Module 5: Issues in Computing
Week of Mon, Sep 21 · module closes Sun, Sep 27 · 70 points
By the end of this lesson you can:
- →Evaluate ethical principles in emerging technologies as they apply to academic and professional life.
Take Meerk's quiz for Module 5
This module's items
- Issues Discussion Assignment20 pts
- Issues Article Assignment30 pts
- Module 5 Quiz20 pts
Exact due times are in Canvas. Late assignments are not accepted and extensions will not be granted.
Know these cold
- Issues in computing are the problems technology creates for people and society: the digital divide, privacy, security, intellectual property, e-waste, health (ergonomics), and ethics.
- The digital divide is the gap between people who have reliable access to computers and the internet and those who do not — it affects school, jobs, and health care.
- Privacy: companies and apps collect data about you (location, searches, purchases). Know what you share, read permissions, and use privacy settings.
- Intellectual property (IP): creations of the mind. Copyright protects original works (writing, music, images, code) automatically; patents protect inventions; trademarks protect names and logos.
- Fair use allows limited use of copyrighted material for teaching, commentary, or criticism — small amounts, non-commercial, with credit. It is not a free pass to copy.
- Software piracy — copying or using software without a license — is theft. Licenses (commercial, subscription, open source, Creative Commons) say what you may do.
- E-waste: old phones and computers contain lead, mercury, and other toxins. Recycle through certified programs; do not throw electronics in the trash.
- Ergonomics: how you sit and set up your screen, keyboard, and lighting affects your body. Take breaks, sit up, keep the screen at eye level.
- Ethics: doing the right thing even when no one is watching — report a security flaw, do not exploit it; do not share someone's private information; do not use technology to harass.
- Artificial intelligence raises new issues: bias in data, fake images and text, job changes. The rule stays the same — be honest about what you used and who made it.
- Module 5 items: Issues Discussion Assignment (20), Issues Article Assignment (30), and Module 5 Quiz (20). Exam 1 (Chapters 1–5) follows the week of Sept 28.
Meerk's quiz — open the Module 5 gate
10 questions, no time limit. 85% on your first attempt in a 24-hour window opens the gate. Retakes inside the window are practice — they help you learn, they don't count. Work alone; the point is to know it, not to have seen it.
Stuck?
Raise your hand. Mr. James gets a message right away and can help you remotely. Nothing else is stored — just your last name, grade, and where you're stuck.
Dinner Table Question
Ask at home: Who does not have good access to technology in our community — and what does that cost them?
En español: ¿Quién no tiene buen acceso a la tecnología en nuestra comunidad y qué le cuesta eso?