Course Syllabus
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Description
The official descriptions of CS210 and CS211 are available on the Siebel School website and in Course Explorer. What follows is an informal description of the course.
The goal of this course is not to dictate what is right and what is wrong. We hope to help you think about and develop your own moral code, compatible with your existing personal values. The ethical issues we face as technology professionals are rapidly shifting and complex. You should be informed about them, so you can establish clear boundaries for yourself. What values would you never compromise? What lines would you refuse to cross? This course will give you a space to explore these questions, so you can enter our field prepared.
Ethical dilemmas involving technology rarely have simple solutions. You should be equipped to discuss these issues, even with people who disagree with you. To that end, this course aims to help you become familiar with controversies that show up repeatedly in our field and provide you a shared vocabulary for discussing them. This course will also expose you to a diversity of perspectives, some of which might challenge your existing opinions.
My goals as your instructor are simple. I want you to be proud of what you do. I want you to live with a clear conscience. I want you to look out for one another. I want you will build technology that makes our world a better place.
Weekly Schedule
The class meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 4:00 - 4:50pm in 0035 Campus Instructional Facility. Friday's session is for CS211 students only.
Though our schedule will shift around, a typical week will look something like this:
- Wednesday will be lecture, where the instructor will introduce new course concepts and vocabulary.
- Monday will be discussion section, where you interact with your classmates and TAs to explore the topics of the course.
- Friday (211 only) will be writing lab, where you will work with your CS211 classmates and course staff on a series of writing projects.
Staff
If you have a question about an assignment or other course-related topic, please use the discussions section of Canvas. If you have a personal problem or grading issue, please contact the course staff directly.
Name | Role | Office Hours | |
Ryan Cunningham | Instructor | rcunnin2@illinois.edu |
Wednesdays and Fridays |
Anusha Ghosh | TA | anushag3@illinois.edu |
Monday 2:30-3:30pm Physical location TBD | Zoom Link Links to an external site. |
Yi-Shyuan Chiang | TA | ysc6@illinois.edu |
Tuesday 9:30am-10:30am Physical location TBD | Zoom link Links to an external site. |
Nisha Prasad | TA | nishap4@illinois.edu |
Wednesday 9:30am - 10:30am Physical location TBD | Zoom link Links to an external site. |
Emma Hartman | TA | emmaih2@illinois.edu |
Thursday 11:00am - 12:00pm Physical location TBD | Zoom link Links to an external site. |
Grading Policies
Weights
Below, you'll find the weighting of each grade category for the course.
CS210
Your 210 grade will be based on the following weighting:
Category | Weight |
Class Participation | 15% |
Weekly Assignments | 25% |
Presentation | 10% |
Midterm Exam | 20% |
Final Exam | 30% |
CS211
The weighting above for CS210 will form the 75% of your grade. The remaining 25% of your grade will come from four (4) equally-weighted writing projects.
You will submit multiple drafts for the writing projects. All of the drafts you submit for a project will be graded by course staff using the same rubric. The overall project grade will be the equally weighted average of all of the drafts.
However, you will receive formative feedback and the opportunity to improve your initial drafts. For each project, your initial submission grades will be re-calculated as the average of your final submission grade. Here's an example. If you receive a 75% on your first draft and a 95% on your final draft, your true first draft score will be 75+952=85. Your overall grade for the writing project will be
85+952=90. In other words, if you get a C on your first draft, you can still get an A on the project if you work with course staff.
Cutoffs
Below, you'll find tentative grade cutoffs. I reserve the right to modify these cutoffs, but they will never be revised upward. In other words, I will only change the cutoffs in your favor.
Grade | Cutoff |
A | 92% |
A- | 90% |
B+ | 88% |
B | 82% |
B- | 80% |
C+ | 78% |
C | 72% |
C- | 70% |
D | 60% |
Regrade policy
You can request regrades for assignments. A different grader will grade your assignments. However, we cannot guarantee any score changes. All regrade scores will be final. In other words, the regrade score stands, whether it is higher or lower. You should use this form Links to an external site. to initiate a regrade request; other forms of requests, such as emails or verbal requests, will not be accepted.
Weekly Assignments
Weekly assignments will usually be distributed on Wednesdays. They will be due the following Wednesday. Your submission will then be graded by course staff.
- Late assignments will not be accepted unless you have an excused absence.
- The lowest weekly assignment grade will automatically be dropped.
Class Participation
Class participation will be checked during lectures and discussion sections using iClicker. You will need to either obtain a physical iClicker or pay for a subscription to the app. Instructions for setting up iClicker are available here Download here. The university has an FAQ for iClicker available here.
iClicker grades will be based on participation. I will slightly curve the grades at the end of the semester, so missing the occasional question won't impact your score much.
Two participation scores will automatically be dropped. Further absences must be excused absences.
Presentation
You will give a brief presentation during class time on March 24th, 26th, or 28th. More details about this assignment are available here.
Writing Projects (211 Only)
There will be four substantial writing projects over the course of the semester: a persuasive essay, a research paper, a professional portfolio, and a second persuasive essay. Each project will be introduced in writing lab and will go through multiple rounds of revision. You will submit a first draft, which will be graded by course staff. You will then have the opportunity to revise your first draft based on feedback. We will then grade your final draft. There will be a total of 9 equally weighted assignments: three first drafts, one outline, one peer-review, and four final drafts.
Exams
There will be a midterm and a final in this course in the CBTF. Both exams will consist of multiple-choice questions, fill-in-the-blank questions, and short essay questions. A study guide with practice questions will be posted for both exams.
- The midterm is scheduled for March 26th-28th. You can reserve a time starting March 6th.
- The final exam is scheduled for May 8th-14th. You can reserve a time starting March 14th.
This course uses the Grainger College of Engineering’s Computer-Based Testing Facility for its exams.
- The policies of the CBTF are the policies of this course, and academic integrity infractions related to the CBTF are infractions in this course.
- If you have accommodations identified by the Division of Rehabilitation-Education Services (DRES) (http://www.disability.illinois.edu/) for exams, please submit your Letter of Accommodations (LOA) through the CBTF website (https://cbtf.illinois.edu/students/dres) as soon as possible. It can take up to five days for your LOA to be processed and if you make a reservation before your LOA has been processed, your reservation will not include your testing accommodations and you will be required to reschedule. This must be done each semester you use the CBTF.
- If you have any issue during an exam, inform the proctor immediately. Work with the proctor to resolve the issue at the time before logging off. If you do not inform a proctor of a problem during the test then you forfeit all rights to addressing the problem you experienced during your exam.
- Take the CBTF Orientation (https://go.illinois.edu/student-orientation) (10 minutes) and review all instructions on the CBTF website (https://cbtf.illinois.edu/students) before your first exam.
Textbook
The textbook is not required, but any edition of it will help supplement the class material (e.g. by helping you understand definitions and concepts more deeply.)
- Citation: Tavani, Herman T. Ethics and technology: Controversies, questions, and strategies for ethical computing. John Wiley & Sons, 2015.
- Edition: 5th
- ISBN: 978-1-119-18657-1
Resources
Over the course of the semester, we will post potentially useful resources below.
- Writing Resources:
- Google's Technical Writing One course.
- Online UIUC Writer's Workshop consultations from the Center for Writing Studies
- Some short YouTube videos explaining course topics
Course Policies
Excused Absence
An excused absence for the course should fall into one of the categories described for obtaining an absence letter in the Student Code. This includes things like: prolonged illness, life threatening injury of an immediate family member, death of a family member, religious beliefs, volunteer emergency work, or significant and compelling circumstances beyond a student's control. Note: Job interviews and personal travel are explicitly excluded. You are responsible for resolving conflicts in your own schedule. This is, after all, a course about being professional.
If you have a significant life event, an absence letter might help.
Academic Integrity
Since this is an ethics course, I will be very strict about academic integrity in this course. Please be aware that when you submit an assignment in this course, you are representing that submission to the world as your own independent work. That work will be held to the standards of the university academic integrity policy. If you are uncertain if something constitutes an academic integrity violation, you must ask before you submit your assignment. Once you submit your assignment, it is too late.
There are a few details of the university's academic integrity policies I want to make crystal clear:
- If you use someone else’s ideas or quote someone in your work, proper acknowledgement must be given. Failure to do so constitutes plagiarism.
- If another person's exact words appear in your paper, they must be quoted. Failing to quote another person's work constitutes plagiarism. Rewriting someone else's exact words to avoid quoting them also constitutes plagiarism.
- Words generated by software (e.g. an LLM) are not your own. If you use them in your paper, this constitutes plagiarism.
- Using invented facts or sources is explicitly against the university's academic integrity policy. This includes so-called "AI hallucinations." It is your responsibility to verify the information in your work. If you include false information in your submission, this constitutes fabrication.
- Draft submissions are also subject to the academic integrity policy. Academic integrity violations in submitted drafts will also be sanctioned.
WARNING: A reduced course grade and zero on the assignment will be the minimum sanction I recommend for any form of academic dishonesty in this course.
Late Registration
If you register for this course late, you are responsible for submitting all prior assignments within one week of your registration as well as keeping up with future due dates. If you are considering registering late, you are welcome to contact the instructor to get access to view and submit assignments prior to being officially registered.
Mental Health
Diminished mental health, including significant stress, mood changes, excessive worry, substance/alcohol abuse, or problems with eating and/or sleeping can interfere with optimal academic performance, social development, and emotional well-being. The University of Illinois offers a variety of confidential services including individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, psychiatric services, and specialized screenings at no additional cost. If you or someone you know experiences any of the above mental health concerns, it is strongly encouraged to contact or visit any of the University’s resources provided below. Getting help is a smart and courageous thing to do -- for yourself and for those who care about you.
Counseling Center: 217-333-3704, 610 East John Street Champaign, IL 61820
McKinley Health Center:217-333-2700, 1109 South Lincoln Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801
Course Summary:
Date | Details | Due |
---|---|---|
Wed Jan 29, 2025 | Assignment 1) Live and Let Spy | due by 11:59pm |
Wed Feb 5, 2025 | Assignment 2) Identifying a Problem | due by 11:59pm |
Fri Feb 7, 2025 |
Assignment
Persuasive Essay First Draft [CS211 Only]
(CS 211 EPC Spring 2025 CRN71616)
|
due by 11:59pm |
Assignment
Persuasive Essay First Draft [CS211 Only]
(1 student)
|
due by 11:59pm | |
Wed Feb 12, 2025 | Assignment 3) Blood on Our Hands? | due by 11:59pm |
Wed Feb 19, 2025 | Assignment 4) Snowflakeden | due by 11:59pm |
Fri Feb 21, 2025 | Assignment Persuasive Essay Final Draft [CS211 Only] | due by 11:59pm |
Wed Feb 26, 2025 | Assignment 5) ANOMalous Operation | due by 11:59pm |
Fri Feb 28, 2025 | Assignment Step-by-Step Instructions First Draft [211 Only] | due by 11:59pm |
Wed Mar 5, 2025 | Assignment 6) RIAA AI IP WTF | due by 11:59pm |
Wed Mar 12, 2025 | Assignment 7) Biased Measurement | due by 11:59pm |
Fri Mar 14, 2025 | Assignment Step-by-Step Instructions Final Draft [211 Only] | due by 11:59pm |
Wed Mar 26, 2025 | Assignment 8) LAION About AI Ethics | due by 11:59pm |
Fri Mar 28, 2025 | Assignment Research Paper Outline [211 Only] | due by 11:59pm |
Wed Apr 9, 2025 | Assignment 9) Striking Out | due by 11:59pm |
Fri Apr 11, 2025 | Assignment Research Paper First Draft [211 Only] | due by 11:59pm |
Wed Apr 16, 2025 | Assignment 10) Shrimp Jesus Floating in a Dead Internet | due by 11:59pm |
Wed Apr 23, 2025 | Assignment 11) Take a Seat | due by 11:59pm |
Fri Apr 25, 2025 | Assignment Research Paper Final Draft [211 Only] | due by 11:59pm |
Wed Apr 30, 2025 | Assignment 12) Frankly Absurd | due by 11:59pm |
Fri May 2, 2025 | Assignment Expanded Weekly Assignment First Draft [CS211 Only] | due by 4pm |
Wed May 7, 2025 | Assignment Expanded Weekly Assignment Final Draft [CS211 Only] | due by 11:59pm |
Assignment 13) Do Not Pass Go(ogle) | due by 11:59pm | |
Assignment Class 3 - Poll | ||
Assignment Class 4 - Poll | ||
Assignment Class 5 - Poll | ||
Assignment Peer Review For Persuasive Essay |