CSC300H1S: Computers and Society

Assignment: Project 2

Spring, 2014

Proposal Due: Tuesday, March 4 at 22:00
Full Project Due: Tuesday, March 25 at 22:00

No late assignments are accepted. All assignments to be submitted on Blackboard.

There are four options on this assignment.

All options require the submission of a Proposal.

Option 1

All students may choose Option 1.

Design a socio-technical system to conduct a National Household Survey in Canada that achieves the same participation rate as Long Form Census. You will need to think about how to bridge multiple divides, while maintaining privacy and confidentiality. Two areas are especially challenging (for different reasons): time use statistics, such those associated with unpaid work; and income. Make sure that your design addresses these two areas in particular.

For background information and standards for conducting a census, see the United Nations Statistics Division.

Submit a paper describing your design. The paper should be approximately 1500-2000 words in length, excluding the References section. The formatting and attribution requirements are the same as for Paper 1.

Rubric for Option 1 and 2

Element Description % of Grade
Project Proposal 25%
Scope Is the design proposed an appropriate scope? Will it solve the problem? How effectively? 10%
Social Outcomes Does the design address the relevant social issues? Does the paper discuss the social outcomes of the proposed design? 10%
Writing 30%
Clarity Are the points understandable? 15%
Organization Does the paper present a coherent set of reflections? Does the order of the points and use of transitions allow the paper to be read smoothly? 10%
Grammar and Spelling Are the grammar and spelling correct so that the paper is understandable? 5%
Argument 40%
Thesis Does the thesis make a reasonable, specific claim, within the topic for this paper? (Be sure to underline the thesis!) 10%
Relevance Does the paper present an argument for the thesis? Are the points offered relevant to the thesis? 10%
Effectiveness Has the argument been made effectively? Are there enough points and counterpoints? Is the argument's claim supported by relevant examples or references? 20%
Discretionary Reader's discretion: how well does the paper fulfill the goals of the course and the assignment? 5%

Option 2

All students may choose Option 2.

Design an identity and privacy system for teenagers to use on Facebook or similar social media platform. Teenagers often experiment with diverse identities with different social contexts. At the same time, they want to keep much of their activities hidden from people such as their parents and employers. Your system will need to take these constraints into consideration.

Academic papers on teens and online sociality have been written by danah boyd (who recently appeared on CBC Spark), The Digital Youth Project, and Sherry Turkle.

Submit a paper describing your design. The paper should be approximately 1500-2000 words in length, excluding the References section. The formatting and attribution requirements are the same as for Paper 1.

The rubric is the same as for Option 1 above.

Option 3

If you received a grade of B+ (77%) or higher on the first paper, you may choose Option 3.

Create a persuasive video relating to the topics of the class and post it on YouTube. Get as many views as possible. Make sure to include the words “Made for Informatics 161” somewhere in the video (even in a single frame, or very small) to demonstrate that this video was made explicitly for this class project. Write a paper of 300-500 words documenting your project. The paper portion will include the following: an explicit statement of the thesis about which the video is seeking to persuade people; how the content supports this thesis, and an explanation of the techniques you used to gather views and how effective they were and why. If the “Made for CSC300” is not obvious, please also tell us how to find it. 75% of the grade will be based on the video, and 25% on the paper.

Your video will be graded on its content, persuasiveness, and quality. If you achieve 1000 views of your video, you will receive 5 points extra credit (up to a total score of 100). 10,000 views earns 10 points extra credit (up to a total score of 100). 100,000 views earns 15 points extra credit (up to a total score of 100). 1,000,000 views guarantees an A+ (100 points) on the project.

Note: Since it is beyond the scope of this class to provide significant video production support for this effort, in order to undertake this project you should either have experience with video production or a willingness to self-teach these skills, and access to the relevant equipment.

Submit a document with a link to the completed video and the short paper. The formatting and attribution requirements for the paper are the same as for Paper 1.

Rubric for Option 3

Element Description % of Grade
Video 75%
Topic How well does the video relate to topics of the class? 10%
Production Quality How high is the production quality of the video? Is it visually appealing? Can any dialogue be understood? Etc. 15%
Engagement How engaging is the video? Does it draw in the viewer? Is it entertaining to watch? Etc. 20%
Persuasiveness How persuasive is the video? Does it make a firm argument? Is the argument convincing? 20%
Discretionary Grader's discretion: how well does the project fulfill the goals of the course and the assignment? 10%
Views 1,000 views = 5pts; 10,000 views = 10pts; 100,000 views = 15pts; 1,000,000 views = A+; (maximum of 100 points on project) varies
Paper 25%
Thesis Are the points and argument understandable? 5%
Explanation Does the paper explain how the content supports the thesis? 10%
View Gathering Does the paper explain how the author gathered views of their video? What strategies did he/she use and how effective were they? 10%

Option 4

If you received a grade of B+ (77%) or higher on the first paper, you may choose Option 4.

Implement an online technical system that has the potential to create a significant social impact. For example, an ideal implementation would be to create an online mashup of open government data and a visualization. However, a broad range of other systems could be appropriate. Be sure to include the words “Made for CSC300” to demonstrate that the system was created explicitly for this class.

You will turn in both the completed system and a 300-500 word document describing your project. The document will briefly explain how the system operates, presents a thesis statement about how this system may have a social impact, and describes how the system’s operation supports the thesis. 75% of the grade will be based on the implementation, and 25% on the document. Please turn in a link to the system and the written document.

Note: Since it is beyond the scope of this class to provide significant technical support for this effort, in order to undertake this project you should either have experience the relevant technical skills, or be willing to self-teach these skills.

Submit a document with a link to the completed system and the short paper. The formatting and attribution requirements for the paper are the same as for Paper 1.

Rubric for Option 4

Element Description % of Grade
Implementation 75%
Topic How well does the video relate to topics of the class? 10%
Completeness Is the implementation online? Is it complete? Does the system work? 20%
Design How strong are the design aspects of the implementation? Is it aesthetically satisfying? Does it have good usability?. 15%
Impact Potential How significant is the project's potential for social impact? 20%
Discretionary Grader's discretion: how well does the project fulfill the goals of the course and the assignment? 10%
Paper 25%
Thesis Are the points and argument understandable? 5%
Explanation Does the paper explain how the content supports the thesis? 10%
Operation Does the paper explain how the system operates? 10%

Proposal

The purpose of the proposal is let us know what you plan to write about and for us to provide you with guidance. The proposal has three parts and should be approximately 300-500 words in length. The parts are:

  1. Topic- What option have you chosen? If relevant, what will be the topic of your video or implementation?
  2. Approach- Give a brief sketch of how you plan to complete your project
  3. Social Issue- What social issue will you be addressing?

Formatting

Use standard formatting – Times Roman font size 12 or Arial/Tahoma font size 10, 8.5x11" paper, 1” margins, double spaced.

Attribution

At the top of your paper, state your name, student number, teaching assistant, assignment name, and due date.