Oregon State University

CS 391: Social and Ethical Issues in Computer Science

Oregon State University, College of Engineering

Chapter 10 ~ Extra Credit/Honors Options

These options are subject to change!

Honors students choose one of the following options for your final assignment.

Other students who would like the opportunity to share additional experiences with their classmates and improve their final grade may participate in one of the following extra credit activities.

If you are unclear about expectations, ask about them before you submit!

Attend an Information Technology-related presentation with an ethical or social component to it. This can be a conference, symposium, colloquium, or seminar that you attended or watched online.

In paragraph 1, summarize the content of the presentation.

In paragraph 2, summarize what you learned from its content. What was new information? What did you have to think about in relation to other topics covered in the course and/or presentation?

In Paragraph 3, analyze the ethical issues...what are the positive aspects of the technology and what are the negatives? Include research to support your claims.

Write between 700 and 900 words in third person in a word processing document with normal formatting. Hyperlink titles of supporting websites and articles which relate to the presentation. Paste the writing into the Extra Credit Discussion. Do not attach a file.

Local and regional in-person opportunities in Oregon will be posted in the Canvas Announcements. Check your own region's high-tech organizations' websites for other opportunities. Or add your city to the SmartNews app to see what is happening near you.

Events provided by Technology Assoication of Oregon (TAO)
(Zoom, 12:00pm on April 16, 2021) Fundamental Rights, Data Privacy, and the Power of Tech Companies - a conversation with Senator Ron Wyden.

Here are a few places to check at OSU:

Scoring Criteria

By the due date specified in Canvas, these items must be included in the assignments to earn full points:

  1. Summary provides enough detail about the event's content.
  2. Summary provides enough detail about what was learned from the event.
  3. Analysis about the positive and negative ethical considerations of the technology provides enough detail.
  4. Sources are cited with hyperlinked titles.

Using MIT's Moral Machine (a platform for gathering human reactions to self-driving car decisions) to design your own scenarios for a study, invite 20 or more humans to participate in the data-gathering, and analyze the results.

Write a 700- to 900-word summary in the first-person style in a word processing document with normal formatting. Hyperlink your Moral Machine study and any other related research titles. Paste the writing into the Extra Credit Discussion. Do not attach a file.

In paragraph 1, summarize the process you used to create the scenarios. (3 points)

In paragraph 2, summarize how you recruited participants to ensure your study had up to 20 participants. (3 points)

In paragraph 3, analyze the data; what you learned from the results. (9 points)

Additional resources may help you with your study:

Scoring Criteria

By the due date specified in Canvas, these items must be included in the assignments to earn full points:

  1. Summary provides enough detail about the Moral Machine scenarios design process.
  2. Summary provides enough detail about recruiting participants.
  3. Analysis provides enough detail about the resulting data.
  4. Sources are cited with hyperlinked titles.

Take a look at ACM's Integrity Project: Promoting Ethics in the Profession page. Propose and communicate about a topic for the Integrity project (as per the Ask an Ethicist page).

Start by writing up the research in roughly 800 to 1000 words or refer to one of your best Case examinations created earlier. Produce a 5-minute or less YouTube video (or audio recording) that uses your research as a guide. Post a link to the movie in the Extra Credit Discussion.

Scoring Criteria

By the due date specified in Canvas, these items must be included in the assignments to earn full points:

  1. Recording provides enough detail about the topic.
  2. Recording provides enough detail about the ethical issue.
  3. Sources are mentioned either verbally or in the credits.
  4. Voice quality and/or lighting of the recording is adequate.

Using Consumer Report's 66-ways-to-protect-your-privacy-right-now, Pick 7 or more steps from the checklist to complete, document, and evaluate.

In each of 7 paragraphs describe which steps you completed and justify them (why were they important to do so?). Evaluate each step and note what was easy and/or difficult about the process for each.

Write between 700 and 900 words in the first-person in a word processing document with normal formatting. Hyperlink titles of supporting articles. Paste the writing into the Extra Credit Discussion. Do not attach a file.

Scoring Criteria

By the due date specified in Canvas, these items must be included in the assignments to earn full points:

  1. First step is described, justified, evaluated, and cited in a paragraph.
  2. Second step is described, justified, evaluated, and cited in a paragraph.
  3. Third step is described, justified, evaluated, and cited in a paragraph.
  4. Fourth step is described, justified, evaluated, and cited in a paragraph.
  5. Fifth step is described, justified, evaluated, and cited in a paragraph.
  6. Sixth step is described, justified, evaluated, and cited in a paragraph.
  7. Seventh step is described, justified, evaluated, and cited in a paragraph.

Play the game Detroit: Become Human game, which is available from Quantic Dream for $28 for Windows and Mac. Describe the technology portrayed in the game then analyze its effect on humanity. Include notes about how decisions about moral delimmas affect the future of Detroit in 2038.

In paragraph 1, summarize and cite the content/plot of your game play.

In paragraph 2, describe the technology portrayed in your gameplay.

In Paragraph 3, analyze social norms that formed in the game based on your moral decisions.

Write between 700 and 900 words in third person in a word processing document with normal formatting. Hyperlink titles of supporting articles, if any. Paste the writing into the Extra Credit/Honors Discussion. Do not attach a file.

Scoring Criteria

By the due date specified in Canvas, these items must be included in the assignments to earn full points:

  1. First paragraph summarizes and cites your gameplay content/plot.
  2. Second paragraph describes the technology portrayed in your gameplay.
  3. Third paragraph analyzes social norms that formed during your gameplay.

Watch an episode of Black Mirror, which is available on Netflix. Describe the technology portrayed in the episode then analyze its effect on humanity.

The series has 20+ episodes to choose from. If you are unsure what to watch, start with The Entire History of You.

In paragraph 1, summarize and cite the content/plot of the episode.

In paragraph 2, describe the technology portrayed in the episode.

In Paragraph 3, analyze one or more of the ethical issues:

  1. What social norms might form?
  2. What could the Terms of Service for this technology look like?
  3. What laws could we use to regulate this technology?

Write between 700 and 900 words in third person in a word processing document with normal formatting. Hyperlink titles of supporting articles, if any. Paste the writing into the Extra Credit Discussion. Do not attach a file.

Casey Fiesler. Black Mirror, Light Mirror: Teaching Technology Ethics Through Speculation. 2018. Medium. How We Get To Next.

Scoring Criteria

By the due date specified in Canvas, these items must be included in the assignments to earn full points:

  1. First paragraph summarizes and cites the episode's content/plot.
  2. Second paragraph describes the technology portrayed in the episode.
  3. Third paragraph analyzes one or more of these ethical issues: 1) What social norms might form? 2) What could the terms of service for this technology look like? 3) What laws could we use to regulate this technology?
  4. Sources are cited with hyperlinked titles.