their original submission.
Writing within the discipline is explained and practiced in the course
The readings for this course will served as a model for your writing. We will be discussing the readings in class, and each assignment specification will describe what genre (minimum requirements) you are to follow.
Course Policies
Class participation and expectations
Attending the scheduled class time, participating in the in-class activities, and doing the between-class activities are all essential parts of the class.
Unless you are ill or have another legitimate excuse to miss class – plan on attending all the class meetings.
If you are experiencing school-life conflicts or unforeseen difficulties that impact your ability to meet a deadline, please contact me immediately. We want to work together to form a plan for your academic success.
This class differs from most computer science classes. It does not involve computer programming or solving computer-related technical problems. Instead we will be exploring societal aspects of computing.
This is a “doing things” class – if you spend the time to attend class and do the between-class activities then you should pass the class without any trouble. So read, listen to, or watch the assigned material, spend time reflecting on it, and spend time completing the class activities.
The instructor expects all students to be active participants in their learning, not passive consumers1
If you will miss a lecture or group discussion due to illness or another legitimate cause, you must contact me in advance. If you do not contact me in advance, you will receive a 0. If you contact me in advance: for the lectures, you will be given an extra-day to write your answers based on the prompts in the slides. If you are suffering from an incapacitating illness or emergency, an assignment may be waived.
You can expect to spend about 9 hours per week on this class. class. Of course the actual amount will vary from week to week and student to student. But here are some rough guidelines:
- Approximately two hours per week going through the readings, listening to podcasts, and/or watching videos. Note-taking is strongly recommended for participation in group discussions.
- Two and a half hours per week for the in-person class meeting.
- Every week there will also be work on drafting and rewriting assignments. On average, you will probably need to spend three to four hours per week on these activities.
In-class Assignments
To be absolutely clear, assignments marked as “in-class” assignments are to be done while in the classroom or immediately after attending (if you need accommodations, reach out to me).
Use of AI tools
Since written communication is a learning outcome of this course, the content of your individually authored papers and journal entries must be your own writing. AI tools may be used for grammar and clarity editing of your own prose, but not to generate the substance of the writing that forms the basis of the Writing Intensive assessment. All AI assistance must be acknowledged and cited.
AI tools should also NOT be used to summarize readings. You should train your brain to read and reflect on what you are reading, and make connections. We will be using a social reading tool where you can interact with your classmates, so that hopefully the reading will be more meaningful.
In this class, the ability to write is essential for understanding and communicating your perspectives on social, legal and ethical issues in computing. As such using Generative AI tools for summarizing the readings and generating any part of your written assignments is NOT permitted.
GenAI tools are not substitutes for your intellectual effort or scholarly expression. Active engagement with course materials, critical thinking and judgment, and expression of original ideas should never be outsourced to technology.
Any violation of this is subject to the UMN’s Scholastic Dishonesty policy included in the Board of Regents: Student Conduct Code. This includes incorporating any part of an AI-generated text in an assignment.
Violations will be subject to a zero grade on the assignment in question and a letter grade reduction in the final grade. In addition, the incident will be reported to the Office for Community Standards.
The Board of Regents Student Conduct Code states the following in Section IV, Subd.1: Scholastic Dishonesty:
“Scholastic dishonesty means plagiarism; cheating on assignments or examinations, including the unauthorized use of online learning support and testing platforms; engaging in unauthorized collaboration on academic work, including the posting of student-generated coursework on online learning support and testing platforms not approved for the specific course in question; taking, acquiring, or using course materials without faculty permission, including the posting of faculty-provided course materials on online learning and testing platforms; …”
If you are in doubt as to whether you are using an online learning support platform appropriately in this course, I encourage you to discuss your situation with me.
Any assignment content composed by any resource other than you, regardless of whether that resource is human or digital, must be attributed to the source through proper citation.
Unattributed use of online learning support platforms and unauthorized sharing of instructional property are forms of scholastic dishonesty and will be treated as such.
I do provide guidance to you in your assignment descriptions on when the use of AI is appropriate (and permitted). In these LIMITED instances, when using AI tools, you are going to be asked to:
- Include proper citation for any AI-generated text, images, or other media. An example citation might look like this:
- Copilot, Microsoft Copilot, accessed [Month] [Day], [Year], cloud.copilot.microsoft.com
- Include an AI disclosure statement. For example:
- “For this assignment, I used [list of AI tools used in assignment] for [specific purpose, e.g., generating an outline, summarizing sources, grammar revision] but not for [list of student contribution, e.g., direct content creation.]”
You may be asked to show proper documentation of your process as required by the assignment. Students are responsible for any data input into AI tools and the AI-generated outputs they choose to include in their coursework.
Do not enter private, sensitive, or copyrighted information into AI systems, including personal information, research data, or any instructional or peer-generated materials from this course. The Student Conduct Code and University copyright policies prohibit students from uploading or sharing instructor or peer course materials (e.g., lecture notes, assessments, readings, discussion posts) with AI tools or external platforms. I will never upload your work to any GenAI tools for teaching or research purposes. Tools may generate false, misleading, biased outputs and illicitly reproduce copyrighted materials. You are responsible for vetting all generated responses before using them in your work. Any violation of this course policy, including failure to disclose or adequately cite AI use when required may be considered Scholastic Dishonesty in accordance with the Student Conduct Code and the Office for Community Standards Consequences & Outcomes. Violations will be subject to a final grade penalty, and failing the assignment. In addition, the incident will be reported to the Office for Community Standards. As the AI landscape evolves globally and at the UMN, this policy is subject to revision at any point throughout the semester. Students will be alerted to any changes via a Canvas announcement.
Preferred Names
If your preferred name is not the same as the name that appears on the university provided roster for the course, please let me know so that I can use your preferred name.
A respectful learning environment for all
Everyone living, learning, and working at this college is expected to contribute to creating a respectful environment free from harassment and discrimination.
Caregiver Responsibilities Policy
I have great respect for students who are balancing their pursuit of education with the responsibilities of caring for children or other family members. If you run into challenges that require you to miss a class, or if your caregiving responsibilities are interfering with your ability to engage in remote learning, please contact me. There may be some instances of flexibility we can offer to support your learning.
Excused Absences and Makeup Work
If you run into any other challenges that require you to miss a class or miss an assignment, please contact me AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Contact me before the assignment is due, before you miss a quiz or an exam, so we can make arrangements for you to make-up the missed work.
Course Topics and Schedule
A tentative list of content and schedule is provided. Due to the constantly changing nature of technology and society, and the desire for this course to be continually relevant and up-to-date, this content is guaranteed to change, quite possibly from week-to-week. It is your responsibility and an expectation for this course that students check Canvas and their email on a daily basis for updates.
| Week | Dates | Class Topics |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept 9 | Intro to the course |
| 2 | Sept 14 to Sept 18 | Academic Use of LLMs |
| 3 | Sept 21 to Sept 25 | Intro to Ethics and Society |
| 4 | Sept 28 to Oct 2 | Ethical Frameworks |
| 5 | Oct 5 to Oct 9 | History of transformative technologies |
| 6 | Oct 12 to Oct 16 | Case Studies |
| 7 | Oct 19 to Oct 23 | Algorithmic bias, fairness, disinformation |
| 8 | Oct 26 to Oct 30 | Data Collection, Privacy, and Civil Liberties |
| 9 | Nov 2 to Nov 6 | Algorithmic bias audits |
| 10 | Nov 9 to Nov 13 | Algorithmic Justice |
| 11 | Nov 16 to Nov 20 | Intellectual Property, Ownership, and the Commons |
| 12 | Nov 23 to Nov 25 | Frontier AI |
| 13 | Nov 30 to Dec 4 | Governance, Regulation, and Who Decides |
| 14 | Dec 7 to Dec 11 | Professional Ethics: What Will You Refuse to Build? |
| 15 | Dec 14 to Dec 16 | Synthesis (review) |
| Finals | Dec 17 to Dec 23 | NA |
Grading
Grading for this course is on an absolute scale so that the performance of others in the class will not affect your grade. Final grades will be based on the following scale:
| Letter Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| A | 93 - 100 |
| A- | 90 - 92.99 |
| B+ | 87 - 89.99 |
| B | 83 - 86.99 |
| B- | 80 - 82.99 |
| C+ | 77 - 79.99 |
| C | 73 - 76.99 |
| C- | 70 - 72.99 |
| D+ | 67 - 69.99 |
| D | 60 - 66.99 |
| F | < 60 |
Your grade will not be rounded up to the nearest whole number. If you receive a 92.99%, you will receive an A- and not an A. Do not ask for your grade to be rounded up at the end of the course. It will not happen. For S/N grading, a satisfactory grade (S) requires a weighted score of 70 or above.
I provide multiple opportunities for students to receive feedback on their performance throughout the course to give students opportunities to see how they are doing and so that they can identify places they need to apply more effort or new strategies along the way, seek help if they are struggling and improve throughout the semester. My hope is that all students will develop the knowledge they need to do well in this course and that all students–even those who perform well early in the semester—will improve and develop greater knowledge and skills through practice on the quizzes and exams. Students earn the grades they receive; I do not curve grades or add extra points or extra credit in this course because I do not believe students grades should be tied to other students’ grades (on a curve) and because there are plenty of opportunities for students to improve their grades throughout the semester with the labs, projects, quizzes and exams.
Student Support
UMN provides extensive academic supports for students, and these supports are there to let students achieve the academic success they are truly capable of.
Disability Accommodations
I am committed to creating an inclusive learning environment within my course. Inclusivity and accessibility are ongoing community processes, and I hope that you as a member of our class share my commitment to creating a classroom experience that fosters belonging.
Please contact me immediately if you become concerned—for any reason—about your capacity to fully participate in our course due to the structure of the course, activities, or assignments. If you work with the Disability Resource Center (DRC), please notify me as soon as possible so that we can discuss access (see contact information below). If you do not work with the DRC, but know that access barriers may arise (due to undiagnosed health conditions, mental health, learning style, life circumstances, etc.), please reach out to me as soon as possible so that we can work together to support your learning. I welcome the conversation.
Students Mental Health and Stress Management
As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance and may reduce your ability to participate in daily activities. University services are available to assist you. All of us need a support system, and many students benefit from the use of counseling services. You can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus via the Student Mental Health Website. As an instructor/University community member, we care about the wellbeing of students. If health, safety, or mental health concerns are conveyed, we may consult with campus support offices to provide support and resources to a student.
Mental Health is Physical Health. I am committed to treating mental health issues, short-term or long-term, with the same severity I would treat physical health issues, especially as it would relate to accommodations and make-up work.
Footnotes
hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom. Routledge.↩︎