ASSESSMENT TASKS

Assessment 1 - Presentation on Ethical Issues in Information Technology

Teams of three will be formed of semester and a topic will be assigned to each team. Each team will give a 15 minute group presentation in class, on the given topic. Groups will be assessed on both the quality of the presentation and the content. Groups will need to distribute a copy of their overheads to all students.

Assessment 2 - Literature Survey on Ethical Issues in Information Technology

The same team that prepared the presentation in Assessment Task 1 will prepare a detailed group essay of 5,000 words. The essay will include an abstract, keywords and references from peer reviewed journals.

Assessment 3 - Debate

Teams will be formed (these will be different from the literature survey and presentation teams) and a topic will be assigned to each team and which side of the argument the team is to speak to.

The team should prepare their case and organise the order in which they are going to speak. The team members will each speak for 5 minutes, alternating with their opponents. The first speaker for the proposition will define the question and introduce the argument, the first speaker for the opposition will introduce their case, the second speakers will sustain and or refute the arguments, the final speakers for both sides will summarise their team's arguments and any rebuttals and close their case.

When the case is closed there will be up to five minutes of questions from the floor addressed to any team member to which you will briefly respond. Timing will be strict and you must stop speaking when your time has elapsed otherwise a penalty will be imposed.

Each member of the team may not receive the same grade for the debate (however not necessarily the same grade as their opposing team).

Assessment 4 - Counterargument from debate

Following the debate, each participant will individually submit in hardcopy a counterargument of 500 words. This counterargument will demonstrate the strength of their opponent's argument and the weakness of their argument. The goal of this exercise is for students to understand both sides of an issue.

Assessment 5 - Mediation

Students will be introduced to negotiation theory and be involved in simulated negotiations.

Students will be provided with information sheets for mediation about an IT negotiation in which they will be involved. They will also be told whether they will be acting as a mediator or one of the two parties in the dispute.