Instructions:  There are three (3) topic areas listed below that are designed to measure your knowledge level specific to learning outcome (LO 5) shown in your course syllabus.  You must respond to #2 and select any other one of these topic areas providing appropriate responses in essay form.  In most cases the topic area has several components. Each must be addressed to properly satisfy requirements.

 

State-wide and in most professional industries, there has been a mandate that college students be more proficient in their writing. While this is not a writing class, all writing assignments will be graded for grammar, syntax and typographical correctness to help address this mandate.

 

Pay attention to what you are being asked to do (see Grading Rubric below). For example, to describe does not mean to list, but to tell about or illustrate in more than two or three sentences, providing appropriate arguments for your responses using theories discussed in our text.  Be sure to address all parts of the topic question as most have multiple parts. A verifiable current event (less than 4 years old) relevant to at least one of the topics you respond to is a fundamental component of your quiz as well.  You cannot use information from the text book or any book/article by the author of the text book as a current event.  Make sure that your reference has a date of publication.  For each chapter quiz and final quiz you are required to find and include at least one reference and reference citation to a current event less than 4 years old (a reference with no date (n.d.) is not acceptable) in answer to at least one question.  This requires a reference citation in the text of your answer and a reference at the end of the question to which the reference applies.  You must include some information obtained from the reference in your answer.  The references must be found on the internet and you must include a URL in your reference so that the reference can be verified. 

 

You should type your responses directly under the appropriate question.  Be sure to include your name on your quiz.  Only the first two (2) questions with an answer will be graded.   Include your name in the document filename (see rubric below for example). Your completed quiz must be uploaded into the appropriate eCollege Dropbox, no later than 11:59pm on the due date.  Do well.

 

1. Consumer surveys have suggested that many Internet users are concerned about losing bits of their privacy when they are engaged in online activities.  In fact, many Internet users identify privacy as their number one concern, ahead of concerns about ease of use, security, cost, spam, and so forth. (a) Do only individuals who elect to use the Internet have reason to be concerned about losing their privacy? (b) Should those who have never even used a computer also worry? (c) Lastly, are issues of privacy a major concern in Canada (you must provide an appropriate reference that supports your answer to this question, i.e., url, news article, etc.)? Please elaborate (beyond a yes or no answer) and provide your “theoretical” rationale in support of your responses. (knowledge)
2. In the days and weeks immediately following the tragic events of September 11, 2001, some political leaders claimed that “extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures”; in times of war, basic civil liberties and freedoms, such as privacy, need to be severely restricted for the sake of national security and safety. Perhaps, as a nation, the value that we have traditionally attached to privacy has diminished significantly since then. Consider that the majority of American citizens strongly supported the USA (United and Strengthening America) PATRIOT (Provide Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism) Act, which passed by an overwhelming margin in both houses of Congress and was enacted into law on October 21, 2001. Privacy advocates have since expressed their concerns about this act, noting that it might have gone too far in eroding basic civil liberties. Some critics also fear that certain provisions included in the act could easily be abused; for example, those in power could use those provisions to achieve controversial political ends under the convenient guise of national defense. Examine some of the details of USA PATRIOT Act (go to http://www.epic.org/privacy/terrorism/hr3162.html). (a) Determine whether its measures are as extreme as its critics suggest. (b) Are those measures consistent with the value of privacy, which Americans claim to embrace? (c) Do privacy interests need to be reassessed, and possibly recalibrated, in light of recent attacks by and ongoing threats from terrorists? (d) What similar acts or laws exist in the United Kingdom? Please elaborate (beyond a yes or no answer) and provide your “theoretical” rationale in support of your responses. (comprehension)
3. Through the use of currently available online tools and search facilities, ordinary users can easily acquire personal information about others. In fact, anyone who has Internet access can, via a search engine such as Google, find information about us that we ourselves might have had no idea is publicly available there.  (a) Is it true that individual privacy is threatened by the use of search engines? (b) Give some examples how that might occur.  (c)  Do individuals/hackers from anywhere on the globe access personal information of citizens of other countries?  (d)  Give some examples illustrating that has occurred.  (be specific and provide support for your answer)  Please elaborate (beyond a yes or no answer) and provide your “theoretical” rationale in support of your responses. (comprehension)

 

Grading Rubric for Quizzes

 

Grading criterion                                                                                          Unit Points           Total Points

 

Uploaded to correct Dropbox                                                                            2                            2

 

Submitted on time                                                                                            15                          15

 

Document Filename:

 

Your Last Name,first and middle initial with correct quiz number                   5                            5

 

(Example only: Creider_RD_q1)

 

Rationally expressed opinions, experiences (personal or observed),                  8

 

arguments and premises (where appropriate) to support responses

 

(did not simply restate/summarize author/textbook

 

Clearly presented classical ethics theories relative to topic                                8

 

Included ‘URL’ for appropriate verifiable current event                                 12                          28

 

(i.e., example of topic being discussed WITH EXPLANATION)

 

 NOTE: Must be less than 4 years old

 

Grammatically correct and appropriate tone                                10

 

(professional, non offensive language)

 

Typographically correct                                                               10                     20

 

Included full citations as needed                                                    3

 

Used correct APA format                                                               7                     10

 

Addressed each item within selected topic area                           20                     20

 

Maximum grade                                                                         100                   100