The John Marshall Law School
Center for Information Technology & Privacy Law

IT 880/Current Topics in Information Technology Law:
Internet Policy Issues in Education

Professor David E. Sorkin
Spring Semester 1999

Syllabus

This course addresses Internet-related policy issues in primary, secondary, and higher education, including Internet filtering, web publishing policies, e-mail privacy, computer crime, online harassment, and other related matters. The course meets on Saturday and Sunday, February 20 and 21, 1999, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on each day. Information concerning the course is posted on the web at http://www.sork.com/edpolicy/.

Students are expected to complete the reading assignments before the first class meeting. The first day's session will consist of a lecture and discussion of the substantive course topics, based primarily upon the assigned readings. At the beginning of the second day's session, class assignments will be distributed. Each assignment will be a project to be completed by a small group of students. The groups will meet individually for the first half of the session. During the second half of the session, each group will present an oral report to the entire class on its project, soliciting input and discussion from others in the class. Each group will then have two weeks to prepare and submit a written report on its project. The length of the report will vary, depending on the project and the size of the group. If the project involves drafting a statute, policy, or similar document, the report should also include a commentary or explanation. Citations to legal and other authorities should be included where appropriate.

Written reports are due on Monday, March 15. Grades assigned for the course will be based upon the instructor's evaluation of written reports (50%), in-class reports (30%), and class participation (20%). Groups or individual students may, if they wish, submit a statement describing the contributions of each member of a group. Attendance at both days' sessions is required in order to receive credit for the course.

posted 1999/01/15