ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in information technology
Task 1: Discussion Board Forum 1
You are required to participate in an online Discussion Board Forum within MySCU.
You will be assigned to a “group” based upon your campus location (such as Gold Coast, Sydney, Enga and “Online”) for this task.
Details of the forum topic question will be presented in week 2 of Session.
The discussion topic issue will be about an aspect of information technology that has received recent news coverage.
Forum Guidelines
Contributions need to display an understanding of multiple perspectives regarding the issue under discussion. Specific positions are encouraged, and need to be argued based upon critical reasoning and utilise published materials (hard copy and/or electronic) from the media and academic literature.
Ideas and words used from other sources need appropriate Harvard referencing.
Assessment Criteria for Forum 1
This discussion forum is worth 10 marks for the unit.
The criteria used to assess the discussion forum are:
2 marks = Research
in media and academic literature and referencing
6 marks = Content and Analysis
demonstrating logic of argument
2 marks = Clarity
of structure, writing style and grammar.
Welcome ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in information technology Task 1: Discussion Board Forum 1 You are required to participate in an online Discussion Board Forum within MySCU. You will be assigned to a “group” based upon your campus location (such as Gold Coast, Sydney, Enga and “Online”) for this task. Details of the forum topic question will be presented in week 2 of Session. The discussion topic issue will be about an aspect of information technology that has received recent news coverage. Forum Guidelines Contributions need to display an understanding of multiple perspectives regarding the issue under discussion. Specific positions are encouraged, and need to be argued based upon critical reasoning and utilise published materials (hard copy and/or electronic) from the media and academic literature. Ideas and words used from other sources need appropriate Harvard referencing. Assessment Criteria for Forum 1 This discussion forum is worth 10 marks for the unit. The criteria used to assess the discussion forum are: 2 marks = Research in media and academic literature and referencing 6 marks = Content and Analysis demonstrating logic of argument 2 marks = Clarity of structure, writing style and grammar. ISY10212 Contemporary Issues: Discussion Board Forum 1 Page 1 | 1 Contemp Issues Lecture GC G. Cooper 2018 ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 Slide * ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 Critical Thinking & Fallacies of Argument Critical Reasoning Logical Arguments Some Common Fallacies of Arguments ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 * GC ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 Slide * References Tavani, Herman, T. (2013). Ethics and Technology; Controversies, Questions, and Strategies for Ethical Computing (fourth edition). John Wiley & Sons Inc. USA. Chapter 3: Critical Reasoning Skills for Evaluating Disputes in Cyberethics Other readings in critical thinking and logic: Halpern, D. F. (2003). Thought and Knowledge: An Introduction to Critical Thinking. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, New Jersey. particularly …Chapter 5, Analyzing Arguments, pp182 -230. There are also web based resources. For example: http://www.skepdic.com/ticriticalthinking.html (sighted 10 July 2018) ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 GC ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 Slide * Critical Reasoning & Logic Arguments Critical Reasoning …is a branch of informal logic. It aims at assisting us in evaluating the strength of arguments and in analysing (the truth or falsity of) claims.” Tavani, H. T. (2013, p75) Logical Arguments …refers to “ a reasoning form or structure, that attempts to establish the truth of one claim (called a conclusion) based upon the assumed truth of the evidence in other claims (called premises). Tavani, H. T. (2013, p76) So why include aspects of Critical Reasoning and Logical Arguments in this unit? ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 GC ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 Slide * Cyberethics – review from last week Cyberethics captures “the wide range of moral issues involving cybertechnology.” Tavani, H. T. (2013, p5) There ARE GOING TO BE situations where there is a level of “debate” (disagreement…arguments) about whether a new technical capability brings with it consequences that are desirable…or undesirable, for individuals and society…or a bit of both. Critical Reasoning is a tool set to help with this “debate” ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 GC ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 Slide * Morals – 4 Features – review from last week Four Features of Bernard Gert’s (2005) Moral System 1. The rules are known to all of the members 2. The rules are informal, not like formal laws in a legal system. 3. The system is based on principles of logical reason accessible to all its members 4. The system is not partial to any one group or individual. Critical reasoning is a tool to help with the application of “principles of logical reason”…. (Tavani, 2013, p38) ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 GC ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 Slide * Basic Structure of an Argument Given statement (s) of information (assumed to be true): Premise 1 Premise 2 .. .. Premise n Then Conclusion logically follows NOTE this is NOT the type of “argument” school children may of the form: “Yes you did….No I didn’t….Yes you did….No I didn’t” ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 GC ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 Slide * The Argument Sketch (Monty Python) Man: I came here for a good argument, Other: Ah, no you didn’t, you came here for an argument! M: An argument isn't just contradiction. O: Well! it CAN be! M: No it can't! M: An argument is a connected series of statements intended to establish a proposition. O: No it isn't! M: Yes it is! 'tisn't just contradiction. O: Look, if I *argue* with you, I must take up a contrary position! M: Yes but it isn't just saying 'no it isn't'. O: Yes it is! M: No it isn't! O: Yes it is! M: No it isn't! O: Yes it is! M: No it ISN'T! Argument is an intellectual process. Contradiction is just the automatic gainsaying of anything the other person says. O: It is NOT! M: It is! .............................................and so on........................ (from Monty Python, The Argument Sketch, http://www.montypython.net/scripts/argument.php, sighted 10 July 2018) ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 GC ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 Slide * Validity of an Argument An argument is valid if it follows that the conclusion must be true if all of the premises are true. Note that this DOES NOT MEAN that the premises ARE true…only that IF THEY are true…then it follows that the conclusion must also be true. IF Rain fell upwards from the ground towards the sky AND Rain consisted of natural spring water (or lemonade, beer, wine…anything you like) THEN People would often open their mouths wide and face the ground whenever it rained and they were thirsty. ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 GC ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 Slide * Validity of an Argument An argument is valid if it follows that the conclusion must be true if all of the premises are true. Note that this DOES NOT MEAN that the premises ARE true…only that IF THEY are true…then it follows that the conclusion must also be true. If it can be shown that there are ANY SITUATIONS where each of the premises are true and the conclusion is false THEN THE ARGUMENT IS INVALID. That is, a single counter example is sufficient to demonstrate the invalidity of an argument! This is a very important point! ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 GC ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 Slide * Validity verses Truth! Arguments, by definition, are either valid OR invalid …Based upon the logic Each of the premises of an argument, by definition, is either true or false. …based upon the facts Note that these are technical terms! Valid or Invalid is an attribute of logic. True or False is an attribute of fact. ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 GC ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 Slide * Testing an argument (and its premises)! MUST make the distinction between: The strength of reasoning of an argument – does it follow from the premises, and The truth of each premise - are each of the premises true based upon available evidence. If any of the premises can be shown to be false, then the argument is considered to be “unsound”. ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 GC ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 Critical Reasoning – an example Example. Nuclear Power Who here is an expert in nuclear fission and fusion, and can solve problems in quantum mechanics? ….no one (I think likely) Anyone here “concerned” about increasing usage in the world of Nuclear Power and the management of radioactive waste? ,,,,,at least one (I think likely) If so, why?/… If not, why not? To “justify” concerns…you ONLY NEED ONE EXAMPLE of instance(s) (in public domain) where something HAS BEEN demonstrated to be of concern (to not be safe). USA, Russia, Japan…have all had “incidents” in nuclear reactors You do NOT need to be an expert in nuclear physics to hold concerns based upon the available evidence! (Three Mile island, Chernobyl, Fukushima) Slide * ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 GC ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 Critical Reasoning – an example Nuclear Power…consider the following arguement. Economic development means that the demand for energy will continue to increase globally. Climate change is occurring, due in part to burning of fossil fuels Climate change will have an undesirable effect on life on Earth It is the responsibility of people on Earth to act as custodians of the environment for future generations …SO… the use of fossil fuels must be greatly reduced Nuclear energy is a cheap and safe source of energy production Nuclear waste byproducts are managed cheaply and safely Conclusion: Nuclear Power must be adopted to minimise the effect of climate change. This argument is being presented in the global political landscape. Is the argument VALID?/ Are each of the premises TRUE?. Slide * ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 GC ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 Syllogisms Def: Two or more premises are used to derive a valid conclusion. Each premise is usually presented in the following forms: All A are B Some A are B No A are B Some A are not B Deductive Logic rests on the use of: All Some None are, and are not Slide * ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 GC ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 Syllogisms Example All A are B All B are C All C are D Are all A D ? Slide * A B C D ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 GC ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic 2 Syllogisms Example All A are B Some B are C All C are D Are all A D ? Slide * So this is an example where DEDUCTIVE LOGIC breaks down….there are examples where Conclusion is true. …AND OTHER examples where conclusion is false. The argument is Invalid! A B C D A B ISY10212: Contemporary Issues in MM & IT Topic