Description

  • Objective: Individually, produce a research paper addressing a specific computer related ethical issue(s) relevant to our class. Research paper should complement and expand what was learned in class and not be a simple repetition of previously discussed issues.Topic Selection:
    • Make note of your assigned team number in Canvas and find the group’s designated general topic in the Appendix section below (for example, if you are in Team 9, then your general group topic would be “Nationality bias ethical issues in IT/Cyberspace”).
    • Within the general topic assign to your group, research and select a specific ethical issue/case/position you want to address as the sub-issue of your paper (for example, If you are on Team 24, your group’s general topic would be: “Cybersecurity-cybercrime ethical issues” and a possible example of a specific related sub-issue you could use as your individual research paper’s topic could be “The negative ethical implications of Cyberattacks in future electronic voting systems”).
      • Your specific sub-issue/case should be unique within your group. Therefore, all individual topics must be discussed within the group in order to avoid duplicates.
        • If two students address the same exact sub-issue/case in their papers, both may receive a zero (0) and fail the course.
        • Make sure your sub-topic (and paper) focuses on a specific ethical issue associated with your group’s general topic. Addressing the ethical issue(s) selected must be the most important aspect of your paper.

    Instructions and Requirements:

    1. Your paper content (from introduction to conclusions, including both sections, but excluding cover page, citations, any tables or figures, and appendix) must have a length of 1500 words minimum (but do not exceed 2000 words).
      • Papers below the minimum word count requirement, vague, or/and obviously wordy without substance will receive a low-failing grade.
    2. Your paper must use APA style rules.
    3. Your paper must be submitted in a Microsoft Word file.
    4. Your paper must contain the following sections following APA rules:
      1. A cover page, showing your name, assignment title, and class details.
      2. A keywords page, showing only 5 to 8 keywords associated with your paper. Each word must be separated by a comma and include the ethical issues addressed by your paper.
      3. An introduction, establishing a personal standpoint or thesis on a specific ethical issue. This point is a crucial requirement for the success of your paper. Papers that do not include a clear thesis may receive a failing grade.
      4. A body, discussing your thesis and presenting several supporting and opposing arguments.
        1. The body must be the most voluminous section of your paper. It must discuss your thesis and develop its supporting/opposing (well referenced) arguments. It must focus on the specific ethical issue(s) you selected in your thesis without deviating from the topic. It must NOT include long historical backgrounds or excessive literal citations fillers (papers that ignore these instructions may receive a significantly lower grade).
      5. A conclusion, summarizing which point of view you feel is the strongest and why. In addition, discuss present and future global implications on your conclusions.
      6. An appendix section containing a short quiz with 3 short multiple-choice questions related to the specific ethical issue(s) addressed in your paper. These questions must be designed to address, in a generic way, the issues you mentioned in the paper and test the readers’ understanding of the topic(s).
        1. Each question must have 4 possible options marked as A, B, C, and D.
        2. After listing each question and possible answer options, you must indicate which option(s) is correct or most suitable and why.
        3. If a question does not have a definitive correct answer, there must be a possible option within the answer choices that reflects that, or in other words, only one of the options must be the correct answer (e.g. “none of the above”, “all of the above”, etc.)
        4. Papers missing this appendix section will receive a 10% grade penalty.
      7. A references section citing each source using APA style.

    Additional Notes:

    1. Assignments that contain any of the following issues will not be graded and will receive zero (0) points:
      • Missing all references.
      • Inappropriate language/tone (e.g. profanity, violence incitement, etc.).
      • APA standards not followed.
      • Submitting a highly plagiarized paper (as determined by Turnitin scoring >= 20).
      • Papers using the same sub-issue topic.
    2. Originality and research is crucial for this assignment (no example papers will be provided).

    Helping Tools & Resources You Should Use:

    • The Center for Excellence in Writing (Links to an external site.) offers individual consultations and workshops for any writing you are working on throughout your time at FIU. It would be wise to make an appointment early with them to review your paper’s draft before submitting it.
    • Microsoft Word offers a great template to quickly create APA 6th Edition papers. Instructions on how to get and use this template can be found HERE (Links to an external site.).
    • You should review your paper using the Turnitin Similarity Report to avoid getting too close (or exceeding) the allowed 20% threshold. Instructions on how to do this can be found HERE (Links to an external site.).
    • The FIU Library (Links to an external site.) should be used to find and obtain any relevant references including textbooks, articles, and research papers.
    • Use Microsoft Word’s “word count” feature (Links to an external site.) to make sure your document meets the length expectations.
    • If you have any doubts, please contact me well in advance of the assignment’s due date with your questions.
      • Claiming “not to know” or “not understanding” these instructions after the assignment is graded is not an acceptable excuse for not meeting the assignment’s requirements. Again, if in doubt, please contact me before submitting your paper so I can clarify any of your questions.

    Additional Resources:

    Appendix – Topics Assignments:

    Team Number Assigned General Topic
    1 Gender/Sexual Orientation discrimination/bias ethical issues in IT/Cyberspace.
    2 Climate and environmental ethical issues related to technology.
    3 Ethical Issues of rank and/or power in IT/Cyberspace.
    4 Copyright/Patents ethical issues in IT/Cyberspace.
    5 Ethical issues related to specific ACM/IEEE Code of Ethics tenets in IT/Cyberspace
    6 Artificial intelligence (robots, androids, & cyborgs) ethical issues.
    7 Ethical issues related to social media and information dissemination.
    8 Ethical issues associated with 18th century ethical philosophies and perspectives.
    9 Nationality bias ethical issues in IT/Cyberspace
    10 Race discrimination/bias in IT/Cyberspace.
    11 Freedom of expression issues in IT/Cyberspace.
    12 Privacy issues in IT/Cyberspace.
    13 Anonymity/Whistleblower issues in IT/Cyberspace.
    14 Ethical issues related to the medical and health fields.
    15 Ethical issues associated with Virtual Reality/Holography/Augmented Reality.
    16 Modern corporations/commerce ethical issues related to technology.
    17 3D printing (replicators) ethical issues.
    18 Ethical issues associated with firearms and weapons technologies.
    19 Ethical issues related to computer/console/mobile games.
    20 Ethical issues associated with ancient Greek ethical philosophies and perspectives.
    21 Cybersecurity/cybercrime ethical issues.
    22 Ethical issues associated with space exploration/colonization, travel, and discoveries.

    Rubric

    Individual Research Paper Rubric

    Individual Research Paper Rubric
    Criteria Ratings Pts
    This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeCONTENT QUALITY
    6 ptsExcellentAll requirements meet including: All sections are present (introduction, thesis, supporting and opposing arguments, conclusions, references, appendix, etc.) | Paper content’s length within the range required | Clear arguments and connections to the topic, thesis, and ethical issues. | Good paper flow, clear, and easy to follow. | Good development of global implications, conclusions, and author’s position on the topic. | Low Turnitin similarity score. 6 to >4.0 ptsGoodAll requirements meet, but some possible minor content issues: All sections are present (introduction, thesis, supporting and opposing arguments, conclusions, references, appendix, etc.) but some possible issues in terms of slightly lack of content, connection to the topic, thesis, or/and ethical issues. | Paper content’s length within the range required | Possible minor issues related to paper flow, clarity, and/or development of global implications. 4 to >2.0 ptsFairSome requirements missing and/or several possible content issues: One or two missed sections. | Some possible issues in terms of lack of content, connection to the topic, thesis, or/and ethical issues. | Paper content’s length slightly bellow or above the required range. | Possible significant issues related to paper flow, clarity, and/or development of global implications. | Insufficiently developed thesis and/or author’s point of view. | Turnitin score close to maximum allowed. 2 to >0 ptsInadequateSeveral requirements missing and/or possible content issues: Two or more missed sections. | Some possible important issues in terms of lack of content, connection to the topic, thesis, or/and ethical issues. | Paper content’s length greatly bellow or above the required range. | Possible significant issues related to paper flow, clarity, and/or development of global implications. | Missing thesis, author’s point of view, or clear connection to specific ethical issues | Significant formatting issues that difficult the paper’s understanding or/and reading. | Turnitin score too close to maximum allowed.
    6 pts
    This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAPA & WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
    4 ptsExpert

  • Good APA standards use • All references correctly cited • No errors found • Excellent use of arguments and flow • Easy to read and understand
  • 3 ptsProficient

  • Only a few APA standards errors • Only a few spelling or grammatical errors • Some missed references • Excellent use of arguments and flow • Some issues in terms of clarity of text
  • 2 ptsApprentice

  • Several APA standards errors • Several spelling or grammatical errors • Some missed references • Some issues on the use of arguments and flow • Several issues in terms of clarity of text
  • 1 ptsNovice

  • Several APA standards missing or incorrect • Severe spelling or grammatical errors • Poorly organized sections • Several missed references • Severe issues on the use of arguments and flow • Severe issues in terms of clarity of text
  • 4 pts
    Total Points: 10
    • Objectives: This final project presentation has two main objectives:
      1. Present the global impact and implication of each ethical issue addressed on individual students’ papers.
      2. Explore the interrelationships of several ethical issues and their combined global effects by reenacting a five-minutes role-playing scenario using as background the Star Trek science fiction universe.
      3. Using a fictional scenario, bring awareness and self reflection on specific ethical issues together with possible ways to address them.

      Instructions and Requirements: Each team presentation will have three parts:Part 1: Individual research paper’s summaries (7-8 minutes in total)

      • Each teammate must create a one minute presentation summarizing their individual research paper focusing on its global ethical implications and the ethical issue(s) it addresses.
      • Individual presentation must include only 2 PowerPoint slides:
        1. One containing the student’s name, team number, a short description of the research paper main thesis and the specific ethical issues/questions addressed.
        2. A final slide describing the conclusions of the paper and global implications of the issues addressed.
      • Please note that team members that do not participate in this part of the assignment will lose 50% of the assignment’s grade.

      Part 2: Team scenario recreation (5-6 minutes in total)

      • After all teammates’ individual presentations, the entire team must participate in a scenario addressing ethical issues related to the team’s topic (refer to the individual research paper instructions for topic assignments) and individual presentations.
        1. Team must create a hypothetical scenario, including a short introduction to direct the audience, based on the team’s assigned ethical topic (and related individual research papers), using Star Trek characters as participants in a short and active situation.
        2. Use your imagination and creativity to develop an interesting scenario. Approach real ethical issues using the Star Trek universe background as done in episodes of the series.
          1. While you must approach the ethical issues in a serious and respectful manner, try to make the scenario fun and interesting. Feel free to enact the personality traits or behaviors shown by specific Star Trek characters or actors of your liking, but do not overdo it (some humor may be good, but too much will not be appropriate and may harm your scenario effectiveness).
          2. Do not use any vulgar, inappropriate, or offensive language. If your scenario seems to require any offensive element, be creative and use sci-fi elements instead (e.g. exchange possible offensive words with sci-fi made-up expressions or terms, address a situation from the present using a scenario in the future involving extraterrestrial characters, etc.). Be careful to not offend anybody in the audience and remind your team and others that this is a fictional scenario meant to bring awareness and self reflection on specific ethical issues together with possible ways to address them.
        3. Once your general scenario is created, assign a Star Trek character role (existing or self-made) to each team member.
        4. You should define each character’s name, rank, specialty (if applicable), faction (Starfleet, Klingon Empire, Romulan, etc.), planet of origin, and any relevant background information needed to know for your scenario to make sense.
        5. One of the characters in your scenario must be a starship’s captain or person in a leadership/commanding position (commander, admiral, etc.) with respect to your other characters.
        6. Write a short script that must include:
          1. A brief introduction to the scenario (situation), its participating characters and backgrounds that can be read in less than 30 seconds.
          2. A script containing dialog from all the different characters and at least two interventions per participant (the entire script must be read in about 5 to 6 minutes).
            1. Each character must take a specific point of view on the discussed scenario and ethical issues.
            2. Make sure that important and contrasting points of view are also assigned to characters (presenting points of view that are wrong or negative should be part of the presentation for contrasts and reflection).
      • In your scenario, characters must discuss contrasting arguments and different points of view addressing the ethical issues selected. A final decision must be taken by the captain (or authority figure) at the end of the scenario.
        • Try to not mention directly the ethical issues selected in your scenario so that other students can identify them later.
        • The captain’s (leader’s) final decision does not need to be the most appropriate or ethical one as it will be influenced by other characters, situations, etc.
        • Scenario could hypothetically take place anywhere and in any appropriate/relevant circumstance (e.g. a calm discussion in the ship’s bridge, during a critical moment in a space battle, on a mission to an unknown planet, etc.)
        • Each team member must be assigned to a role and participate.
      • During the designated day/time, teams will role-play/reenact their scripts in class.
      • Please note that team members that do not participate in this part of the assignment will lose 50% of the assignment’s grade.

      Part 3: Questions (5 minutes)

      • Once the script is concluded, all students must be ready to answer questions from the instructor and their peers, including:
        1. What ethical issues were focused on this scenario?
        2. Why did the captain (authority figure) take a specific decision? Which ethical philosophy, if any, was followed?
        3. From the arguments made by each character, which decision would have been the most appropriate and why? Was there a better alternative?
        4. If the wrong (or less ethical) decision was made by the captain (authority figure), what could opposing crew members have done better or differently to change it? What other recourse could they had used in that situation?

      Submission Instructions:

      • Only one team member must submit a single PowerPoint document in Canvas before the deadline.
      • PowerPoint file must include:
        1. All individual combined teammates’ presentations.
        2. All materials used for the group scenario including: introduction, script, references, and team meeting report (see next section).
      • Submitting the PowerPoint file is a requirement for this assignment.

      Accountability & Deadlines:

      1. Every team member must equally participate in all the assignment’s activities.
      2. As part of the final project PowerPoint document, a meeting report must be submitted. Teams must keep record of each meeting, its objective, date, duration, tasks, and participants using the template shown at the end of this document.
        1. For in-person sections, report must be printed and brought to class on designated team meeting days (see the Syllabus for dates).
        2. Report must be added as an Appendix to the final PowerPoint document submitted in Canvas (see Appendix A for a template).
      3. Every team must be ready to present on the first presentation date.
        1. Initially, groups that volunteer will present first. After all volunteer teams have presented, groups will be randomly called to present. If not ready when called, team may receive a failing grade for the assignment.
        2. Approximately two groups will present each session.
      4. If you have any doubts, please contact me well in advance of the assignment’s due date with your questions.
        • Claiming “not to know” or “not understanding” these instructions after the assignment is graded is not an acceptable excuse for not meeting the assignment’s requirements. Again, if in doubt, please contact me before presenting so I can clarify any of your questions.

      Appendix A: Team Presentation Meeting Report Template

      Team #: Date: Location:
      Meeting Objectives:
      Meeting Attendance: 1. 2. 3. 4.
      Assigned or Completed Tasks:
      Notes:

      Appendix B: Script Example (this fragment is provided as an example only)Selected Ethical Issues: 3D printing and race.Summary/Introduction of Scenario: Plans for a new mental enhancing device have been used in replicators (3D printers) by some federation citizens from the planet Vulcan with impressive, but also dangerous results. The federation is considering different options to deal with this issue, including limiting access to replicators based on the users’ planet of origin.Character Assignment (for team of 4):

      1. Captain Kirk (ship’s captain): played by Jose Quevedo
      2. Spock (first science officer): played by Eric Kurt
      3. Engineer Smith (chief engineer officer): played by Jessica Perez
      4. McCoy (chief medical officer): played by Alex Dominguez

      Script Fragment Example (this is only a small and incomplete fragment to give you a general idea):Introduction: Stardate 20202.5. The star ship Enterprise is travelling at warp speed and suddenly receives an urgent communiqué from Starfleet to the captain. After the captain listens to the message, he calls for a meeting of his senior staff…Captain Kirk (played by Jose): I just received a communication from Star Fleet regarding the use of replicators for illegal purposes. It seems that several Vulcans are using replicators to create mind expanding devices, giving them extraordinary mental powers. These devices though, have several side effects, including turning their users dangerously violent and also causing serious health issues in the long run. Therefore, I have new orders from Starfleet asking us our opinion on banning Vulcans from creating such devices…Chief Engineer Smith (played by Jessica): Captain, since we technically cannot limit that specific device from being replicated in our systems, we will need to ban Vulcans from using replicators all together. I don’t see another way. But somehow it doesn’t feel right.Dr. McCoy (played by Alex): It may be radical, but I can tell you that I have received reports of thousands of Vulcans falling ill because of these devices and of people getting hurt due to them. If this continues it will become an epidemic, so I support this initiative by Starfleet. It must be stopped.Mr. Spock (played by Eric): I can see the logic in wanting to prevent Vulcans from hurting themselves and others by using these devices. But I question the ethical rational behind the banning suggestion.Chief Engineer Smith (played by Jessica): I concur with Mr. Spock here. Doing what you propose is against… will cause X, Y, or Z effect… a better solution could be………Captain Kirk (played by Jose): Well, you certainly made interesting points. My response to Starfleet will be… because……

    • https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ogZc2-ASh7wlkFeQqiVj6TGzJ2SQa8Ch2tiSD74-Duc/edit?usp=sharing

Requirements: see instructions above