CS 350: Midterm Exam Essay Questions

Midterm Exam Essay Questions

The final exam will consist of two take-home essay questions related to the World Wide Web and society.

This is a take-home individual exam to be done alone. Avoid discussing your answers or sharing notes with your classmates or friends. Spend some time researching and thinking through the issues and developing your own ideas and opinions.

To avoid any possible appearance of collaboration, please direct questions for clarification to me, your instructor, by E-mail. With e-mail, I can be careful and clear in my responses and share the information (through email) with the entire class so no one person is given an advantageous position. You should check your campus email regularly to receive any updates on question wording or clarification.

Question 1

Do some research on HTML 5.

Imagine you are a web developer working for an innovative e-commerce company. Write a well-reasoned essay directed to your company's marketing director summarizing the arguments for and against moving your website to HTML 5.

In your own words, briefly summarize the changes proposed with HTML 5 (in non-technical terms that your marketing director can understand)
Explain the advantages HTML 5 will bring to your company's website
Explain possible disadvantages of moving to HTML 5 within the company
End up with a persuasive argument advising for or against moving the company website to HTML 5 at this time

Question 2

According to most polls, academic dishonesty (cheating) is prevalent on college campuses.

Do some research on college cheating in the age of the World Wide Web. Write a well-reasoned essay

Summarizing the current situation regarding academic dishonesty on college campuses
Explain ways that the Internet has changed the opportunities for cheating
Provide your opinions on the ways academic dishonesty via the Web can be mitigated and/or avoided on college campuses

Grading Procedure

Two essay questions, 20 points per question (40 total points possible)
Keep each answer to one-page maximum in length. Use a second page for references
Carefully cite and include references to your sources of information
- To cite sources for your information in the text, enclose citation numbers in brackets [x] that refer to the articles, books, and web sites listed on the reference page
- Use the Communications of the ACM format for references - that is, a numbered list at the end of the article, ordered alphabetically by first author, and referenced by numbers in brackets [1]
  - See the examples of references at the bottom of this page
- The quality of your references cited is important and factored into your score
English grammar, spelling, and style are important and factored into your score.
- If you need to, you may use the CWU Writing Center to help with English writing skills. Do not use another classmate to help with proof-reading.

Submission Procedure

Answers to both essay questions are due at the start of class on Friday, October 30.
Neatly print out your answers. Each answer should consist of two pages: the essay answer as page 1 followed by your references as page 2.
Prepare a cover sheet with your name and sign the following honor pledge:
I pledge that these are my own ideas and answers to the final exam essay questions.
Staple all five sheets together in the following order:
1. Cover sheet with honor pledge
2. Answer to question 1
3. References for question 1
4. Answer to question 2
5. References for question 2

Suggestions for writing essay exams

Take notes, jot down ideas, and outline your answer on a separate sheet before writing your essay answer.
Begin your paragraphs with strong, declarative topic sentences that lay out the direction of your paragraph.
- Do not begin your paragraphs with wishy-washy cliches that do not directly address the question being asked.
The questions were designed to have no correct right or wrong answer. Rather, they ask you to reflect on the issue and advocate a position.
- Use your own thoughts and ideas; do not simply regurgitate facts or someone else's ideas.

Example of the Formatting of your References

[1] American Computer Security Institute. 2002 Computer Crime and Security Survey, Available at http://www.gocsi.com/press/20020407.html, report released April 7, 2002.
[2] Brandon, R.E. Social impacts of computing: Codes of professional ethics. Social Science Computing Review, 2 (Winter 2002), 453-469.
[3] Conger., S., and Loch, K.D. (eds.). Ethics and computer use. Communications of the ACM 38, 12 (entire issue).
[4] Schwartz, M., and Task Force on Bias-Free Language. Guidelines for Bias-Free Writing. Indiana University Press, Bloomington IN, 1995.