Instructor	Mentor
name:	Tim Sheard	Bridger Wineman
office:	FAB 120-04	?
email:		bwineman@pdx.edu
location:	main lecture Cramer Hall 201	mentor sessions Cramer Hall 194

Please note that the syllabus will be adjusted during the quarter. I reserve the right to change it at any time for any reason. You will see on the Daily Record on the class homepage when a change has been made and are expected to check the class Daily Record before every class: http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~sheard/course/CyberMil/DailyRecord.html

Course Description

In popular culture, the image of the cyborg lies at the heart of this interface between man and machine. We will study how popular culture has portrayed the cyborg, and compare this with our prior study of the nature of intelligence.

We will then turn our focus to the effects the digital world has on the modern civilization. How it affects the media, the financial system, communications, transportation, the educational system, the world of art and design, the hard sciences, and our every day lives.

Once we understand the ubiquity of these effects, we will investigate can (or should) we try and influence them? What ethical limits should society try and place on them? We will identify current ethical issues such as privacy, digital rights management, and the advisability of electronic-voting. We will study the legal and societal means we may use to influence these effects.

In the winter we will study the ways in which the emerging technologies of genetic engineering, cloning, and other new scientific technologies are transforming our concepts of humanity, society, freedom, privacy and cultural identity. We will be examining the changes that are taking place in social relations, legal doctrines, and political beliefs. We will consider the dangers, opportunities and ethical ambiguities inherent in these new technologies. In the spring we will examine the relationship between human communities and technologies addressing issues such as the digital divide, technological haves and have nots, and international issues surrounding ddigital technologies.

In the Spring we will discover the beauty, trials, and tribulations of how we can prograsm a computer ourselves in a 4 week project where will learn to write simple programs in the Haskell programming language. We will also investigate how the rapid changes in technology may change the world we live in. One excellent resource we will use in this investigation is the book The Singularity is Near by Ray Kurzweil.

Through reading fiction, viewing films and television programs, reading case studies, and doing field research we will explore the many complex faces of technology.

Drawing on writing, speaking, artwork, books, media and original projects you will have a wide range of outlets through which to experience and articulate your own questions and ideas, as well as those of others, as we examine the changing role of technology in our lives.

Texts for Spring

• Required: The Singularity is Near
  by Ray Kurzweil. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-303788-0
• Required: They Say, I Say: The moves that matter in Acadmeic Writing.
  Gerald Graph & Cathy Birkenstein. ISBN 13: 978-0-393-92409-1

Other material online

• Further materials will be available as links from the daily record. Most documents will be formatted as Microsoft Word (*.doc) or in Adobe Portable Document Format (*.pdf). Be sure you can access and print these kinds of documents. Free resources for these kinds of documents include Open Office, and Adobe Reader.

Course Website

The class webpage maintains a "Daily Record" which catalogs every class activity. Activities include lectures, mentor-sessions, reading assigments, writing assignments, projects, etc. These are catalogued by day, both when they are assigned and when they are due. You should check the daily record before every class.

Things needed

• PSU Odin account and registration in the course. These will give you WebCT access, which is also required. If you don’t have an account you must get one immediately. You can do so online at: https://www.account.pdx.edu/ After following those three steps you will need to verify your identity at the help desk in the basement of Smith.
• Access to a computer with internet capability.
• Backup Storage. At least one 100 Mb Zip disk or CD-ROMS to store your assignments and portfolio. Please make sure to back up and save ALL work for the entire year.

Mentor Sessions

Spring Term E-Portfolio

University Studies Goals

• Inquiry and Critical Thinking
  Students will learn various modes of inquiry through interdisciplinary curricula—problem-posing, investigating, conceptualizing—in order to become active, self-motivated, and empowered learners.
• Communication
  Students will enhance their capacity to communicate in various ways -- writing, graphics, numeracy, and other visual and oral means—to collaborate effectively with others in group work, and to be competent in appropriate communication technologies.
• The Variety of Human Experience
  Students will enhance their appreciation for and understanding of the rich complexity of the human experience through the study of differences in ethnic and cultural perspectives, class, race, gender, sexual orientation, and ability.
• Ethical Issues and Social Responsibility
  Students will expand their understanding of the impact and value of individuals and their choices on society, both intellectually and socially, through group projects and collaboration in learning communities.

Grading and Assignments

There will also be a term paper that will incorporate numeric data and the graphic visualization of data. Most likely the topic of the paper will be drawn from our study of The Singularity is Near.

We’ll also have several short (1-2 page) writing assignments, and worksheets and quizes based upon the readings.

Course grade will be based roughly on the following, however changes to assignments may change this somewhat.

• 35% Class participation, including
  1. Attendance (8%)
  2. Reading Comprehension Activities (quizzes, work-sheets, etc) (10%)
  3. Class Preparation activities (reading notes, 1st drafts, products for peer review, etc) (10%)
  4. Class Participation in Discussion and in Mentor Sessions (7%)
• 65% Assignments and Projects including, but not limited to:
  1. Short Writing Assignments (10%)
  2. Term Paper (20%)
  3. Programming Project (20%)
  4. E-Portfolio (15%)

Work not turned in, unacceptable work or an absence from class when the work was done receives no credit. In addition if more than five classes (main and/or mentor) are missed the quarter grade will be reduced by one full letter grade. You will be marked absent for the day if you miss more than ten minutes of class. You will receive a failing grade if you miss a total of 10 instructor lead classes or mentor sessions or a combination thereof, despite your grades on work completed.

Readiness to learn means that you will come to class with questions and insights to offer to others and be prepared to discuss the assigned reading. We will be learning from each other and your voice is important. Your participation grade will include attendance, participation in class discussions, participation in online discussions, and group work in class on smaller design problems and case studies.

Student Conduct/Plagiarism:

All forms of academic dishonesty, cheating, and fraud, including but not limited to: (a) plagiarism, (b) the buying and selling of course assignments and research papers, (c) performing academic assignments (including tests and examinations) for other persons, (d) unauthorized disclosure and receipt of academic information and (e) falsification of research data.

Source: Office of Student Affairs at Portland State University, Code of Student Conduct and Responsibility. A copy of the full code can be found at http://www.pdx.edu/media/c/o/CodeofConduct.doc. A copy can be obtained from The Office of Student Affairs at Smith Memorial Center Room 433. The Writing Center at Portland State University has prepared PLAGARISM: A Guide for Students to assist students in understanding plagiarism and developing strategies on avoiding it. A copy of this guide is available from Writing Center located in Cramer Hall 188F. Please read it carefully. Or see http://www.writingcenter.pdx.edu/ or http://www.lib.pdx.edu/instruction/survivalguide/index.htm Scholarly work resulting from plagiarism or cheating will receive no credit and all expectations of student conduct code will be strictly enforced in class.

Disability Resources

Writing Resources

Writing for International Students or Non-Native English Speakers - Classes are available for students with language and/or cultural issues, and need major help with writing. The classes are LING 115, Writing for Non-Native Residents, from the Linguistics Department, or WR 121, College Writing for International Students, from the English Department. The linguistics course emphasizes language and cultural skills and the English course emphasizes the writing process. For additional advice in the Linguistics Department contact Ruth Chapin (725-4147) or Judy Reed (725-8793).

Other: A one-credit supplemental writing course, WR 199, Grammar Refresher, is offered by the English Department for students with more serious writing needs and can be taken concurrently with FRINQ. WR 115, Introduction to College Writing, is for students feeling overwhelmed with the prospect of college-level writing. The English Department also has a number of course offerings dealing with writing research papers and within the disciplines for more advanced writers. For additional advice in the English Department contact Hildy Miller (725-3563).

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