Social, Legal and Professional Issues in Computing

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Social, Legal and Professional Issues in
Computing

• Integrated or stand alone?

Penny Duquenoy, Middlesex University
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Discussion

• The models ...
• integrated teaching
• as a module on its own
• Advantages
• Constraints
• Aims and objectives
• A paradox?

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Integrated Model
Professional Issues
Social Issues
Access
Professional Responsibility
In the Workplace
Codes of Conduct
Computer Technology
Monitoring/ Surveillance
Legal Issues
Legal obligations
Censorship
Data Protection
Junk mail
Computer Misuse
Software piracy
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Integrated teaching

• In context
• Timely
• Relevant
• Meaningful

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Advantages

• Integrated model
• issues can be directly related to topic
• the relationship made explicit
• concrete examples can be given
• students can be asked to give other examples in
  that context
• already have the students attention and focus

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Stand Alone Model
Social Issues
Professional Issues
Access
Codes of Conduct
Professional Responsibility
In the Workplace
Legal Issues
Monitoring/ Surveillance
Legal obligations
Computer Misuse
Censorship
Data Protection
Junk mail
Software piracy
Social World
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Advantages

• Stand alone model
• Easier to introduce ethical theory
• Set the context of ethical relevance
• Situates the issues in a social context
• Can cover issues in more depth
• Can focus on bringing rationality to ethical
  decision making

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Constraints

• - both models
• Student motivation
• Assessment methods
• Manpower
• Management costs

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Summary Integrated

• Gives relevance to issues
• thus more understandable?
• We already have the students focus and attention
• Set in a familiar framework
• Students prefer it?
• Cost-saving?

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Summary Stand-alone

• Sets a different context
• of thinking
• perspective
• alternative viewpoints
• ethical framework
• Allows discussion of ethical theory
• Situates discussions in a broader social picture
• Meets different aims - critical thinking etc.

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What are we aiming to do?

• Raise awareness?
• Set an ethical context?
• Develop thinking/decision-making skills?

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A paradox?

• Integrated model ? ICT in isolation?
• Stand alone model ? ICT situated in a wider
  context?