OVERVIEW
This is the third assignment related to your course project. Remember, the final project will be
completed over the course of the term as four summative assignments, consisting of 1) topic
selection with optional peer review, 2) a preliminary research assignment including a clear
thesis statement and focusing on the first stage of the course, 3) further development of your
thesis, evidence, and counterarguments to include elements of the second stage of the course,
and 4) final submission of your course project in your chosen format.
This week, you focus on conducting additional research, further developing your selected topic
and argumentative analysis, and relating it to the second stage of this course (i.e., ethics and
morality in a technology-specific context). Unlike your previous project assignments, you will not
be required to submit a paper, unless that is your chosen format. In this assignment, you will
submit your work in the format you have chosen for your final project. Again, you will have the
opportunity to share it with your classmates for peer review.
INSTRUCTIONS
In this assignment you will expand upon your work up to this point. Thus far, you have
constructed a problem statement utilizing the five-step decision-making process, identified the
ethical, moral, and/or legal implications of the topic you selected, begun to develop arguments
for and against your declared thesis statement, and developed an outline for your project. Now
you will begin to incorporate the technology-related computer ethics issues that you have
learned in the past two weeks related to your topic, including cybersecurity, data analytics, IP
rights and personal privacy. Specifically:
1. Your project will now take the form of your selected format.
2. In your chosen format, elaborate on your previous work and frame the issue within the
context of what you have learned in the second stage of the course (i.e., ethics and morality
in a technology context).
3. Examine the specific technology-related computer ethics issues and questions posed by
your topic, including cybersecurity, data collection, and data breaches.
4. Discuss how your topic affects computer ethics issues such as Intellectual Property, privacy
rights, and free speech.
5. Your project must contain each of the basic elements of an argumentative essay, including
(1) an introduction consisting of a topic and problem statement, background information on
the issue, and a thesis statement, (2) arguments and evidence supporting your position, (3)
CIS340 – Computer Ethics
Unit 5 Assignment: Ethics in Technology and First Draft
counterarguments to your position, how you view those arguments/positions, and how you
would refute those arguments with evidence, and (4) a conclusion. These basic elements
are required regardless of the format you select.
6. You must incorporate additional research that you used to develop your thesis and decisionmaking. Include a reference list of sources cited in your essay in APA 7th edition format.
7. Your work this week will be considered a first draft. Submit the draft of your project to your
instructor, who will provide you with feedback to incorporate into your final deliverable.
8. You will have the option to resubmit your assignment during Unit 6 after receiving and
incorporating feedback from your instructor.
Percentage of total course grade: 5%
FORMAT:
The format of your final project is up to you. Some examples include a paper, a video,
presentation with notes, presentation with voice over, blog, vlog, or a web page. No one format
is better than another or preferable from the instructor’s perspective. The purpose of providing
you with options is to give you an opportunity to do what you do best. You may be very
analytical and can best get your point across in a traditional term paper format, or you may be
an extremely creative person and can be more persuasive in a video or presentation, or you
may be very technical and can shine through the creation of a web site or blog.
• If you have another format in mind, you must seek approval from your instructor. This is a
chance for you to demonstrate creativity, what you are passionate about, and the computer
skills you have learned in other courses.
• Choose the format that will motivate you, one you are most comfortable with, that will keep
you focused over an eight-week course, and that will enable you to produce your best work.
Please see the following requirements for each project format:
• Final Paper: 8-10 pages in APA format, not including Title or Reference pages.
• Video: 15-20 minutes recorded and uploaded to YouTube
• Presentation (with notes): 10-15 slides in PowerPoint. Use the Notes feature to
provide necessary context to explain the content of your slides.
• Presentation (with voice): 10-15 slides in PowerPoint with recorded voice presentation
of your slides. Voice recording should be approximately 1-2 minutes per slide.
• Web Page: if you create a web page, requirements will depend on the outline of your
site. For example, the site could consist of multiple pages, one page with several tabs,
blog or vlog style, etc. Confirm with your instructor. Be creative but ensure all the
elements of the project requirements are included.
• Regardless of the format you select, you are required to submit references.
OPTIONAL PEER REVIEW:
