CSCI 310 - Computing in a Global Society Spring 2007

Instructor   Dr. Bonnie McVey 

Office: Cofrin 310	Phone: 920.403.3471
Office Hours: MW 2-3, TTh 9-10, F 8-9                         and by appointment	Email: bonnie.mcvey@snc.edu

Course Meetings 

Lecture:	MWF, 11:00 - 12:10, Cofrin 208
Labs:	Thursday, 3-5 pm, Cofrin 108

Catalog Description

Computing has brought the people of the world closer together but has also divided us in significant ways. This course will examine the development of the global computing society, compare its impact and influence on developed and developing countries, and discuss the responsibilities of those who dominate it. This course will address the effects that computing has on the global society and its individuals rather than on the technical content of computing. Laboratories will be used to illustrate and experience the disparity of computing resources among societies, the immediate and global impact of computing on the global society, and differences in how societies control access to computing resources.

General Education Area 11
All upper biennium general education courses will require students to compose a minimum of 2000 words of polished writing for the semester. These requirements must be described in the course syllabus. Instructors will provide guidance throughout the course by following these guidelines:

• Assignments should be sequenced and require students to advance to more complex thinking and writing skills as the semester progresses.
• If instructors require students to do primary and secondary research, then they should require students to use the methods and documentation style appropriate to the nature of the course.
• If instructors assign one research or term paper at the end of the semester, the following procedure should be followed: for longer projects, instructors should sequence shorter writing assignments that build up to the final research project, thus insuring that students receive substantive feedback on their writing.
• Students will be expected to use the college writing guide--currently The Holt Handbook latest edition)--as the writing guide for upper biennium courses, particularly the sections Writing with Sources" and "Writing in the Disciplines."

Texts

Required: To be announced.

Check website http://www.snc.edu/compsci/cs310/ often for readings, assignments, and other course info.

Policies

1. Attendance is expected. When possible, inform me before class or lab that you will not be there. If you miss a class, you are responsible for all information from the class. You may miss one lab and still hand-in the lab report for credit. If you leave a lab meeting prior to the end of lab time without first completing the lab, you will be considered absent from the lab.
2. All assignments will be turned in at the beginning of the class in which it is due. A forgotten assignment (an assignment is not forgotten if you are not in class!) may be handed in within 30 minutes after class to my office.
3. Assignments MUST contain your signature indicating that you followed the SNC Academic Honor Code. All documents are assumed not submitted without your signature. Course work must be completed individually; discussion of topics and ideas is encouraged but be sure to write up your solutions separately.
4. SNC ACADEMIC HONOR CODE (adapted from dcp) I actively enforce the Academic Honor Code. By your registration in this course, you agree to abide by the Academic Honor Code. All materials handed in for grading are subject to the code. Each document must bear your signature after the label Honor Code Signature.  It is understood that your signature means that you followed the SNC Academic Honor Code for that assignment. Any document that does not contain your signature is considered not submitted. Below are some guidelines for following the honor code:
   1. No outside sources or references are allowed on exams given "in-class."
   2. Research papers, programs, homework, lab reports must fully document another's ideas and works.
   3. Students must do their own work on their own directory and disk. You are in violation of the Academic Honor Code if you share your own or copy another's document in any form (printed, screen, file, etc).  Never leave your work on the disk drives of  lab machines or forget to pick up your printouts.
   4. Discussing written assignments with others is often a good experience since there are often many solutions to one problem, but again, the written report is an individual effort. Writing your solutions to the assignment yourself not only helps you more fully understand and but also keeps you from violating the SNC Academic Honor Code.
   5. If in doubt, don't!

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible.

Welcome! CSCI 310 is a new course for you and offered this semester for only the second time for me and at St. Norbert College. There are so many interesting things to discuss, analyze and solve. Clearly, we won't be solving the world's problems, but we will be examining how computing and computer networks are affecting the world's population. We will gain some historical perspective on how we came to the current computing environment. We will explore how other cultures view computing. We will also explore how computing contributes to economic, educational, and social conditions.

Read the assignments, ask questions in class and in office hours, work hard. Begin assignments early. This course will be a learning experience for all of us, but one that I am greatly looking forward to. Enjoy!

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