IS 350 — Computer, Society & Ethics
Teaching Assistant for an upper-level online course examining the ethical implications of computers and information systems, including privacy, professionalism, algorithmic bias, and digital intellectual property.
Instructor: Dr. Julie Ancis
Term: Fall
Location: Online
Time: Asynchronous (weekly online office hours)
My Role
I served as the Teaching Assistant for this online course in Fall 2025, working with Dr. Julie Ancis. My responsibilities included holding weekly online office hours, moderating discussion forums, and grading assignments.
Course Overview
This upper-level online course examines the ethical implications of computers and information systems.
Textbook
Michael J. Quinn, Ethics for the Information Age, 9th edition (2024).
Course Components
- Discussion — 15%
- Ethical Case Analysis Assignment — 20%
- Three quizzes — 45%
- Team debate — 20%
Schedule
| Week | Date | Topic | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 2–5 | Introduction & Ethical Analysis Course overview and introduction to ethical analysis frameworks. | |
| 2 | Sep 8–12 | Ethics Ethical thinking, theories, and analysis methods. | |
| 3 | Sep 15–19 | Professional Ethics Professional ethics and codes of conduct in computing. | |
| 4 | Sep 22–26 | Network Communication Communication networks and their ethical implications. | |
| 5 | Sep 29 – Oct 3 | Information Privacy Privacy concerns in the digital age. | |
| 6 | Oct 6–10 | Computers & Government Computing in governance and policy. | |
| 7 | Oct 13–17 | Computer & Network Security Security challenges in computing systems and networks. | |
| 8 | Oct 20–24 | Computer Reliability Reliability of computer systems and consequences of failure. | |
| 9 | Oct 27–31 | Automation & Globalization Impact of automation and global computing on work and society. | |
| 10 | Nov 3–7 | History of Computing Historical perspectives on computing. | |
| 11 | Nov 10–14 | Debate Preparation Team formation and preparation for debates on technology ethics. | |
| 12 | Nov 17–21 | Student Debates Recorded team debates on ethical dilemmas in technology. | |
| 13 | Nov 24–26 | Cyberpsychology & Computing New and innovative topics; cyberpsychology’s influence on computing. | |
| 14 | Dec 1–5 | Intellectual Property Digital intellectual property and its ethical dimensions. | |
| 15 | Dec 8–11 | Conclusion & Synthesis Synthesis of trust, security, and privacy themes. |