Social and Environmental Aspects of Information Technology (ASAI)

In this subject, students study the environmental and social effects and impact of information technology, its history and the legislation that affects it. All the while, they should not overlook ethical requirements and professional ethics. The generic character of the subject matter and the practical impossibility of addressing the field in its entirety also mean that students must be able to make critical readings of the diverse range of general texts covered in the subject.

Knowledges

1. The social and environmental impact of science and technology with particular reference to computing and problems of sustainable development.
2. Legal issues arising from the use of computing, the legislation in force and its impact: LPDP, LSSIce, software copyright protection, etc.
3. Ethical issues and codes of practice in the computing field, the impact of computing on the environment, and the issue of sustainable development in today"s world.
4. An overall vision of the history of computing within the context of the history of science and technology, specific aspects of hardware and software and the people and companies that played a key role in the development of the computing industry.
5. Ability to critically read texts on computing, its impact and history.

Abilities

1. Ability to reflect on the social and environmental impact of computing and one"s future career as a computer specialist.
2. Knowing how to critically read articles and books on computing, its history and social and environmental impact.
3. Knowing how to write essays on computing and its social impact.
4. Knowing how to make public presentations on the historic, social and environmental aspects of computing.

Competences

1. Reflection and the ability to study and analyze problems.
2. Critical spirit.
3. Oral and written communication.

The course comprises 7.5 credits (five hours of class each week in a 13 or 14-week term). The sessions could be split as follows:







- Three sessions a week, with:



A- an hour for teacher presentations



B- two hours on computing history (student assignments)



C- two hours on the "social impact" of computing(student assignments)







Section "A" sessions will take the form of lectures and will employ co-operative learning systems for tackling: the social and environmental impact of computing; ethics and best practices; and general legal aspects(Contents 1-2-3-4 and 5).







Section "B" sessions will take the form of lectures in the first three or four weeks in whch the teacher will give an introduction to the history of computing (Content 6). This will allow at least four weeks for students to begin preparing their work on specific aspects of computing history (Content 7). The results will be presented in class during the last weeks of term.







The first three or four weeks of the Section "C" sessions will be spent on showing documentaries, which will be followed by a class debate. This will allow at least four weeks for students to begin preparing their work on: the social and environmental impact of computing; professional ethics and best practices; and general legal aspects. The results will be presented in class during the last weeks of term.

Students must have met the course requirements by submitting two essays and two reviews in order to receive a course grade.
The weighings given in the final evaluation are as follows:

15% - work on and class presentation of the themes covered in Contents 1-2-3-4 and 5 (social impact and environmental impact of computing, and on legal and ethical aspects).
15% - work on and class presentation of the themes covered in Contents 6 and 7 (history of computing).
10% - reading and review of a book on computing history.
10% - reading and review of a book on the social and environmental impact of computing, or on ethical or legal aspects of computing.
40% - final exam.
10% - other items considered for evaluation purposes: attendance of practical classes, ethics cases, history files, co-operative learning performance, etc.

• Santiago Riera Tuèbols Més enllà de la cultura tecnocientífica, Edicions 62, 1994.
• Paul E. Ceruzzi A History of modern computing, MIT Press, 1998.
• BARCELO, Miquel Una història de la Informàtica, Editorial UOC, 2008.
• BARCELO, Miquel Informàtica, societat i medi ambient (a "Aula d'Ecologia: Cicle de Conferències 2007"), Publicacions de la UAB - Ciència i Tècnica, 35, 2008.
• QUINN, Michael J. Ethics for the Information Age, Pearson-Addison Wesley, 2005.

• Stephen Segaller Nerds 2.0.1. : a brief history of the Internet, TV Books, 1999.
• Martin Campbell-Kelly and William Aspray Computer : a history of the information machine, Basic Books, 1996.
• Rudi Volti Society and technological change, St. Martin's Press, 1995.
• David Elliott Energy, society, and environment : technology for a sustainable future, Routledge, 1997.
• Manuel Castells La Era de la información : economía, sociedad y cultura, Alianza,, 1996.
• Deborah G. Johnson Computer ethics, Prentice-Hall, 1994.
• DE GEORGE, Richard T. The Ethics of Information Technology and Business, Blackwell Publishing, 2003.
• MULDER, Karel, editor Desarrollo Sostenible para Ingenieros, Edicions UPC - Politext 172, 2007.
• BARCELO, Miquel La revolució de les Infotecnologies (a "10 impactes de la ciència del segle XX"), EUMO (Vic), 2000.

Interest in computing, its impact and history