CST300 - Week 3

Lecture: Week 3 Learning Journal Post

Another great week as my learning journey continues. The topic of ethics in the technology field and explore the computer science major curriculum. So far, I am finishing all my assignments on time, but everything is moving so fast. This week is my third in the program, and it is amazing to see faculty, administration, and instructors working to support students.
The assigned activities are highly interactive and engaging, making the learning process very effective. I remind myself that every minute counts toward taking a positive step toward gaining knowledge and learning something new.

Part 1

My quiet place to study is my home office. I can lock my door while working on my assignments or during video conference calls. I have enough office supplies, a printer, a comfortable chair, and a small sofa with a reading light. It is my distraction-free zone to focus that allows me to pay attention to my study.
In my previous blog, it was mentioned that I could take longer time to complete an assignment or study a lecture. Reviewing the tips for effective study shows that I can improve by knowing my learning type. I am definitely not a haptic learner at all; I am more of a visual learner. I do learn more by taking notes, typing my thoughts, summarizing material, solving problems, and doing hands-on programming. The SQ3R is a great method and an effective way to study. I did notice that effectiveness here does not mean saving time but rather studying properly to retain information. While reading the section Skimming Tips, I got an idea to enhance my notes for easier skim through techniques. This will include color coded VIP notes, underline statement, highlighting, and a better use of headings.

Part 2

• What every computer science major should know

In this informative article, the focus is on what a student majoring in computer science should know. The idea of building a portfolio is much more effective than a resume. I am looking into doing this so for the next two years, I can publish my projects on github.

The article is loaded with many tools that I still need to explore. One of these tools is LaTeX, a document preparation tool for scientific and mathematic papers. I have downloaded the tool and watched two YouTube videos to understand how it works. The article also touches on the need for students to understand computer architecture, networking, operating systems, data structure, algorithms, and the theory of computational. The author listed several recommended programming languages that cover various paradigms. The recommendation is to learn more than one language and at least one compiler. The author is advising students to learn the following items while in school: -

•  Get familiar with CL, Unix, and editing files with emac, vim
•  Learn how to evaluate and read large codebases.
•  Work with debugging tools
•  Utilize theorem prover – mathematical logic tools
•  Read more about security engineering
•  Explorer the world of Cryptography - Understanding   Cryptography: A Textbook for Students and Practitioners - here
•  Web Design with CSS, HTML, and JavaScript
•  3D, Graphic and clever designs
•  Grasp the fundamentals of AI and Machine Learning

 

Part 3

• Introduction to Ethics

In module 3, the writing lab, we are learning about ethics. According to the lecture materials, ethics encompasses doing what is right within the standard to benefit society. There are different ethical frameworks, such as ethical relativism, utilitarianism, care ethics, ethical egoism, divine command theory, natural law theory, Kant’s ethics, and virtue ethics. Understanding ethical concepts helps when approaching a problem in the technology field. There are several issues related to computer science in this video

    Examples of Ethical and Social topics and views from stakeholders.

o Technology and Environment: how does manufacturing electronics and waste management impact our environment?

o Erosion of Privacy: opinions on government practices of forcing citizens to share information to identity theft, and information collected about citizens helps with national security.

o The Digital Divide: disadvantages caused by the disparity of communication availability from one area to another.

o Mobile Technology: work flexibility, work-life balance, and data security concerns related to mobile devices.

o Social Media: Opinions about sharing knowledge, platforms serve as enterprise solutions, cyberbullying, and the risk of sharing customer experiences online.

o Health Issues: Health problems caused by excessive computer use.

o Changing Cultures: The benefits of blogging, privacy, criminals caught on video, and capturing life experiences and sharing them with others.

o The Law: Major laws that protect data, access to private and public networks, ideas and intellectual property, licensing, and the Freedom of Information Act.

• School of Computing & Design Policies and Student Support

The document highlights the academic enrollment and grades, communication, and primary student resource policies for the School of Computing & Design. It communicates important details about academic integrity with clear outlines of possible personal choices to avoid at CSUMB. On the last page, the document provides students with resources to help them achieve their educational goals.

• OLI Learning – Module 3

In this module, I learned about identifying work and conflict styles. The self-assessment points to the collaboration preferences and how they relate to our contribution to the team. For example, knowing the type of processor for each team member helps understand how to make participation equal among the team to improve the team performance.

 o Work styles are divided into four groups: Get it Right – task-oriented, Get it Done –                  task-oriented, Get Along – people-oriented, and Get Appreciation – people-oriented.

o Conflict styles are avoiding, forcing, accommodating, compromising, and collaborating.

In conclusion, identifying each member's collaboration preference contributes to the team's success.

 

Part 4

• CSUMB CS Online Code of Integrity

I learned that the Code of Integrity at CSUMB tells us three rules as follows.

o Rule 1: I should not submit any programming assignments with a code that is not mine. In the case of the assignment stating to use an existing code, the source URL for the code must be listed.

o Rule 2: I should not share my code or algorithm details about my solution with others, and I should not ask others for their code.

o Rule 3: When receiving assistance, help, or advice from someone other than a TA or faculty member, I must include a proper citation.

 There are many reasons that make integrity an essential element of the learning process. First, violating this principle diminishes the main objective of obtaining education and knowledge that lasts a lifetime. Academic dishonesty results in incompetence and a lack of qualified individuals. Additionally, academic dishonesty undermines the hard work and dedication of students who participate in the CS Online program. Ultimately, integrity is an ethical issue that reflects an individual's moral principles and commitment to serving society and striving for something greater.