Society and Ethics in Information Technology - Syllabus

Embark on a profound academic exploration as you delve into the Society and Ethics in Information Technology course () within the distinguished Tribhuvan university's CSIT department. Aligned with the 2074 Syllabus, this course (CSC323) seamlessly merges theoretical frameworks with practical sessions, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the subject. Rigorous assessment based on a 60 + 20 + 20 marks system, coupled with a challenging passing threshold of , propels students to strive for excellence, fostering a deeper grasp of the course content.

This 3 credit-hour journey unfolds as a holistic learning experience, bridging theory and application. Beyond theoretical comprehension, students actively engage in practical sessions, acquiring valuable skills for real-world scenarios. Immerse yourself in this well-structured course, where each element, from the course description to interactive sessions, is meticulously crafted to shape a well-rounded and insightful academic experience.


Course Description:

This course covers different concepts related with sociology, and social and ethical issues

related with the use of Information Technology. This course also covers social context of

computing, software issues and new frontiers of computer ethics.


Course Objective:

The basic objective of this course is to provide fundamental knowledge on the concept of

sociology to understand social, cultural, economic, political and technical aspects, and

knowledge of different social and ethical issues related with Information Technology.


Units

Introduction

History, definitions, Related to IT, Need, Resilience, types, Need, types, Difference, moral values


Social and cultural change

Evolution, Functional, Conflict,Economics, Technology, Education, Demography


Understanding development

Definition, approaches,Types ,Types,Techniques, Strategies


Process of transformation

Basic concepts,  Definition, Effect on morality,Basic concepts , CASE study


Ethics and Ethical Analysis

Definitions, Consequentialism , Deontology, Human nature, Relativism, Hedonism, Emotivism, Functional definition covering different sets, Framework for ethical decision making, making and

evaluating ethical arguments, Preamble, objectives, Issues and discussion


Intellectual Property Rights and Computer Technology

Definitions, Basic concepts, Copyrights, Patents, Trade secrets, Trademarks, Personal identity, Politics of ownership, Psychology of ownership, Infringement, first sale doctrine, Fair use doctrine, Domain, source, Duration and strategies of protection,

Software piracy, Protection of software under copyright, Patent, Trademarks and Trade secretes, Basic concepts


Social Context of Computing

Access, Technology, Human capacity, Infrastructure,

Enabling Environments, Techniques, Electronic office, Office on wheels and wings, Virtual workplace, Quiet revolution : Telecommuters and Telecommuting, Workplace privacy and surveillance, Electronic monitoring, Ergonomics


Software Issues

Standards, Reliability, Security, Safety, Quality, Quality of Service

Human factors, Nature of software, Risk assessment and management, Risk hazards in workplace systems, Buyer and provider rights, A- service provider – user contract, Techniques, Basic concepts 


New Frontiers for Computer Ethics

Basic concepts, Definitions, Requirements, Challenges, Terminologies, Types, Benefits,Types, Social and ethical implication of virtualization, Introduction, Concept of telepresence and immersion, Detecting attacks in cyberspace, Intellectual property rights in cyberspace, Legal definition, Types, Legislation, Effects and Dealing with cyberbullying


Lab works

Laboratory works

- 5 Case Studies that are specified in the micro syllabus

Practical related to quality assurance, risk analysis, VR, reliability, security, safety,quality, quality of    service.

  • Selenium for automation testing of functional aspects of web based applications, wide range of platforms and browsers.
  • Apache Jmeter for load testing
  • Jira for task, effort, team performance and defect tracking
  • Development of RMMM (Risk Monitoring, Management, Mitigation) plan for any scenario.

The students should write reports for 5 case studies and other practical works.