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Non-Apologetic
Computer Ethics Education:
A Strategy for Integrating Social Impact and Ethics
into the Computer Science Curriculum
C. Dianne Martin and Hilary J. Holz
- 1. Introduction
- 1.1 New CS Curriculum Standards
- 1.2 Teaching the Ethics Component
- 2. Creating a Social and Ethical Context
- 2.1 The Freshman Computers and Society Course
- 2.1.1 Format
- 2.1.2 Teaching Analysis Skills
- 2.1.3 Teaching Social Impact Awareness
- 2.2 Social Impact Modules
- 2.3 Senior Software Engineering Project
- 3. Discussion
- 3.1 Beyond the Computer Science Curriculum
- 4. References
- 5. Sample Primary Source List of Readings
Miller (1988) has suggested an excellent strategy of incorporating ethical and social impact issues into the traditional technical courses in computer science using a case study approach:
The idea is straightforward: the professor distributes or presents material concerning the use of computers [relevant to the particular course being studied] and then students and the professor discuss questions about the material. Cases can be fictionalized scenarios, news items, book excerpts, interviews, and the like. Ideally, the professor should encourage students to question assumptions and to identify the values at stake in the cases. The case studies can show that technical computer science concepts are intertwined with questions society must ask and answer when people use computers. (Miller, 1988, p. 39)
Miller provides examples of case studies that could be used in traditional courses on computer programming, computer systems, computer organization, file processing, operating systems, data structures and analysis, and programming languages. He also provides a source list for many other case studies.
Although Miller presents an excellent strategy for incorporating the case studies into the standard curriculum in a way that would not take up in inordinate amount of time in an already crowded curriculum, what is missing is the underlying analysis framework that students need in order to evaluate the case studies. The strategy proposed in this paper addresses that problem by providing such an analysis framework in the freshman Computers and Society course. After having taken such a course, students will be prepared to analyze and discuss the case studies presented to them in other courses. By repeatedly being confronted with case studies in courses throughout their four year program, students (and professors) will come to realize that concern about social and ethical issues is an important underlying context in their computer science education. The social and ethical strand will serve as a unifying theme across the curriculum.
Go to: 2.3 Senior Software Engineering Project
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