There is certainly enough material on each topic to spend the whole week (Mon & Wed). I would suggest you read your sections very thoroughly and see how well the materials integrate. You may wish to present ideas in a different order than our authors handle the material. There is also no need to discuss everything that is presented in the texts. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Concentrate first on the introductory material, background, history, definitions of terms on your first day to set the stage. This helps make sure that everyone has the same understanding before we go too far.
• You can spend some time asking questions about the scenarios in the Johnson book, they help draw out many of the issues you'll be discussing.
• Dig into the deeper issues - depending on the scenario and intro discussion. Look for news articles and current events (some sources are here) that are relevent to your topic that might enhance your presentation. Movie clips, commercials, journal articles, personal experiences all make great sources that will spark lively discussions.
• Put together a series of 5-10 questions that you can use to help guide your class discussion. You may use power point if that will help with your organization.
• Send me your questions and presentation materials at least one class ahead of time and I'll post them on the web page for everyone to read. This will help guide the others in class as they read to prepare for your discussion. If you want, I'll give you some feedback or guidance on your questions. Of course, I may still have my own set of questions to mix in with yours.

It will be your job to lead the discussion, ask thought provoking questions, etc. The interaction you are able to generate will be a major part of your presentation evaluation.

How I will evaluate the quality your presentation:

1. Organization of materials from texts. Your ability to integrate and order your presentation materials according to some clear and logical methodology. There is a great deal of material in the two books. I do not expect you to attempt to lead the class on a discussion of every single detail in the texts- we simply don't have the amount of time requried to do this. So, focus the materials according to some principle or theme that provides good topic integration and flow. At least one class day before your presentation, e-mail me copies of your notes, powerpoint slides, links to articles or web sites, or other materials that you will use during your presentation. I will post everything except your notes (Members of the class are responsible for taking their own notes!) to the web page for your topic, thus creating a list of resources for each topic.
2. Use of external sources that help demonstrate principles and main ideas. Your integration of other outside sources of materials relevant to your topic. These may be current events news stories that fit your topic and help illustrate specific points that you wish to make or that help generate class discussion. I have provided many links to IS related news publications for you to use.Other appropriate sources include short clips from movies (movie clips are great, but they should be limited to 5-10 minutes) that may help to illustrate various concepts. In the past, one group successfully implemented a role-playing scenario that involved everyone in the class, while another group came up with a creative reward for everyone who participated in answering their questions. Use you imagination!
3. Integrate of philosophical ethics. During the first two week of class we explored a host of philosophical, ethical, and decision making frameworks. These frameworks apply to different topics in different (and sometimes conflicting) manners. While this applies to each topic to a different extent, I want your discussion to reference these frameworks in a manner that helps us to explore specific situations, scenarios, and other events.
4. Generate class discussion. While you are leading the discussion on your topic, you should pose thought provoking questions to the class that generate an interactive discussion of the issues involved. You should focus on specific questions such as "Why should software be considered property? What are arguments for and against owning software?" rather than "What do you think about owning software?" Presenting materials in a way that also facilitates discussion is a difficulty task that improves with practice. Be creative here as there are many ways that this can be achieved.
5. There are certainly other items that can be included in your presentation and discussion of the materials. This list should be viewed as a starting point. Use your imagination...

Yes, it's a lot of responsibility...

...but nothing compared to the responsibilities each of you will have on your first job after graduation… You will be expected to give presentations, lead discussions, and think critically about situations you run into on a very frequent basis. Think of it as professional development to accompany your education about Living in the Information Age.

I have also been known to give pop quizes when it appears to me that you are not keeping up with your readings. If we have a lively discussion each week that demonstrates understanding of the material, it is likely that you will never see a quiz during the semester. However, I am not impressed when conversations lag, or when people are not able to answer questions! When they occur, these quizes usually count for a significant portion of your individual participation grade...