Integrating Computer Ethics into the Computer Science Curriculum**

Keith Miller

• Introduction
• Can Computer Ethics Be Taught in the Computer Science Curriculum?
• Technical Concerns, Ethical Questions
  • CS 1: Computer Programming I
  • CS 2: Computer Programming II
  • CS 3: Introduction to Computer Systems
  • CS 4: Introduction to Computer Organizations
  • CS 5: Introduction to File Processing
  • CS 6: Operating Systems and Computer Architecture I
  • CS 7: Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis
  • CS 8: Organization of Programming Languages
• Sources of Information
  • Books
  • Collections of Articles
  • Periodicals
• Conclusions
• Acknowledgments
• References

Technical Concerns, Ethical Questions

Several computer science educators have asked the author of this article, “What would you take out of the curriculum to make room for computer ethics?” The intent of this article is to show how computer ethics is an integral part of the technical issues already being taught. Professors do not need to artificially force ethics into their courses, and ethics need not force something else out. Instead, the value dimensions of technical issues can be naturally incorporated into existing lectures and used with existing textbooks.

Although there are numerous strategies for incorporating computer ethics into a curriculum (The Hastings Center, 1980), this article focuses on one: a case study approach. The idea is straightforward: the professor distributes or presents material concerning the use of computers 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.

In order to illustrate how case studies can be integrated into a computer science curriculum, this section includes a short discussion of the required courses in Curriculum ’78, classes CS 1 ë CS 8. For each class, the section identifies one technical concept or theme typically covered in such a class. A case study illustrates how the technical concept has value implications. A short description of ethical questions accompanies each case study.

Go to: CS 1: Computer Programming I

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