Module 06147 (2001)
Syllabus page 2001/2002
06-06147
Communication Skills & Professional Issues
Level 1/C
jry
Links | Outline | Aims | Outcomes | Prerequisites | Teaching | Assessment | Books | Detailed Syllabus
The Module Description is a strict subset of this Syllabus Page. (The University module description has not yet been checked against the School's.)
Relevant Links
The British
Computer Society is concerned about professional issues, accreditation of courses, professional development of software engineers, and so forth. This link is worth some attention.
Professor Kevin Bowyer's Ethics and Computing course has many useful sources on various professional aspects -- such as hacking, privacy, whistle-blowing, intellectual property, environmental and health concerns, and etc.
JILT is an electronic journal devoted to computing and legal issues.
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility have an interesting site, very professionally set out, with a focus on socially responsible uses of computing.
SWECC -- this is a reference site for professional software engineers -- there is a comprehensive code of practice document.
Easter Eggs are those silly things which unprofessional engineers stick into their software -- unspecified, unrequested, unnecessary and not guaranteed to be benign. There are many of these, which perhaps shows how unprofessional many engineers are? The topic should not be hidden like an Easter Egg -- so here are a couple of links: the Easter Egg Page, Apple Easter Eggs.
The Foundation for Information Policy Research is an independent body that studies the interaction between information technology and society. Their goal is to identify technical developments with significant social impact, commission research into public policy alternatives, and promote public understanding and dialogue between technologists and policy-makers in the UK and Europe.
The Data Protection Act is the legal framework within which data protection in UK is managed. The Data Protection Registrar is the person with whom people/companies must register. Have a look at the Registrar's site for up-to-date information.
Outline
The module is based partly on student participation, both as regards researching the materials and managing the presentation of these materials to other students in the TV studio. Students also participate in the running of the studio, and in making a video programme to a previously specified script. Students attend lectures presented by university staff and external speakers. Staff involvement also takes the form of tutorial advice to individuals/groups, and continuing review of the student contributions in the studio.
Aims
The aims of this module are to:
- improve students' presentation skills in several media
- enable students to practice working in groups
- encourage consideration of ethical, social and professional issues in computing
- provide an environment for students to learn from observation and experience
Learning Outcomes
| On successful completion of this module, the student should be able to: | Assessed by: | |
| 1 | demonstrate awareness of ethical, social and professional issues in computing | 2 essays |
| 2 | consider and discuss these issues in a balanced and lucid way | 2 essays |
| 3 | make good presentations of views in essay-format | 2 essays |
Restrictions, Prerequisites and Corequisites
Restrictions:
None
Prerequisites:
None
Co-requisites:
None
Teaching
Teaching Methods:
Formal lecture-format presentations by module staff and visiting lecturers, teamwork in TV studios, group reports.
Contact Hours:
Assessment
- Supplementary (where allowed): As the sessional assessment
- Continuous assessment (100%) -- two essays. Re-assessment is by two essays.
Recommended Books
| Title | Author(s) | Publisher, Date |
| Students Must Write | Robert Barrass | Routledge, 1995 |
| Plain English | Diane Collinson, Gillian Kirkup, Robyn Kyd and Lynne Slocombe | The Open University, 1992 |
| The Macmillan Guide to English Grammar | Rosalind Fergusson & Martin H Manser | Macmillan, 1998 |
| English Grammar | Richard Hudson | Routledge, 1998 |
| The Age of Access: Information Technology and Social Revolution. Posthumous Papers of Colin Cherry | Edited by William Edmondson | Croom Helm, 1985 |
| Professional Issues in Software Engineering | Frank Bott, Allison Coleman, Jack Eaton & Diane Rowland | UCL Press, 1996 |
| The Essence of Professional Issues in Computing | Robert Ayres | Prentice Hall, 1999 |
| Introduction to Computer Law | D I Bainbridge | Pitman, 1996 |
| Ethics and Computing | Kevin W Bowyer | IEEE, 1995 |
| Intellectual Property Rights in Software | N/A | BCS, 2000 |
| Data Protection -- a practical guide | N/A | BCS, 2000 |
| Hackers: Crime and the Digitally Sublime | Paul A Taylor | Routledge, 1999 |
Detailed Syllabus
-
TV Studio. The work in the studio is designed to provide teamwork experience and to build confidence in personal presentation / public speaking. Each week a group of students will work as follows:
- Students form into teams which make presentations concerning social, ethical and professional issues in computing. Topics will include such things as: 'the ethics of privacy', 'beneficial and harmful effects of computers', 'social and ethical aspects of the internet', 'the data protection act', 'computing, health and the workplace', 'computing and safety-critical systems'.
- Students operate the studio and record the presentations for analysis and feedback/formative assessment.
- Students work with a pre-prepared script to make a short programme which is taped and reviewed.
- Lecture Theatre. This work is intended to promote awareness of professional issues. Visiting lecturers will present material on which students will write essays. The course starts with an Introduction and advice on written and oral presentation.
Last updated: 30 September 2001
Source file: /internal/modules/COMSCI/2001/xml/06147.xml
Links | Outline | Aims | Outcomes | Prerequisites | Teaching | Assessment | Books | Detailed Syllabus