Another point the Rogerson brings up is that the gap of computer technology between rich and poor is getting bigger. "Information, as the new life-blood of society, empowers those who have it; but it also disenfranchises those who do not. Wealth and power flow to the "information rich", those who create and use computing technologies successfully.(Rogerson) " Without being mindful of this ever widening gap there is the possibilty that those without access will create a backlash. "The resulting inequality will lead to dissatisfaction and social turmoil.(Rogerson)"
Another type of ethics relating to computer usage I was more familiar with is cheating using computer technology. This type of ethical violation is something that has immediate concerns for teachers. As digital natives, today's students are very skilled in using the internet to find information, collaborate with others and produce very professional looking work. How they go about using these skills is another matter.
In the article The business ethics of web2.0 does collaboration and open source blur the line of what it means to cheat, the authors describes the cheating that took place by MBA students at Duke U. The questions that are brought up in this article are important issues for all teachers to think about as students are constantly bombarded by slick media and rapid fire technology changes. "We live in a world of soundbytes, of quick hits, of ADD, of shallow analysis. Why does it pay to focus on MBA classes? Will better financial analysis abilities get you ahead? Will a deeper understanding of management theories get you hired? Will hours of in-depth study on strategic thinking pay off? Not as much as networking and a slick resume.(May)"
As we guide our students through learning a particular topic we have to be aware that we can also guide students to be ethical learners. We need to remind students of the need to be honest in their work and in particular that deep understanding takes time.
Ever class that I have taken through the UAS Masters in ED Tech has had a section on ethics of some type. We have looked at copyright and fair use and we've been expected to quote our sources using a specific standard. I believe that this is an important part of every class I've taken and should part of every class I teach.
I will gives students the same opportunity that I have been given to review in depth the ethics of producing work in a college setting. Within the syllabus of each of my class I can create room to layout rules and consequences for violation of ethical conduct. In the course resources on the class Homesite there is also an opportunity to link to on-line guides that cover copyright, fair use and creative commons. Having a short section at the beginning of each semester to discuss online ethics would be time well spent.
Rogerson, S. 2007
http://www.ccsr.cse.dmu.ac.uk/resources/professionalism/develop/theart.html
May, R. 2007
http://www.businesspundit.com/the-business-ethics-of-web-20-does-collaboration-and-open-source-blur-the-line-of-what-it-means-to-cheat/
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2 comments:
I hadn't really thought of the social ethics of access to the internet by the have and have nots as being part of the ethics issue. But equal access to education/information really is a big ethical issue. Thanks for bringing it up.
I have thought that one of the biggest issues in education today is disparity. Although, I tend to disagree with Rogerson in some respects. He states, “The resulting inequality will lead to dissatisfaction and social turmoil.” However, Jared Diamond author of Guns, Germs and Steel and Collapse has shown us that those with information have power to overcome other groups and societies. So, I wonder how this would really play out. I also wonder when the $100 computer, or a cheaper computer, will get into the hands of those who cannot afford computers presently. With all the Web based applications that we have reviewed in this class I would think the time has come to make a computer that is only used to access the web. Check out one laptop per child: http://laptop.org/.
I commented in Barbara’s blog about the ever-present issue of ethics in education and computer technology. This has to part an ongoing conversion in schools as result of our dependence on this technology. You have some valid comments.
Jeff
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