CS492/692 - Summer 2019 --- Role Playing Exercises

Please read the RPE requirements first.

We are trying something new this term. Traditionally, we have defined nine RPEs and set up a definite schedule with specific RPEs on specific dates. Each student indicates which RPEs and which side of each of these RPEs he or she prefers, with full knowledge of the dates ahead of time. However, occasionally, an RPE that we schedule turns out to be unpopular. After all, students and profs think differently! So this time, we are going to offer 13 possible RPEs. We will actually schedule only 9 RPEs, leaving 4 unscheduled. You will indicate the ones you want as before. Thus, we will learn which ones you like and which ones you don't like. We will endeavor to give everyone an RPE that he or she has expressed some preference for, but cannot guarantee that this will happen, because it is possible that for some RPEs, there are not enough people who like it to make the two teams. In this case, we will have to assign people into RPEs that they did not indicate any preference for. The order that the RPEs will be scheduled is the order in which we find enough people to make the two teams for the RPEs. Since this is the first time we are trying this greater flexibility, we do not know in advance exactly how it will go and cannot describe the process in any more detail than what is done here.

No matter what, NO item in the schedule is confirmed until it is marked confirmed.

Each student in the class will be assigned to one of two teams in 9 of the 13 possible RPEs, RPE1 -- RPE13. Each RPE team consists of two or three students, preferrably two. The timeslot for each RPE will be determined as we see who wants what. At any time, you may see the state of the current assignments to RPEs. Every student in the class will be assigned to an RPE team by May 23, the date of the first RPE. Of course, the people who do the first RPE will know before May 16, probably by May 10, and they will be marked easier than those who do the other RPEs with greater notice. In all probabilty, the first RPE will be the most popular, the one that gets filled first.

Please send email indicating your preferences to Ben Armstrong ben.armstrong [AT] uwaterloo [DOT] ca by May 16. NOTE: Requests received before May 7 at 8:30am will be ignored. In the request, you should list your TOP THREE preferences, each consisting of the RPE's identifying number and your preferred side, "A" or "B". You may also indicate in your request your preferred teammates, and even your preferred opposing team. If you request teammates or an opposing team, the students involved must be cc'ed on your request, and they must indicate by their e-mail to Ben that they willing to join you in the way you describe.

You will assigned to an RPE on a first-come, first-served basis, taking into account as much as possible, your stated preferences. However, there is no guarantee that the RPE you are assigned to is even amoung your preferences. If you do not express a preference by the deadline, you will be assigned to some remaining spot in the RPEs. At any time, you are able to see to which RPE you have been assigned in the table below.

Until May 23, the date on which the RPE assignments are finalized and confirmed, the list of students assigned to RPEs will be continuously updated on the course Website, to show what is still available to select. Please note that the strategy for getting positioned into an RPE team is always a little bit tricky; if you send your e-mail request too late, you may find out that you cannot get your first preference and you will simply be put into an RPE that needs a team member.

On the positive side, you, as any student, should be capable of arguing on either of the sides of any of the RPEs. It is often an enjoyable challenge to discover arguments to make for a position that seems, on the surface, quite different from your own inclinations.

Please note that all students are expected to attend all RPEs, to present questions to the teams in the discussion period. The TAs will be registering attendance and recording your participation. In addition, both teams in the RPE will be required to post up their position statements on the newsgroup in advance of the oral presentations. This provides another opportunity for discussion on the topic. Since our class size is in fact somewhat large, the newsgroup often becomes an ideal forum to voice opinions on the topic after the RPE, and should be perceived as the place where you can add your comments, if the TA was unable to select you from the audience, during the RPE.

You will also complete by 8:30am on July 30, Assignment 5 that records the RPEs that you attended and that includes a longer commentary on ONE of the RPEs.

• Role-playing exercise 1: Censorship of electronic communication in foreign countries
• Role-playing exercise 2: Piracy of software
• Role-playing exercise 3: Universal IDs
• Role-playing exercise 4: Personalized advertising on the Web
• Role-playing exercise 6: Net neutrality
• Role-playing exercise 7: Professional responsibility when workers are displaced
• Role-playing exercise 8: Computers and children
• Role-playing exercise 9: E-Learning for university-level courses
• Role-playing exercise 11: Fake News

Current Assignment of Students to RPEs

Please send any corrections to cs492 [AT] student [DOT] cs [DOT] [DOT] uwaterloo [DOT] ca