Post 002 - CIS 537

Week One Assignments

Week 1 - Readings and Objectives

Reading assignments for the week:

• Chapter 1 in your textbook.

• Appendix A in your textbook.

• The article titled "Ethics On-Line," by Deborah G. Johnson, which is located in Course Documents.

Supplemental resource:

• Ethics: What is Right? A film available via our library - check out the folder in Course Documents and then Films on Demand and you'll find links to this and other videos in our library.

Learning objectives for the week:

1. Ask any necessary questions about this online course and its requirements.

2. Define ethics for information technology professionals.

3. Discuss how to make ethical decisions.

4. Examine special characteristics of online ethics.

5. Test your access to our online library.

This week:

Week 1 is always a busy week. It takes some time to get used to how an online class is laid out. It takes some time to adjust to a new professor and new set of classmates. And, it takes time to absorb the learning concepts for the week. Be sure to budget enough time for these various tasks and processes. It makes the online experience much more enjoyable for everyone if we don't feel rushed at the end of the week.

Questions about the class or assignments or requirements? Be sure to ask via the discussion board. It is the most efficient way to ask and answer common questions, and it helps to build our sense of community as a class. Email is good for complaints, individual questions, and requests for special consideration.

The final project hopefully will be a high-interest assignment. Don't be frightened of the multimedia. My previous students often were not high-tech students, and they were successful. Indeed, they often commented that Photo Story 3 was their favorite part of the class, and they continued to use the software for personal stories and presentations.

By the way, you will notice a supplemental resource listed each week. Looking for an interesting perspective on the topics for the week? Check out these supplemental resources. It is a great way to find ideas to add to your discussion postings for the week. Indeed, the easiest way to make your postings more robust is to rely on a great resource to support your ideas.

Once again, please don't feel bashful about asking questions. I am here to help. Have you finished your readings for the week? If so, then go ahead and get started on the assignments below.

Week 1 - Video Overview

http://idcontent.bellevue.edu/content/CIT/cis/537/Week1.html

A brief message about our upcoming week.

Week 1 - Thought for the Week

"There is no moral precept that does not have something inconvenient about it." - Denis Diderot

There is no assignment associated with this item, just a chance to pause and ponder.

Week 1 - Image for the Week

Child labor, photo from 1910, part of the public domain via the New York Public Library. There is no assignment associated with this item, just a chance to pause and ponder.

Week 1 - Chapter 1 Quiz

Read the assigned chapter this week in Ethics in Information Technology and then click on the link above to start the quiz. The quizzes are a self-assessment and a participation grade. This means that you can take the quizzes as many times as you need in order to earn the grade you deserve. The idea is to allow you to self-test your reading comprehension.

Please do NOT try to print the quiz since that sometimes locks it up and prevents your score from being recorded. Simply take the quiz again if you need to review your readings and improve your score.

The quiz scores will be recorded each week, so be sure to take the quizzes in the weeks they are assigned. If you get a low score, then reread the material and take the quiz again.

Week 1 - Optional Introductions

Would you like to get to know your classmates this term? Post a short message in our Week 1 Introductions discussion board.

Let's have some fun and attach an image to your message. It can be a picture of you (that is the most typical image attached). Or, it can be a picture of your pet(s), or it can be an image which you think describes you. Think of a nice way to say hi to your classmates this term.

This is an optional assignment. It is not graded.

Week 1 Forum - Main Posting

Choose ONE of the following topics for your main discussion posting for the week. Generally, it takes several solid paragraphs for your main posting. Remember to provide a reference if you used a source for your information. Also, remember not to copy and paste from your sources - summarize and analyze in your own words.

1. Table 1-4 in Chapter 1 is a checklist for managers for establishing an ethical work environment. Think about your current or previous employer. How would that employer fare with this checklist?

2. Review Figure 1-4 in Chapter 1, which describes a step approach to ethical decision making. Then, imagine you are a project leader for ten team members. You are working on a new information system for your company. When the project started, it was clear that three team members would work on maintaining the new system and the rest would work on other new projects. However, you have heard a rumor that maintenance will now be outsourced. The source of the rumor has been accurate in the past on other issues. What should you do? Use the seven steps to support your answer.

3. Review Figure 1-4 in Chapter 1, which describes a step approach to ethical decision making. Then, imagine you just interviewed three candidates for an entry-level position. A coworker is friends with one of the candidates. Your coworker asks you to hire the friend. What should you do? Use the seven steps to support your answer.

4. Appendix A and Chapter 1 discuss four philosophical theories for ethical decision making. Read about those four perspectives. Then, look in Course Documents at the case study on plant relocation. It has a short case, a short video, and some thought-provoking questions. Based on your reading of the four perspectives, what would you do as CEO? Defend your decision.

5. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act is discussed in Chapter 1. The act has been around for a few years now. Find a current article in a business newspaper, magazine, or web site that discusses the act. Summarize the article for the class. Be sure to provide either a link or a reference for the article.

6. A fellow student says, "I don't get the difference between morals, ethics, and laws. Can you explain this to me?" Provide an explanation. Tip: A good example or two often helps make an explanation more understandable.

7. Watch the Dilbert video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipVgjZ0_Yfk Briefly summarize the video for your classmates. Then, connect the people and events in the video to ideas in Chapter 1. In other words, analyze Dilbert's project from an ethical perspective.

Please see the information in the Grading Information area of Course Documents if you aren't sure what a good discussion posting looks like.

This assignment is due in the Week 1 Forum at least two days before the end of our academic week.

Week 1 Forum - Additional Postings

Post two additional messages during the week. Typically, these messages are replies to your fellow students, or you can ask about details in the readings that puzzle you. See the assessment guide for more details if you aren't sure what a good posting looks like.

Post at least two additional messages in the Week 1 Forum before the end of the week.

Week 1 Homework - Analysis of Article

Review Deborah G. Johnson's article titled "Ethics On-Line" from our readings for the week. Notice that she focuses on three ethical aspects of communication in networks. Describe her three special characteristics of communication in networks. It would be helpful to offer examples from your personal or professional life which help illustrate these three characteristics. Then, analyze how these characteristics might impact your role as a student in an online class.

Include a visual aid in your essay. It can be a photo, table, cartoon, or comic. Pick something visual that reinforces a point you are making in your essay. Put the visual aid in the body of your essay. Don't attach it as a separate file.

Your summary and analysis should be one page (single-spaced, with a blank line between paragraphs, regular margins and font size). Different people have different writing styles, and you can go over a page if needed, especially if you use a large visual aid. Remember to list sources at the end of the assignment if you use a source besides the article by Johnson. Don't forget to reference the source of your visual aid, too.

A Word-compatible file is the required format for homework assignments. This assignment is due via the link below by the end of our academic week.

Looking Ahead to Coming Weeks

We discuss the movie Frankenstein later in this course. watch the video via streaming media in the External Links area of the course. Or, rent this movie if you like a bigger screen. Rent the original verison with Boris Karloff so we are all discussing the same version. Your library might also have a copy of this classic movie.

Also, be sure that you can access our online library. You'll need to locate articles in journals during the upcoming weeks. Not sure how to get into the online library? Check out the tabs above. Contact Technical Support if you have problems.