Information Technology, Lay and Society

This course examines the social impacts of computing technology. It provides a critical examination of a number of areas in which computers, information technology and the internet are having an impact on society including ethics, privacy, freedom of speech, intellectual property, work, distribution of wealth, law, politics and the environment. Current issues that will be discussed include electronic voting, spyware, spam, and intellectual property issues associated with digital content distribution. Course format is question-based student-led discussions and collaborative group projects.