Syllabus

Information Technology in a Global Society (ITGS) is the study and evaluation of the impact of information technology on individuals and society. ITGS provides an introduction to computers and computer applications; including study of the Internet, ftp, the World Wide Web, E-mail, multimedia, databases, spread sheets, and word processing. It explores the advantages and disadvantages of the use of digitized information at the local and global level. ITGS provides a framework for you to make informed judgments and decisions about the use of information technology within social contexts. Although ITGS shares methods of critical investigation and analysis with other social sciences, it also considers ethical questions found in the study of philosophy. You will come into contact with IT on a daily basis because it is so pervasive in the world in which we live. This widespread use of IT raises important questions about social and ethical issues that shape our society today. ITGS offers an opportunity for a systematic study of these issues, whose range is such that they fall outside the scope of any other single discipline. The nature of the subject is defined by the use of ITGS terms. For the purpose of the ITGS syllabus the following definitions apply:
 * 1) ** Information technology **is the acquisition, processing, storage, manipulation and dissemination of digital information by computing or telecommunications or a combination of both.
 * 2) ** Social impact **includes the economic, political, cultural, legal, environmental, ergonomic, health and psychological effects of IT on human life.
 * 3) ** Ethical considerations **refer to the responsibility and accountability of those involved in the design, implementation, and use of IT.
 * 4) ** An information system **is a collection of people, information technologies, data, methods and policies organized to accomplish specific functions and solve specific problems.


 * __The aims of the ITGS course are to:__**
 * Develop an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of new technologies as methods of expanding our knowledge of the world at the local and global level
 * Promote an understanding of the social significance of information technology for individuals, communities, and organizations
 * Analyze and evaluate the ethical considerations arising from the widespread use of information technology at the local and global level
 * Recognize that people can hold diverse opinions about the impact of information technology on individuals and societies


 * __Having followed the ITGS course, students should be able to:__**
 * Demonstrate computer skills related to multimedia, word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and the Internet.
 * Understand and critically examine the global impact of IT developments
 * Demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the social and ethical implications of IT systems and developments at the local, national, and global level
 * Analyze and evaluate the social and ethical implications of IT developments
 * Analyze and evaluate relevant examples of the global impact of IT in a portfolio of individually researched studies
 * Design and apply IT solutions to a problem set in a social context through a project


 * __ Division of the ITGS SYLLABUS __**

**__ Section 1 __** **__- Social and ethical issues__**
__**1.1 Reliability**__ Reliability refers to the operation of hardware, the design of the software, the accuracy of data or the correspondence of data with the real world. Data maybe unreliable if it is entered incorrectly or if it becomes out-dated. For example, a medical record that becomes dissociated from our confidence in their value.

__**1.2 Integrity**__ Integrity refers to correspondence of data with itself, at its creation. Data lacks integrity when it has been changed accidentally or tampered with. For example, a hacker might change driver license data resulting in arrests of innocent people.

__**1.3 Security**__ Security refers to the protection of hardware, software, machines and networks from unauthorized access, alteration or destruction. Security measures include restricted access to machines and networks and encryption of information. The degree of security of information systems determines society's confidence in the information contained in the systems.

__**1.4 Privacy and anonymity**__ Privacy is the ability of individuals and groups to determine for themselves when, how and to what extent information about themselves is shared with others. At its extreme, privacy becomes anonymity, which might be called for in some contexts but is dangerous in others. For example, discussion of a delicate subject might require anonymity, or at least privacy. On the other hand, anonymity could also conceal the perpetrators of criminal, terrorist or computer hacking acts.

__**1.5 Authenticity**__ Authenticity means establishing the user's identity beyond reasonable doubt. Authenticating the user is crucial in many situations, particularly in business and legal matters. A simple example of authentication is user login onto a network. A more advanced example would be the use of encrypted digital signatures in a business transaction.

__**1.6 Intellectual property**__ Intellectual property includes ideas, discoveries, writings, works of art, software, collections and presentations of data. Copyrights, trademarks and patents legally protect intellectual property, but easy and accurate duplication methods made available by IT can undermine such protections. On the other hand, the same methods create opportunity for in expensive dissemination of information.

__**1.7 Equality of access**__ IT has the potential to offer universal access to information, regardless of distance, age, race, gender or other personal characteristics. However, the above characteristics, and cost, can also bar individuals or groups from access. For example, while tele-learning brings previously unavailable opportunities to everyone's doorstep, the cost of hardware, software or course fees might place the learning beyond the reach of an average person.

__**1.8 Control**__ As an instrument of control, IT improves reliability, accuracy and speed of systems. However, it can also be used to control people. An automatic aircraft landing system provides an example of increased reliability resulting from IT control. Employer surveillance of employees represents a new kind of control imposed on people.

__**1.9 Globalization and cultural diversity**__ Globalization means the diminishing importance of geographic, political, economic and cultural boundaries. IT has played a major role in reducing these boundaries. For example, any dramatic event anywhere in the world can be broadcast almost instantly by television or on the Internet. However, there is a fear that easier communication can become a source of cultural homogeneity. The new global village provides a worldwide cultural awareness, but may lead to less diversity.

__**1.10 Policies and standards**__ Policies are enforceable measures intended to promote appropriate use. They can be developed by governments, businesses, and private groups or individuals. They normally consist of rules governing access to, or use of, information, hardware and software. For example, a national policy on IT security would need to define what constitutes unlawful access to networks and how to treat transgression. Policies also affect the exchange of information, for example, by making it subject to copyright laws. In general, policies can promote or restrict access, modify behaviour or require the fulfilment of certain conditions prior to or during use. Standards are social or technical rules and conventions that enable compatibility and therefore facilitate communication or interoperability between different IT systems and their components. They might govern the design and use of hardware, software and information. For example, communication protocols used on the Internet, the ASCII representation for characters, or the design of the printer port on a personal computer are all governed by standards.

__**1.11 People and machines**__ The interaction of humans with IT hardware raises all the issues encountered in this section, as well as additional ones such as the following.. Who controls the design of technology and the pace of its introduction?
 * How safe and effective is the design?
 * Is technology going to extend human faculties and make work easier and more pleasant, or are machines going to displace humans and lead to mass unemployment?
 * Is technology used appropriately, or should a better, possibly non-technological alternative be found?
 * Which areas of human endeavor are best served by IT systems?
 * Which social and ethical issues arise from a comparison of people and machines in the following areas: stamina, memory, accuracy,speed, analysis, synthesis, judgment, innovation, creativity?

**__ Section 2: __****__ IT systems in a social context __**
__**2.1 Basics: hardware and networks**__

__2.1.1 Systems fundamentals__ Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of IT systems. Thesemay include:
 * Social and ethical issues**
 * the economic value of information
 * environmental issues related to the production of computer components and supplies
 * environmental issues related to the disposal of obsolete hardware and computer supplies
 * health issues and ergonomics related to the use of hardware
 * password protection, security, biometrics and authorized access
 * issues related to viruses on both stand-alone and network systems
 * greater [|dependence of organizations on IT] (example: [|Port of Busan] and [|Port of Singapore] )
 * increase in teleworking and the [|virtual office]
 * the need for ongoing training and retraining
 * the economic and psychological implications of planned IT obsolescence in hardware, software and services, which has been forced on consumers by the IT industry
 * [|Obsolete Computer that still do the Job]
 * [|Yale University's Tech Disposal Policy]
 * [|Dealing with Obsolete Computers]
 * organizational policices and standards for example: [|e-mail,] [|surveillance and monitoring policies.]


 * __Knowledge of technology__**

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of IT systems, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include:
 * key terms—data, information, hardware components, for example, input devices, output devices, processing, storage, memory (RAM, ROM), MHz, dpi, bit, KB, MB, GB, TB, ASCII, compatibility, OCR, OMR, bar code, baud, verification and validation, encryption/decryption, firewall, virus, Trojan horse, worm, logic bomb, platform, peripheral.
 * use, advantages and disadvantages of [|analogue and digital data]
 * operating systems (multitasking, boot) and utilities, for example, defragment, disk format, virus scan programs
 * responsible computer use (for example, [|regular back-ups], virus checking, security, [| storage] , [|housekeeping] )
 * a responsible and systematic approach to implementing or upgrading IT systems, for example, analysis, design, implementation, testing, evaluation, training, policies and standards

__ **2.2 Applications** __
 * 2.2.1 Software fundamentals
 * 2.2.2 Databases and spreadsheets
 * 2.2.3 Word processing and desktop publishing
 * 2.2.4 Images, sound and presentations
 * 2.2.5 Modeling and simulations
 * 2.2.6 Tutorials, training and wizards (assistants)


 * __2.3 Communication systems__ **


 * 2.3.1 The Internet
 * 2.3.2 Personal and public communications


 * __2.4 Integrated Systems__ **
 * __﻿__ **
 * 2.4.1 Robotics
 * 2.4.2 Artificial intelligence and expert systems

**__ Section 3 - __****__Areas of impact__**
__**3.1 Business and employment**__
 * Part A**

__**3.2 Education**__ __**3.3 Health**__ __**3.4 Arts, entertainment and leisure**__ __**3.5 Science and the environment**__ __**3.6 Politics and government**__
 * Part B**