CS 261 Computers, the User and Society Fall 2020 

Paper 1

Assignment

The College is requiring that students use the Aura App to help monitor and manage the spread of COVID-19 in the campus community. Is this good?

Write a 750-1000 word paper discussing this issue. Your paper should summarize the issue and discuss the positive and negative sides of the issue. Base your argument in the context of our class discussions and material in Chapter 1 and the Appendix of our text. Additional references can be used and should be appropriately cited.

Grading Rubric

Grade Element Point Assessment
Introduction
An introduction helps focus the readers attention on the contents of your paper. It should contain a strong clear thesis that is defended in the rest of the paper. It should clearly define the issue at hand and give any needed background information. A good length for an introductory paragraph is 50-150 words. 		10
Main Body
The body defends your thesis in three to five paragraphs. Each paragraph focuses on a single claim that advances your position. You should argue the strengths and weaknesses of each claim, rather than exclusively positives or exclusively negatives. Each major claim you make should be justified using evidence, examples, or scenarios that defend the claim. Don't assume the reader agrees with your claims — convince them! Your writing should demonstrate you fully understand the complexity of the issue and how our course material leads relates to the issue. Sources beyond our text should be cited appropriately in a manner that a reader can find that source. In particular, you should state and address the ethical issues. 		60
Conclusion
A conclusion that weighs the positives and negatives leading to a final analysis. One way to think about this section is that it is a call to action to makes a recommendation. For example, this might be advocating increased education about the benefits of a policy. It might also suggest a policy be altered in a specific way. 		20
Mechanics and Writing
Include your name and a title for your paper. Your paper must a PDF with a 10-12 point font, a professional font face, and 1-1.5" margins. Your paper should be free of typos and grammatical errors. Your paper should be well organized and enjoyable to read. 		10
Total 100

Deliverables

Email me a copy of your paper as a pdf.

References

  1. Aura App
  2. Together Safely in the Fall
  3. Albion COVID-19 Together Safely FAQ
  4. Albion Community Commitment
  5. Make staying on campus and Aura app optional for students optional at Albion College, petition on Change.org
  6. Fearing coronavirus, a Michigan college is tracking its students with a flawed app by Zack Whittaker, TechCrunch, August 19, 2020.
  7. Coronavirus app doesn’t track students’ locations all the time, Albion College president says by Steve Marowski, MLive, August 22, 2020.
  8. Michigan College Requires Students to Stay Within 5 Miles of Campus or Face Suspension, Tracks Them by App by Katherine Fung, Newsweek, August 18, 2020.
  9. Michigan students are being forced to use a vile contact tracing app inputmag.com
  10. College contact-tracing app readily leaked personal data, report finds by Kate Cox, ars technica.
  11. Colleges Are Endangering Students Like Me By Andrew V. Lorenzen, The Chronicle of Higher Education, August 23, 2020.
  12. The Student-Blaming Has Begun By Katherine Mangan, The Chronicle of Higher Education, August 21, 2020.

Copyright © 2020, David A. Reimann. All rights reserved.