Summer 2025 - CMPT 376W D100
Professional Responsibility and Technical Writing (3)
Class Number: 3820
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
May 12 – Aug 8, 2025: Fri, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Felix Lo
lofelixl@sfu.ca
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Prerequisites:
CMPT 105W and (CMPT 275 or CMPT 276), with a minimum grade of C-.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
Covers professional writing in computing science, including format conventions and technical reports. The basis for ethical decision-making and the methodology for reaching ethical decisions concerning computing matters will be studied. Students will survey and write research papers, and both individual and group work will be emphasized. Writing.
COURSE DETAILS:
Covers professional writing in computing science, including format conventions and technical reports. The basis for ethical decision-making and the methodology for reaching ethical decisions concerning computing matters will be studied. Writing as a means to understand and reason about complex issues will be emphasized. This is a W course.
Topics
- Overview of ethical theories
- Intellectual property
- Freedom of speech online
- Privacy
- The digital divide
- Professional responsibility and professional codes of ethics
- Computers and crime
- Computers and the business world
- Computers and the government
- Writing formal papers: research skills, forming a thesis, acknowledging sources
- Revision strategies: sentence order, passive/active voice, connection, clarity, conciseness
- Practical documentation strategies (e.g., API documentation, bug reports)
Grading
NOTES:
Written Assignments (short and long), Participation and Group work (debates and other), Exams. A more detailed marking scheme will be provided in the first week of classes.
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
ISBN: 9780135163757
Ethics for the Information Age, 9th Edition (eText Instant Access), Michael J. Quinn, Pearson, 2024, 9780138238759
REQUIRED READING NOTES:
Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.
To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit:
- SFU’s Academic Integrity Policy: S10-01 Policy
- SFU’s Academic Integrity website, which includes helpful videos and tips in plain language: Academic Integrity at SFU
RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION
Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.