UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE

School of Information Studies

L&I SCI 120 - Information Technology Ethics
3.0 undergraduate credits
Section 001
SYLLABUS
Fall 2011
subject to revision

Instructor
Bradley Compton, PhD.
Email: compton@uwm.edu
Office Hours
By email, online room, or Coffee Shop discussion board
Meeting Time
Class is asynchronous online.
General Description
This course provides a comprehensive overview of the current ethical issues in information and
communication technology (ICT) use. It examines an array of long-standing and emerging
issues facing ICT users ranging from free speech, privacy, intellectual property, hacking, and the
digital divide, to ethics in social networking and online communities. The course discusses the
ethical responsibilities of IT professionals, and promotes the critical examination and
responsible use of ICT.
Objectives
1. To review major ethical theories as they pertain to information and communication
technologies
2. To explore current issues in ICT policy and the ethical dilemmas that arise in light of
them
3. To engage with fellow students in a learning environment centered on ethics and ethical
decision making
4. To investigate students ethical responsibilities as members of an ICT-based ecosystem

Competencies
Upon successful completion of the course, students will:
1. Understand various ethical theories and ethical decision-making models
2. Respond to and apply appropriate decisions around ethical issues in an array of
information and technology practices
3. Participate appropriately and ethically in the infosphere
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Method of Instruction & Learning

Lecture, asynchronous discussion, and video
Small group work
Prerequisites
No specific course prerequisites
Students will need basic familiarity with using Web 2.0

Assignments
Attendance and participation: (15 pointsDue each week) Active and prepared participation in
class discussions is required. Posting and responding to the weekly discussion board is the sole
means of participation. Students must make at least 5 SUBSTANTIVE posts to each weeks
discussion board to get full credit. Students will not get full credit if they post all 5 required
posts in a single day EVEN IF they post more than 5 times on the same day. The course is 15
weeks long. So you can earn up to 1 point per week. You get a free point for each week during
which we have no discussion.
Syllabus review/expectations: (5 pointsDue week 2) For this assignment students must read
the syllabus thoroughly and explicitly discuss their expectations for the course and criteria about
which they are confused. Papers must be 350-700 words, double spaced, and have 12 point font,
correct grammar, spelling, and document structure. If you find any errors or discrepancies in
the syllabus, please notify me personally but do not devote space in your paper to do so. Please
answer one or more of these questions and submit your paper to the correct drop box:

What do you hope to learn from this course?

What topics do you find particularly interesting?
Do you see anything in the course material relevant to your personal or professional
life? What and how?
Is there anything in the syllabus you do not understand?

Practice Prezi: (5 pointsDue week 3) This assignment is for students to familiarize themselves
with Prezi and prepare them for the major Prezi-tation later in the semester. You may pick any
topic you wish: tell a story, give instructions on how to do something, explain your opinion on
some subject, etc. The purpose is for you to start a Prezi account and get a feel for the platform.
Students will post their presentation to the course blog.
Reflection Blog: (15 pointsDue dates indicated below) Students must submit reading response
blog entries three times over the course of the semester at http://lisci120fall2011.blogspot.com/.
Each submission must be 350-700 words, properly cited, and use correct grammar and spelling.
These entries are meant to keep your reactions, questions, perspectives, surprises,
disappointments, etc., to the readings and to class discussions. I encourage you to comment on

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each others posts. The following are some guide questions to approach in your entries:

What in the readings engaged you the most? The least?

What happened in class this week surprised you the most? Why?
What did you learn this week from the readings and/or class discussion?
How will you take what you learned this week into your everyday life?
Will anything you learned this week cause you to change your technology behaviors?
Have you discussed anything from this week with your peers, family, friends, etc? If
so, describe your conversation.

In order to receive credit for your posts, they must be complete, thoughtful, and on time. Your
writing should demonstrate that you have a thorough understanding of the weeks topic and
readings.
Due dates:
October 2 (must discuss material between weeks 1 and 4)
October 30 (must discuss material between weeks 5 and 8)
December 4 (must discuss material between weeks 9 and 13)
Group discussion leading: (Weeks 6, 7, 8, 9, and 1015 points) Students will be divided into
small groups to lead a weekly discussion. Each group will have one week to develop questions
and prepare leading class discussion. I have set up group discussion boards and online
multimedia rooms in which your groups can collaborate.
Prezi-tation: (20 pointsDue week 13) Students will pick a course topic to do a presentation in
Prezi. The practice Prezi due early in the semester should help familiarize you the Prezi
functions. Students will post their presentation to the course blog. Tips and further information
on this assignment will be given later in the semester.
Final essay exam: (25 pointsDue week 15) Detailed instructions for this term paper will be
provided early in the semester. Papers must be 1500-2000 words, double spaced, have one inch
margins, 12 point font, and use proper citation, grammar, spelling, document structure, critical
thought and analysis. Topics must be submitted to the instructor by week 11 for approval.
Papers will be submitted to the appropriate drop box.

Credit Breakdown:
Attendance and participation
Syllabus assignment
Practice Prezi
Blog
Group discussion leading
Prezi-tation
Final essay exam

15%
5%
5%
15%
15%
20%
25%

Grading Rubric:
A
94-100 (Far Exceeds Expectation)
A91-93
B+
88-90 (Exceeds Expectation)
B
84-87
B81-83
C+
78-80 (Meets Expectation)
C
74-77
C71-73

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60-70 (Below Expectation)

0-59

Text
REQUIRED:
Ess, C. (2009).
Digital Media Ethics. Malden, MA: Polity Press.
Tavani, H. (2011). Ethics and Technology: Controversies, Questions, and Strategies for Ethical
Computing, 3rd Edition
Other readings and materials as assigned.

Schedule
Date:
Week 1
9/6-9/11
Week 2
9/12-9/18

Week 3
9/19-9/25

Week 4
9/26-10/2

Topics:
Introduction to
Information
Technology Ethics
Introduction (Cont.) &
Ethical Theories
-Syllabus Review
Assignment Due
Sunday 11:59 pm
Ethical Theories
(Cont.)
-Practice Prezi Due
Sunday 11:59 pm
Intellectual Property
and the Intellectual
Commons
-Blog Entry 1 Due
Sunday 11:59 pm

Week 5
10/3-10/9

Freedom vs. Privacy

and Security
-Discussion Lead
by Group 1

Week 6
10/1010/16

Hackivism, Internet
Vigilantism, &
Anonymous (group)

Readings and Other Media:

Ess, Chapter 1 (p. 1-27)

Tavani, Chapter 1 (p. 3-14)

Ess, Chapter 6

Tavani, Chapter 2 (p. 35-67)

Ess, Chapter 3
Tavani, Chapter 8 (p. 232-243; 252-260)
Creative Commons:
http://creativecommons.org/about
Watch: Paul Garrin Videos on Internet Tyranny and
Digital Fascism
http://youtu.be/HvbRLjsl_D0
http://youtu.be/dVxwfFdo81o
Ess, Chapter 2
Tavani, Chapter 5 (p. 132-137), Chapter 6 (p. 173-184),
& Chapter 9 (p. 265-277).
Watch: The Trap (Part 3) We Will Force You to Be
Free http://tinyurl.com/288fak
Tavani, Chapter 6 (p. 184-187) and Chapter 7
(p. 201-206)
AnonymousFrom the Lulz to Collective Action

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-Discussion Lead
by Group 2

Week 7
10/1710/23

Freedom of
Information, Freedom
of Speech, Whistleblowing, and Wikileaks
-Discussion Lead
by Group 3

Week 8
10/2410/30

The Internet and Social

Revolution and the
Digital Divide
-Blog Entry 2 Due
Sunday 11:59 pm
-Discussion Lead
by Group 4
Globalism, Social
Inclusion, and the
Digital Divide
-Prezi and Final Essay
Topic Due Sunday
11:59 pm
-Discussion Lead
by Group 5

Week 9
10/31-11/6

Week 10
11/7-11/13

Identity and
Experience Online

http://tinyurl.com/3d6jzwf
Crude, Inconsistent ThreatUnderstanding
Anonymous http://tinyurl.com/4d6892z (some
offensive language)
Watch: The Secret History of Hacking
http://tinyurl.com/3p7oyzl
Watch: Stephen Colbert interview with Kevin Mitnick
http://tinyurl.com/3rajmdv
Tavani, Chapter 4 (p.113-118) & Chapter 9
(p. 280-295)
Julian Assange: Why the world needs WikiLeaks
http://tinyurl.com/2felt4d
No SecretsJulian Assanges mission for total
transparency http://tinyurl.com/3x526lj
Why Julian Assange Is No Daniel Ellsberg
http://tinyurl.com/2anjg3u
The Power of Social Media in Developing Nations: New
Tools for Closing the Global Digital Divide and
Beyond (available in Course Content)
Listen and Read: In The 'Net Delusion,' Internet Serves
Oppressors http://tinyurl.com/2bbxkc7
5 Reasons Twitter Isn't Actually Overthrowing
Governments http://tinyurl.com/3jvo3eg
Ess, Chapter 4
Tavani, Chapter 10 (p. 300-315)
Watch: Commanding Heights (Part 3)
http://tinyurl.com/3sutlf5
Martha Nussbaum on Social and Political
Responsibility:
http://youtu.be/cbcGbflpFzI
Louis C. K. commentary:
http://youtu.be/8r1CZTLk-Gk
Tavani, Chapter 11 (p. 330-338 & 350-356)
Turkle, Sherry. Chapter 7 from Life on the Screen:
Identity in the Age of the Internet.
(available in Course Content)
Dreyfus, Hubert. Chapter 4 from On the Internet
(available in Course Content)
Watch: Scenes from Network (NSFW/profanity):
"This is mass madness you maniacs! In God's name
you people are the real thing! WE are the illusion!"
http://youtu.be/MTN3s2iVKKI
"The world is a college of corporations, inexorably
determined by the immutable by-laws of business.

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The world is a business Mr. Beale."

http://youtu.be/pGC42gUSOZY
"You're television incarnate Diana: indifferent to
suffering; insensitive to joy. All of life is reducible to
the rubble of banality...You even shatter the
sensations of time and space into split-seconds and
instant replays."
http://youtu.be/M-g5y_RpLqE
Tavani, Chapter 12
Pranav Mistry: The thrilling potential of SixthSense
technology http://tinyurl.com/y85ozso
Watch: P.W. Singer: Military robots and the future of
war http://tinyurl.com/coaemf

Week 11
11/1411/20

Pervasive Computing,
Robotics, and
Artificial Intelligence

Week 12
11/21-11/27

HAPPY
THANKSGIVING

Week 13
11/28-12/4

Crosscultural/intercultural
Ethics
-Prezi Due Sunday
11:59 pm
-Blog Entry 3 Due
Sunday 11:59 pm
Work on Final Exam

Ess, Tavani, Chapter 4

Kwame Anthony Appiah on Cosmopolitanism:
http://youtu.be/VjMnyP142b8

-Final Essay Exam

Due Friday 11:59 pm

NO DISCUSSION

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

NO DISCUSSION

Week 14
12/5-12/11
Week 15
12/1212/18
Week 16
12/1912/23

NO DISCUSSION wOOt!

NO DISCUSSION

Class Policies
Assignments and Participation:

Assignments must be submitted by 11:59 pm on the dates they are due. Late
submissions will not be accepted without a medical or other legitimate excuse.
You must make arrangements before the due date for acceptance of the excuse
unless it constitutes an unforeseen emergency.

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ALL ASSIGNMENTS require proper grammar, spelling, document structure,

critical thought, and analysis. Points will be deducted for any shortcomings in
these areas. Please see the video lecture for instruction on what constitutes
critical thought and analysis.
Discussion board participation requires full engagement and must demonstrate
critical thought and analysis.
Group members will be graded individually for their individual efforts on the
discussion for their week. Each member within a group will receive the same
grade on the group paper. If you feel that a group member is not holding up his
or her end of the duties, please let me know.

Communication:

EmailI will respond to class-related emails generally the same day as received.
However, I may not reply to an e-mail sent after 7 pm until the next day). Please
be sure to use your UWM e-mail account, identify yourself and the course, and
always use proper and professional e-mail etiquette. (Theres a good guide to
student email etiquette here: http://www.101emailetiquettetips.com/).
Office Hours Discussion BoardAs with emails, I will generally respond to posts
the same day as received (posts made after 7 pm, however, may not be replied to
until the next morning).
Online RoomI will provide office hours at a specified time in the Office Hours
online room. Likewise, check in periodically to see if I am hanging out there
when convenient. You may also make an appointment to meet with me in the
online room.

UWM and SOIS Academic Policies:

The following links contain university policies affecting all SOIS students.
Undergraduates may find the Panther Planner and Undergraduate Student Handbook useful.
For graduate students, there are additional guidelines from the Graduate School, including
those found in the Graduate Student and Faculty Handbook.

Students with disabilities. If you will need accommodations in order to meet any of the
requirements of a course, please contact the instructor as soon as possible. Students
with disabilities are responsible to communicate directly with the instructor to ensure
special accommodation in a timely manner. There is comprehensive coverage of issues
related to disabilities at the Student Accessibility Center, important components of
which are expressed here.

Religious observances . Students sincerely held religious beliefs must be

reasonably accommodated with respect to all examinations and other academic
requirements, according to university policy. Please notify your instructor within the

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first three weeks of the fall or spring term (first week of shorter-term or Summer
courses) of any specific days or dates on which you request relief from an examination or
academic requirement for religious observances.

Students called to active military duty. UWM has several policies that accommodate
students who must temporarily lay aside their educational pursuits when called to active
duty in the military (see Students Called to Active Duty Military Service), including
provisions for refunds, readmission, grading, and other situations.

Incompletes. University policy states that a notation of incomplete may be given in

lieu of a final grade to a student who has carried a subject successfully until the end of a
semester but who, because of illness or other unusual and substantial cause beyond the
students control, has been unable to take or complete the final examination or some
limited amount of other term work. An incomplete is not given unless the student proves
to the instructor that s/he was prevented from completing course requirements for just
cause as indicated above.

Discriminatory conduct (such as sexual harassment). UWM and SOIS are committed to
building and maintaining a campus environment that recognizes the inherent worth and
dignity of every person, fosters tolerance, sensitivity, understanding, and mutual respect,
and encourages the members of its community to strive to reach their full potential. The
UWM policy statement summarizes and defines situations that constitute discriminatory
conduct. If you have questions, please contact an appropriate SOIS administrator.

Academic misconduct. Cheating on exams and plagiarism are violations of the academic
honor code and carry severe sanctions, ranging from a failing grade for a course or
assignment to expulsion from the University. See Academic Misconduct Procedures or
contact the SOIS Investigating Officer (currently the Associate Dean) for more
information.

Complaints. Students may direct complaints to the SOIS Dean or Associate Dean. If the
complaint allegedly violates a specific university policy, it may be directed to the
appropriate university office responsible for enforcing the policy.

Grade appeal procedures. A student may appeal a grade on the grounds that it is based
on a capricious or arbitrary decision of the course instructor. Such an appeal shall follow
SOIS appeals procedures or, in the case of a graduate student, the Graduate School.
Grade Grievance/Appeal Procedures are available in writing from the respective
department chairperson or the Academic Dean of the College/School.

Examinations, Finals. The Secretary of the University is authorized to prepare the final
examination schedule. The time of the final examination for an individual or a class may
be changed only with the prior approval of the dean or director of the respective
college/school. The change will involve a postponement to a later date. For individuals
with exam conflicts, a separate week at the very end of the exam week will be reserved to

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take one of the conflicting exams (see Class-related Policies and Procedures: End of
Semester Memorandum).

D2L and Student Privacy: Certain SOIS courses utilize the instructional technology
Desire to Learn (D2L) to facilitate online learning. D2L provides instructors the ability to
view both individual data points and aggregate course statistics, including the dates and
times individual students access the system, what pages a student has viewed, the
duration of visits, and the IP address of the computer used to access the course website.
This information is kept confidential in accordance with the Family Educational Rights
and Privacy Act (FERPA), but may be used for student evaluation.

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