INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND ETHICS

Organizational Information Technology

University College at Tulane

Course: UINS 351, Information Technology and Ethics

Time:

Instructor:

Phone #:

Office Hours: By appointment before or after class-call above number for appointment

Email:

Required Text: Case Studies in Information and Computer Ethics by Richard A. Spinello (Prentice Hall, NJ, 07458. ISBN 0-13-533845-X)

General Objectives:

This one-semester course examines the ethical, policy and social aspects of information technology, with an emphasis on computing technology. Issues related to information acquisition, access and stewardship will be probed, along with issues related to software and intellectual property. Areas of social concern will include liability, freedom, privacy and control. Areas of psychological concern will examine alienation and anonymity. The ultimate goal of the course is give students an ethical perspective on the multiple challenges created by the diffusion of computer technology in the modern home and workplace.

Course Prerequisites:

Completion of at least 6 credits (2 courses) in Information Iechnology.

Specific Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course the student is expected be able to:

1. Speak and write knowledgeably about the vexing ethical dilemmas IT professionals face in the Information Age.

2. Recognize the moral dimensions of some IT decisions and actions.

3. Apply an evaluative approach to moral decision-making involving IT issues.

4. Evaluate organizational policy documents regarding computer use/misuse with respect to their ethical v. legal ramifications.

Grading

Letter Grade Scale:

92-100%------------A

90-91%--------------A-

88-89%--------------B+

82-87%--------------B

80-81%--------------B-

78-79%--------------C+

72-77%--------------C

70-71%--------------C-

68-69%--------------D+

62-67%--------------D

60-61%--------------D-

Grade Composition

Course Deliverables Percent of Final Grade

Mid-term Exam 20%

Final Exam 30%

Written Projects 20%

Class Participation 10%

Class Presentation 20%

Total 100%

NOTE: This course emphasizes reading, writing and oral expression. All written exercises and projects are due either in advance of or on the above dates at the beginning of class.

CLASS POLICIES:

Students should notify the instructor in advance if an exam will be missed or an exercise or project will be late.

Make-up exams will be essay and will only be given once.

There will be no make-up exam for the Final Exam.

Exercises, projects and makeup exams that are one week late will receive a 10% penalty on points earned unless waived by the instructor. If a deliverable is more than one week late, further reductions will be made. If a deliverable is more than 3 weeks late, no points at all will be earned.

Students are obligated to adhere to the University College Catalog Honor Code.

Semester Schedule (Subject to change)

WEEK 1: Introduction and course overview. Business Ethics, Organizational Ethics, and CE (CyberEthics) in the grand philosophical scheme. Approaches to ethical analysis. CyberEthics as a new challenge to philosophy.

READINGS:

1. “Computer Ethics and Moral Responsibility” by Jeroen van der Hoven. In Cyberethics, ed. By R Baird, et. Al (Prometheus Books, NY, 2000, pp 89-93)

2. “What is Computer Ethics” by James Moor. In Cyberethics, ed. By R Baird, et. Al (Prometheus Books, NY, 2000, pp 23-33)

3. Case Studies in Information and Computer Ethics by R. Spinello, Parts I and II, pp. 1-50

WEEK 2: Overview of Social, Ethical and Professional Issues in Computing. The social impact of computer technology.

READINGS

1. “Social Implications of Information Technologies: A Latin American Perspective” by Judith Sutz. In Computers and Ethics in the CyberAge, ed. By D. M. Hester and P.J. Ford (Prentice Hall, N.J., 2001 pp. 166-167)

2. “Is the Global Information Infrastructure a Democratic Technology?” by D. Johnson. In Cyberethics, ed. By R Baird, et. al (Prometheus Books, NY, 2000, pp 304-318)

3. “Cyberlibertarian Myths and the Prospects for Community” by Langdon Winner. In Cyberethics, ed. By R Baird, et. al (Prometheus Books, NY, 2000, pp 319-331)

WEEK 3: Information ethics: acquisition, access and stewardship of data.

READINGS

1. Case Studies in Information and Computer Ethics by R. Spinello. Chapters Three, Four and Five.

WEEK 4: Computer Crime

READINGS

1. “Computer Crime” (Chapter 2). In Computer Ethics: Cautionary Tales and Ethical Dilemmas in Computing by T. Forester and P. Morrison (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1997, pp. 23-44)

2. “Hacking and Viruses” (Chapter 9). In Computers and Ethics in the CyberAge, ed. By D. M. Hester and P.J. Ford (Prentice Hall, N.J., 2001 pp.210-330)

WEEK 5: Computer Crime II: Hacking and Viruses. Ethical issues arising from hacking.

READINGS

1. Case Studies in Information and Computer Ethics by R. Spinello. Chapter 7 “Computer Security and Computer Crime”, pp. 165-189.

2. “The Conscience of a Hacker” by The Mentor. In Computers and Ethics in the CyberAge, ed. By D. M. Hester and P.J. Ford (Prentice Hall, N.J., 2001, pp.331-332).

WEEK 6: Computer and network security. Systems protection. Bandwidth as a scarce resource. The ethical issues surrounding the “Napster” controversy.

READINGS

1. “Improving Computer Security”, In Computer Ethics: Cautionary Tales and Ethical Dilemmas in Computing by T. Forester and P. Morrison (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1997, pp. 44-49)

2. “Developing Ethical practices to Minimize Computer Misuse” by S. Kesar and S. Rogerson. In Computers and Ethics in the CyberAge, ed. By D. M. Hester and P.J. Ford (Prentice Hall, N.J., 2001, pp. 218-232).

WEEK 7: Computer science ethics. Professionalism. Piracy and ownership. Intellectual property issues in cyberspace

READINGS

1. “ Computing Professionals and the Professional Use of Computers” by Michael Hodges. In Computers and Ethics in the CyberAge, ed. By D. M. Hester and P.J. Ford (Prentice Hall, N.J., 2001, pp 195-203)

2. Case Studies in Information and Computer Ethics by R. Spinello. Chapter 6 “Computer Security and Computer Crime”, pp. 165-189.

WEEK 8: Software: Liability, safety and reliability.

READINGS

1. Case Studies in Information and Computer Ethics by R. Spinello. “Liability, Safety and Reliability” (Chapter 8), pp. 190-234

2. “Unreliable Computers” (Chapter 5). In Computer Ethics: Cautionary Tales and Ethical Dilemmas in Computing by T. Forester and P. Morrison (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1997, pp.105-129).

WEEK 9: Freedom, Privacy and Control. Free speech and content control. Pornography, racism and other forms of problematic speech online.

READINGS

1. Case Studies in Information and Computer Ethics by R. Spinello, Parts I and II, pp. 50-123

2. “Free Speech and Content Control in Cyberspace” (Chapter 3). In Cyberethics: Morality and Law in Cyberspace by R. Spinello (Jones and Bartlett, Sandbury, Mass., 2000, pp. 45-69)

3. “Racialized Fantasies on the Internet” by C.E. Sharpe. Signs, 1999, 24,4 Summer, 1089-1096

WEEK 10: Alienation and Anonymity in Cyberspace

READINGS

1. “New Technologies, Alienation and the Information Superhighway” by Douglas Kellner. International Sociological /Association Paper, 1998

2. “Plan 9 from Cyberspace: The Implications of the Internet for Personality and Social Psychology” by K. McKenna and J. Bargh. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 2000; Vol 4(1):57-75

3. “From Highway to Superhighway: The Sustainability, Symbolism and Situated Practices of Car Culture” by Paul Graves-Brown. Social Analysis, 1997, 41, Mar, 64-75

WEEK 11: Governing and regulating the Internet. E-commerce. The Internet’s stakeholders. Technology’s Keeper on the cyberspace frontier.

READINGS

1. “Governing and Regulating the Internet” by R. Spinello. In Cyberethics: Morality and Law in Cyberspace by R. Spinello (Jones and Bartlett, Sandbury, Mass., 2000, pp. 23-43 )

2. “Electronic Power to the People” by M.R. Ogden. In Cyberethics: Morality and Law in Cyberspace by R. Spinello (Jones and Bartlett, Sandbury, Mass., 2000, pp.233-249)

WEEK 12: Emerging technologies. Artifical Intelligence and Expert Systems. Virtual environments. Encryption and secure e-commerce.

READINGS

1. “The Virtual Sky is not the Virtual Limit: Ethics in Virtual Reality” by Blay Whitby. In Computers and Ethics in the CyberAge, ed. By D. M. Hester and P.J. Ford (Prentice Hall, N.J., 2001, pp 408-420)

2. Cyberethics: Morality and Law in Cyberspace by R. Spinello, “Securing the Electronic Frontier”. (Jones and Bartlett, Sandbury, Mass., 2000, pp. 129-151)

3. “Artifical Intelligence and Expert Systems” (Chapter 7). In Computer Ethics: Cautionary Tales and Ethical Dilemmas in Computing by T. Forester and P. Morrison (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1997, pp.163-191)

WEEK 13: Final exam review