Module 3 - Time Management Tips, Ethic Frameworks, and Code of Integrity

Last week, I received great feedback from my team members on my Industry Analysis Essay. It's always nice to have someone review my writing and provide comments, which helps me improve my writing skills.

Here are some topics I learned this week:"

Part 1: Time Management - Concentration Tips

As I mentioned in my last post, concentration is always challenging for me. I often get distracted, especially when I cannot understand the topic. From the website "AcademicTips.org" (https://www.academictips.org/acad/index.html), I found a couple of great tips to improve my concentration.

Tip 1 - "Before lectures, look over the notes of the previous lecture and read the course material pertaining to the lecture so that you can anticipate the main ideas that the instructor will cover."

This is a great idea for me since I often get distracted when the topic is unclear and too complex. I should go over the list of modules first to get an overview of the week’s topic and make an assumption about what they are going to discuss. It would help me avoid getting lost during the lecture.

Tip 2 - "Avoid daydreaming by asking yourself questions about the material as you study it"

This is another good one. Asking myself questions helps me retain what I learned from the lecture. When I read the textbook or watch lecture videos, I feel like I understand it at the time, but in the end, I realize I don’t remember many important parts.

Part 2: This Week's Recap

We are starting to cover topics about ethics. As technology becomes more advanced and efficient, ethical conflicts are also increasing. We will be writing an Ethical Argument Essay in the coming weeks. Before diving into that, we covered some ethical frameworks in this week’s lecture.

• Ethical Relativism - A broad framework, there are no universal standards of right and wrong.
• Cultural Relativism - Ethical relativism that shapes moral based on cultural norm and practices.
• Individual Relativism - Ethical relativism that shapes moral based on personal beliefs (e.g. philosophical debates)
  
  
• Utilitarianism - The morality of an action is judged by its outcomes, specifically by whether it brings good or bad effects to the people involved. (commonly used in policy and economics)
  
  
• Care Ethics - The morality of an action is based on interpersonal relationships and emphasizing the importance of care for those close to us.
  
  
• Divine Command Theory -The morality of an action is determined by whether it aligns with God’s will.
  
  
• Natural Law Theory - Right or justice that is believed to come from human nature, rather than being based on laws made by society (e.g. moral philosophy and religious context)
  
  
• Kant’s Ethics - Morality is based on rationality, and actions are considered right if they can be consistently applied by everyone without contradiction.
  
  
• Virtue Ethics - Morally right actions come from having good character traits like courage, wisdom, and truthfulness, which help in making the right choices in difficult situations.

It was a little tricky when I first saw this list, but it's important to understand these in order to grasp different perspectives and how ethical frameworks help guide the decision-making process.

Part 3: What Every Computer Science Major Should Know

Many computer science majors aim to become software engineers or enter related fields after graduation. Computer Science is a broad field that includes coding, mathematical reasoning, and foundational system knowledge.

The article, "What every computer science major should know" (https://matt.might.net/articles/what-cs-majors-should-know/) highlights essential topics that CS students should master, such as:

• Building a solid portfolio
• Developing technical communication skills to explain complex concepts to non-technical audiences
• Gaining proficiency in Unix systems
• Acquiring system administration skills
• Learning multiple programming languages
• Mastering discrete mathematics, data structures, and algorithms
• Understanding operating systems, security, and software testing

• Exploring user experience (UX) design

As technology continues to evolve rapidly, new skills will likely be added to this list over the next five years. However, many of these core skills will remain fundamental to success in the field.

Part 4: Code of Integrity

Why is integrity important?

The Code of Integrity is important because it encourages students to create original work and avoid plagiarism. Maintaining integrity ensures that students fully understand the concepts and develop problem-solving skills using their own ideas. Although creating original work can be challenging, it is the best way to learn, grow, and find unique solutions to problems. By following the same rules, all students in the program can benefit from a fair learning environment where their work is evaluated properly.