COM1002 Cyber Technology and Society – Common Core Curriculum Office (CCCO)

Department

Computing

Semester

AY2016/17 Sem 1, AY2016/17 Sem 2, AY2017/18 Sem 2, AY2018/19 Sem 1, AY2018/19 Sem 2, AY2018/19 Summer Sem, AY2019/20 Sem 1, AY2019/20 Sem 2, AY2019/20 Summer Sem, AY2020/21 Sem 1, AY2020/21 Sem 2, AY2021/22 Sem 1, AY2021/22 Sem 2, AY2022/23 Sem 1, AY2022/23 Sem 2, AY2023/24 Sem 1, AY2023/24 Sem 2

Method

Lecture 3 hours

Cluster

3 (Science and Technology)

Prerequisite

GEN1000 Perspectives on General Education / Subject to Discretion of Module Coordinator

Exclusion

Nil

Module Description

The module examines the relationships between cyber technology and society. The module explores the history and development of cyber technology, and its challenges and opportunities to the society from a cultural perspective. This module explores how cyber technology affects the modern society in various aspects. It focuses on the causes and consequences of the change in cyber technology towards the society, and then examines the responsibilities of cyber world participants in a wide range of daily life issues. It analyzes the nature and social impact of computer technology and the corresponding formulation and rationalization of codes for the proper use of cyber technology. It aims to develop students with scientific mindset and methodology to deal with daily life problems, some of which could be caused by misuse of cyber technology, through proper use of cyber technology.

Module Intended Learning Outcomes (MILO)

Upon completion of this module, students should be able to:
a. identify the relationships between cyber technology, cyber world and society;
b. explore the history, development and impact of the cyber technology towards human civilization;
c. analyze the impact of cyber technology on the contemporary view on freedom of expression, privacy and intellectual property right;
d. use of scientific mindset and methodology to discuss the impact of cyber issues to daily life.

Module Content

1. Introduction and overview

1.1 The nature of cyber world
1.2 Defining cyber technology
1.3 Why do we use cyber technology in the modern world?

2. The changing process of cyber technology

2.1 The history and development of cyber technology
2.2 The diffusion of cyber technology
2.3 Humanistic implications of cyber technology

3. Social networking

3.1 What is social networking?
3.2 Impact of social technology towards the modern world
3.3 Business and education applications of online social networking
3.4 Humanistic challenges of social networking

4. Impact of cyber technology on freedom of expression

4.1 Controlling access to information on the cyber world
4.2 Achieving anonymity using technology
4.3 Anonymity on the cyber world and its humanistic impacts

5. Privacy in the Internet age

5.1 Privacy definition
5.2 Perspectives on privacy
5.3 Online privacy concerns
5.4 Privacy and e-Commerce
5.5 Technologies for safeguarding online privacy

6. Intellectual Property in the cyber world

6.1 Protecting intellectual property
6.2 Challenges to intellectual property due to new technology
6.3 Case studies

7. Proper uses of cyber technology

7.1 Social problem: Cyberbullying
7.2 Trustworthiness of information on the Internet
7.3 The challenges of Cyber technology from social-cultural aspects
7.4 Use of scientific mindset to deal with other Cyber technology-induced social issues

Assessment Methods

1. Class participation (20%)
2. Project (25%)
3. Presentation (15%)
4. Test (40%)

Texts & References

1. Blowers, M. (2015). Evolution of cyber technologies and operations to 2035. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.
2. Bakardjieva, M. (2005). Internet society: The internet in everyday life. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781446215616
3. Schneider, G. P., & Evans, J. (2013). New perspectives on the internet :Comprehensive (9th ed.). Boston, Mass.: Course Technology/Cengage Learning.
4. Tavani, H. T. (2007). Ethics and technology: Ethical issues in an age of information and communication technology (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
5. 劉建人、柯菁菁、陳協志編著 (2013)。《資訊倫理與社會:重建網路社會新秩序》。台灣：普林斯頓國際有限公司。
6. Yao, M. Z., & Zhang, J. (2008). Predicting user concerns about online privacy in Hong Kong. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 11(6), 779-781.
7. Matzner, T. (2014). Why privacy is not enough privacy in the context of “ubiquitous computing” and “big data”. Journal of Information, Communication & Ethics in Society, 12(2), 93-106.
8. Farjami, S. M. (2012). Is there a place for cyberethics? A conceptual look at the effects of
cybertechnology on ethics and communications in cyberspace. Asian Social Science, 8(4), 148-152.
9. Mark, L., & Ratliffe, K. T. (2011). Cyber worlds: New playgrounds for bullying. Computers in the Schools, 28(2), 92-116.