Computer Science and Computer Engineering 120
Computer Information Systems
Fall 2006 Semester Project
Sections 01 and 03, Fall 2006

About the Project

This project will give you an opportunity to research and present your findings on a current issue focusing on computing and its impact on society. There will be several parts to the semester project - each due at a specified time. The project will include:

• forming a group of 3 or 4 students
• proposing a computing research topic of your choice (see possible topic ideas below)
• researching your computing topic using online sources
• presenting your findings to the rest of the class during the last week of the course
• evaluating your role and participation as well as your partners' role and participation in the semester project.

Topic Ideas

You may select a research topic from the list below or you may pick another relevant topic. All research topics must be approved by the instructor.

• Cheating on the Net - how has the Internet affected student ethics, teaching and learning in the classroom?
• Copyright, Free Use and Piracy - where should the ethical lines be drawn for music, movies and video?
• Freedom of Speech - where should the line be drawn between protecting businesses, children, our nation etc. and self-expression?
• Identify Theft - how safe is your personal data and what can you do to protect yourself? Who is responsible for keeping your personal data/computer safe?
• Multiculturalism and/or Inclusion in Technology - the history, contributions and impact of women, people with disabilities and people from diverse ethnic and/or gender backgrounds on engineering and computing.
• Technology and Education - the crisis of the "have nots" - does every child in your country (including children with disabilities) really have equal access to technology and technology education?
• Cyberbullying, Stalking and Harassment Online - Examples of these, the legal implications, and what victoms can do about it.
• User Profiling and Personal Privacy - do businesses (or others) have the right to track what you do on the Net?
• Web Communication - the impact of blogs, viral videos, gaming, Voice Over Internet (protocol), facebook/myspace websites on personal communication and human relationships.
• Outsourcing employees overseas - why outsourcing has become popular and the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing
• Additional Ideas...
  • the role of local/federal government on the Internet
  • current legislation about technology
  • security, terrorism and the Internet
  • encryption and cyberspying
  • new education markets in distance learning
  • the Net's impact on plagiarism, self-plagiarism and research
  • online communities
  • Open-Source movement
  • online gambling
  • CGI animation and the movie industry
  • assistive technologies for people with disabilities, doctors, therapists etc.
  • your ideas!

Project Deliverables

• DUE Friday, November 17th by midnight - Proposal for research topic.

  Each team is responsible for writing a one-and-a-third to two page (including citations) proposal discussing the topic they wish to research and some of the references/sources they plan to utilize. The proposal should meet the following minimum requirements:

  • Begin with a title for your project followed by the names and e-mail addresses of each team member
  • Include a one-page, detailed description of your research topic, how it relates to computing/technology, and how it effects the daily lives of you, your classmates, your community, the national and/or international community.
  • Include a short list of some of the references and/or sources you plan on utilizing for your research. Include a minimum of 4 citations in the proposal. Be sure that your citation are from reputable sources such as academic journals, internationally recognized news networks, local/federal government sites etc.
  • The proposal should be written using Microsoft Word 2003.
  • The proposal should be double-spaced with 1-inch margins on all sides and use a 12pt font.
  
  
• DUE by Friday, December 1st, 5pm - Team Meetings with Instructor.

  Each team is required to meet with the instructor to turn in and discuss their overall presentation outline. Meetings should take place before December 1st, 5pm. Appointments are needed for these meetings.

• DUE December 5th and 7th - PowerPoint Presentations

  Each team is responsible for presenting an 15-minute presentation discussing their research topic and findings. Presentations will be evaluated based on the Presentation Rubric provided.

  Presentations must use Microsoft PowerPoint 2003. If you are not familiar with using PowerPoint 2003, I strongly recommend that you read/work through the PowerPoint Tutorial.

• DUE December 8th by midnight - Self/Group-Evaluations

  Each team member is responsible for filling out the self and group evaluation.

Project Guidelines

• Use the Online Submission System to turn in your project deliverables:
  • Project Proposal (one submittal per group)
  • PowerPoint Presentation (one submittal per group)
  • Self/Group Evaluations (each member submits one form )
  • All other files used in the presentation (if any) (normally only one submittal per group)
  Select "Project" in the assignment box. Double check to make sure that all the required files have been uploaded.
• Late assignments will not be accepted.
• All materials presented and/or turned in should be easy to read, formatted to look professional and spell checked.
• Because bad things happen to good projects, be sure to make backup copies of all your work!
• Clearly document any resources used including texts, notes, websites etc.

Project Evaluation

Presentations will be evaluated based on the Presentation Rubric. When creating your PowerPoint slides, keep the following DOs in mind:

DO:

• Include -
    * a slide with the title of your presentation and names of you team members.
    * a slide introducing your topic.
    * slides as needed to compliment your presentation. (It is often suggested to allow 2 to 3 minutes of presentation time per slide of this type.)
    * a slide summarizing the key points mentioned in your presentation,
    * and a slide citing all your references (including ones for downloaded images)
• SPELL CHECK your slides!
• Include lots of whitespace on your slides. Crowded slides are hard to read and hard to understand.
• Include appropriate images, animations, charts, hyperlinks, and so on to communicate your information. Remember, a picture is worth a 1000 words!
• Use transitions between slides judiciously. Too much busyness can detract from what you are trying to convey to your audience.
• Avoid paragraphs of text on your slides. Instead, limit your words to key points you want to emphasize or have the audience remember.
• Make connections between your topic and your audience's daily life. Most people are interested in things that effect them directly.
• Include substantive information in your presentation. You should demonstrate a solid grasp of your topic and be able to answer audience questions. A cursory understanding of your topic (and last minute preparation) is easy to spot!

Adapted from http://www.plu.edu/~folsomml/classes/csce120/fa06/project/csce120-project.shtml by Michele Folsom.