cs485 Task Summaries Spring 2025

WHO AM I? (20 points) (Due: Tuesday 1/14)

A Word document named “LastnameFirstname.doc” (A pdf file is also acceptable) is to be emailed to the instructor by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday 1/14 (20 points). In the upper left corner, the first two lines of the document must be:

Line 1 : WHO AM I

Line 2 : Lastname, Firstname.

The Document should tell something about yourself:

1. a brief history of you (where are you from, growing up, why IIT, etc)

2. when you will graduate

3. are you going to grad school

4. what kind of work do you want to do

5. what makes you happy and/or successful

6. what are you hoping to get from this course

7. etc.

TEAM POWERPOINT PRESENTATION: (25 points) (PowerPoint Due: Monday 1/27; Individual Comments Friday 1/31)

Each team will create a 10 minute PowerPoint presentation (topic to be assigned from the list at the end of this document). Each presentation will answer the five questions below.

1) What is the history/background of the topic? (2 pts)

2) What are the problems of society caused by or associated with this topic? (4 pts)

3) What are the possible solutions to these problems? (4 pts)

4) What will change in future years? (4 pts)

5) What research sources were used? (1 pt)

In addition, points will be assigned for slide clarity, accuracy, and innovation (10 pts).

The PowerPoint presentation should be very complete and demonstrate that the topic has been thoroughly researched and carefully analyzed.  The Team PowerPoint slides should be emailed to the instructor and everyone in the class by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, 1/27.

Each student should review the other Teams’ PowerPoint Slides and email their positive comments (positive comments only, please) to the instructor and the members of those teams by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, 1/31. Up to 2.5 points (10%) will be deducted from a student’s grade if comments are not on time and complete.

SCENARIO DISCUSSION: (40 POINTS)

Each team will discuss the Scenario assigned to them. Teams should come up with five (5) provocative questions regarding the important factors elicited by the scenario.

Once the questions are agreed upon, each Team should then answer those questions. The answers need not be definitive, and may well include further questions. The answers to the original questions should serve to inform the reader to the issues relevant to the scenario.

Each team will then lead a 10 minute discussion on the scenario using their questions as a guide.  The Team leading the discussion should read the scenario out loud, and then pose the questions and facilitate the discussion.  The Team leading the discussion should not sway the discussion in any direction, in particular, the discussion in the class need not be the same as the discussion (and answers) the Team itself came up with.  The Team leading the discussion can however, pose their question(s) after further clarifying them, or adding additional information to them (for example, “Ok, let’s say that the person *did* have prior knowledge to this event, then…?”).

Questions and answers should be emailed to the instructor by each due date.

BOOK REPORT I: (25 POINTS) (Due: Choice 1/31; Report 2/12)

The first book report must be on a “Science Fiction Book”.  Sign up for your book by emailing your name, book title, date of publication, and author to the instructor. All books must be chosen before 11:59 p.m. on Friday 1/31. Up to 2.5 points (10%) will be deducted from a student’s score for late Book Choice submission.

The report, a single spaced Word (or pdf) document, and must contain the following:

1) Who is the author? background, other works, etc. (1/2 page, 3 pts),

2) What is the main plot and characters in the book? Summary (1 to 2 pages, 3 pts).

3) How is the Society in the book different from present day Society? (1 to 2 pages, 3 pts)

4) How is the Society in the book similar to present day Society? (1 to 2 pages, 3 pts)

5) What was the main point(s)/theme(s) of the book? (1 to 2 pages, 3 pts)

An additional 10 points will be awarded for grammar, clarity, provocativeness, etc.

The report is a Word document named “LastnameFirstnameBookreportI.doc” (a pdf is also acceptable) is to be emailed to the instructor by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday 2/12. In the upper left corner:

Line 1: BOOK REPORT I

Line 2: Lastname, Firstname

Line 3: BOOK TITLE

Line 4: AUTHOR

Line 5: FIRST DATE OF PUBLICATION.

HISTORY OF COMPUTERS: (70 points: 35 points each)

Each team is assigned two Eras. Each team will prepare two, 15 minute PowerPoint presentations (one for each Era assigned). PowerPoint presentations will be on the history of computing during the assigned Era. A PowerPoint presentation should have no more than six lines on a slide and no more than six words on a line. Opening slide will have team number and Era. Email your PowerPoint Slides named “TeamNumberAssignedEra.ppt” (e.g. “Team3 1960 to 1969.ppt”) to the instructor and the rest of the students in the course by 11:59 p.m. on the Due Date.

Topics that are to be included in both the PowerPoint presentations (All five topics must be covered):

1) Important people (6 pts)

2) Hardware and software development (6 pts)

3) Technology of the Era (i.e., how the software and hardware were used) (6 pts)

4) Impact on Society (6 pts)

5) Research sources used (1 pts)

For the Future Decades presentation, the Team can follow the topics above to the best of their ability (and imagination).

In addition, points will be assigned for slide clarity, accuracy, and innovation (10 pts).

Each student should review the other Teams’ PowerPoint Slides and email their positive comments to the instructor and the members of those teams by the Friday after the slides arrive. Up to 7 points (10%) will be deducted from a student’s grade if comments are not on time and complete.

BOOK REPORT II: (25 Points) (Due Friday 3/14)

The second book report is to be a science fiction story you have written, using your assigned topic as the first line of the story. (General Length: 3 to 10 pages…this is not a hard maximum).

The story is a Word document named “LastnameFirstnameBookreport2.doc (a pdf is also acceptable)  is to be emailed to the instructor by 11:59 p.m. Friday 3/14. In the upper left corner:

Line 1: BOOK REPORT II

Line 2: <Lastname, Firstname>

Line 3: <STORY TITLE>

Line 4: Computers and <TOPIC >

The opening sentence of your story will be:

“The impact on society becomes very visible upon the examination of computers and  <topic>”

Have FUN!!!

INDIVIDUAL POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS: (25 points) (Due: 3/31)

Each student will create an individual PowerPoint presentation (topic to be assigned from the list at the end of this document). Presentations should be created to support a 15 minute presentation, even though the student will nto actually present the presentation this term.  Each presentation will answer the five questions below.

1) What is the history/background of the topic? (2 pts)

2) What are the problems of society caused by or associated with this topic? (4 pts)

3) What are the possible solutions to these problems? (4 pts)

4) Will the problems change in future years? (4 pts)

5) What research sources were used? (1 pt)

In addition, points will be assigned for slide clarity, accuracy, and innovation (10 pts).

The PowerPoint presentation should be very complete and demonstrate that the topic has been thoroughly researched and carefully analyzed.  The Individual PowerPoint slides should be emailed to the instructor by 11:59 p.m. on 3/31.

UNIT ARTICLE DISCUSSIONS: (100 POINTS)

Each team has been assigned articles in the text. The team will lead a 10 minute discussion about the articles assigned. Teams will come up with at least 5 provocative questions for each assigned article to ask the class.  Questions for each article should be emailed to the instructor by each discussion date.

The dates of the discussions are listed below.  All students are to have read the articles before class. (50 points each).

FINAL PAPER: (30 points) (Due: Outline 3/28; Paper 4/14)

The research paper (3-8 pages) will be prepared to be published. The theme of the paper is your assigned topic.  Paper will be prepared following the format in the handout (Preparation of Papers in Two Column Format). A detailed outline of the final paper will be emailed to the instructor by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, 3/28. The research paper is a document named “LastnameFirstnameFinalPaper.doc” (a pdf is also acceptable)  is to be emailed to the instructor by 11:59 p.m. Monday 4/14.

The paper must answer the following questions as sections of the paper.

1) What is the background/history of the topic? (4pts)

2) What has changed in society because of this topic? (4pts)

3) Has this change been good or bad for society? (4pts)

4) How will this topic look 10 years from now? (4pts)

5) What problems do you think will arise? (4pts)

6) What sources were used? (2pts)

In addition, points will be assigned for clarity, accuracy, and innovation (8 pts).

EXAMS: (40 points) -

Both exams will be two essay questions regarding information covered in class.

Both exams will be one hour in length.