SYLLABUS PAGE, 2009/10
06-18519
Communication Skills & Professional Issues
Level 2/I
|
Dr N Blundell Dr J R Yandle |
10 credits in Sem2 |
Programmes | Modules | Links | Outline | Aims | Outcomes | Prerequisites | Teaching | Assessment | Books | Detailed Syllabus
The School of Computer Science 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
Outline
| The module introduces students to ethical, social, legal and professional issues in computing in combination with report writing skills. Student participation is an important component of the module, both in researching and presenting material. Some lectures are given by external speakers with appropriate professional experience. |
Aims
The aims of this module are to:
- Encourage consideration of ethical, social, legal and professional issues in computing.
- Improve students' report writing skills.
Learning Outcomes
| On successful completion of this module, the student should be able to: | Assessed by: | |
| 1 | Identify and describe ethical, social, legal and professional issues in computing. | Continuous Assessment |
| 2 | Discuss these issues in a balanced and lucid way. | Continuous Assessment |
| 3 | Make good presentations of views in a formal report format. | Continuous Assessment |
Restrictions, Prerequisites and Corequisites
Restrictions:
| None |
Prerequisites:
| None |
Co-requisites:
| None |
Teaching
Teaching methods:
| Formal lecture-format presentations by module staff and visiting lecturers, group work. |
Contact hours:
| Approximately 20 (lectures + student presentations) |
Assessment
Normal (sessional): Continuous assessment (100%).
Resit (supplementary) assessment (where allowed): Repeat only.
Recommended Books
| Title | Author(s) | Publisher, Date | Comments |
| The Essence of Professional Issues in Computing | Robert Ayres | Prentice Hall, 1999 | This is also wide-ranging and useful, but not quite as up-to-date on the Data Protection Act as the publishing date would suggest. However, it does present short summaries of important points and case-histories, which make it very readable. See below for DPA. |
| Ethics for the Information Age | Michael J. Quinn | Addison Wesley, 2005 | This is a very readable introduction to the topic - strongly recommended. |
| A Gift of Fire | Sara Baase | Prentice Hall, 2003 | This book covers social, legal, and ethical issues of computers and the internet. |
| Students Must Write | Robert Barrass | Routledge, 1995 | This is a readable guide which also covers note taking in lectures, and written work in examinations. |
| Plain English | Diane Collinson, Gillian Kirkup, Robyn Kyd and Lynne Slocombe | The Open University, 1992 | This is clearly structured workbook with exercises and worked examples. |
| The Macmillan Guide to English Grammar | Rosalind Fergusson & Martin H Manser | Macmillan, 1998 | This is a guide to how the English language works, for native speakers and learners of English as a foreign language. |
| English Grammar | Richard Hudson | Routledge, 1998 | This is a very readable textbook aimed at first year undergraduates on a Linguistics course. |
| The Age of Access: Information Technology and Social Revolution. Posthumous Papers of Colin Cherry | Edited by William Edmondson | Croom Helm, 1985 | This is an interesting early attempt to examine the social significance of Information Technology. |
| Professional Issues in Software Engineering | Frank Bott, Allison Coleman, Jack Eaton & Diane Rowland | UCL Press, 1996 | This is wide-ranging and useful. |
| Introduction to Computer Law | D I Bainbridge | Pitman, 1996 | Computer law is complex -- this is an introduction. |
| Ethics and Computing | Kevin W Bowyer | IEEE, 1995 | This is Professor Kevin Bowyer's book to go with his course (see below). |
| Intellectual Property Rights in Software | N/A | BCS, 2000 | This is a report produced by the British Computer Society. |
| Data Protection -- a practical guide | N/A | BCS, 2000 | This is a report produced by the British Computer Society. |
| Hackers: Crime and the Digitally Sublime | Paul A Taylor | Routledge, 1999 | This is an alternative view of hacking! |
Detailed Syllabus
- Communication Skills
- Presentation skills
- Written skills, including reports, documentation, manuals; press release, CV, web; code and commenting, lab notebooks
- Interaction skills, including requirements elicitation, iterative development, teamwork
- Professional Issues
- Social aspects/impacts
- Legal framework
- Ethical aspects
- Professional behaviour, duties & responsibilities
Programmes | Modules | Links | Outline | Aims | Outcomes | Prerequisites | Teaching | Assessment | Books | Detailed Syllabus