CICS 305

Social Issues in Computing

CICS 305 satisfies the Junior Year Writing (JYW) requirement for CS and Informatics Majors at UMass. This class satisfies the Junior Year Writing requirement by providing instruction in several different technical communication genres, research writing, and academic writing. Writing opportunities will take many forms, including writing for electronic environments, collaborative writing, and public writing. Through our writing, we will carefully analyze texts representing a range of disciplinary perspectives, levels of technological adoption (or adaptation), and civic engagement. Overall, this analysis will explore various impacts of computers on modern society.

Demonstrate awareness of audience.
Practice using the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, and editing).
Meet expectations of convention and genre relevant to the computer and information sciences.
Construct credibility through evidence and language choices.
Use writing to demonstrate understanding of, and to address, social and ethical issues in computing.
Evaluate, incorporate, and reference information in ways that demonstrate attention to accuracy and integrity.

As a JYW course, CICS 305 has been certified to uphold specific characteristics by the Unviersity Writing Committee. Some of those characteristics include: disciplinary focus, peer review, written feedback from the professor, frequent writing assignments resulting in 20-25 pages of polished text, specific instruction in information literacy methods/tools, and exposure to the written aspects of career preparation. As an upper-level writing course, CICS 305 teaches English grammar rhetorically and contextually on an individual basis when needed as its prescribed focus is on higher order rhetorical concerns such as pupose and audience. As a result, writing instruction, practice, and feedback will reflect attention to audience, purpose, and a precise, concise style of writing that is valued within the computer science field.

Writing projects overview (updated for AY 25-26)

In the short Jobs Unit, students learn how to do a close reading of job ads in order to practice tailoring a cover letter and resume for a specific job. The Data Storytelling unit has two deliverables: one for an internal audience that is an annotated 'notebook' where students intersperse R code with text that provides an explanation for their analysis at various stages; the second deliverable is a report for a public entity, such as a City Council, based on that analysis. In the Research and Synthesis unit, students produce a research proposal and a synthesized research report similar to a white paper. In the final unit, students make an argument asking for change from an appropriate decision-maker. The course concludes with a reflection assignment in lieu of a final exam.