GEN1000 Perspectives on General Education / Subject to Discretion of Module Coordinator
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The module examines the relationships between computer technology, computer ethics, and society. Computer ethics is regarded as the analysis of the nature and social impact of computer technology and the corresponding formulation and rationalization of codes for the ethical design and use of such computer technologies. The module explores the history and development of computer technology, and explores its challenges and opportunities to the society from a moral perspective, using major ethical theories, such as Kantianism, Utilitarianism, Social Contract Theory, and Virtue Ethics. It helps students develop the moral reasoning ability to use computers in daily life ethically.
Upon completion of this module, students should be able to:
a. identify the relationships between computer ethics and society;
b. explain and evaluate various ethical theories;
c. explore the history and development of contemporary computer technology, and analyze the ethical issues of these computer technology on the society;
d. engage in moral debate and ethical reasoning of various computer usage in a rational manner.
1. Introduction and overview
1.1 Development of computer systems
1.2 Social impacts of the development
2. Computer ethics
2.1 Definition of computer ethics and its relationship with other ethics, e.g., cyber ethics and professional ethics
2.2 Why we study computer ethics?
3. Ethical analysis
3.1 Definition of ethical analysis
3.2 Examples of ethical theories
3.3 Applying ethical analysis in practice
4. Impact of computer technology on freedom of expression
4.1 Controlling access to information on the cyber world
4.2 Anonymity on the cyber world
5. Privacy in the Internet age
5.1 Privacy definition
5.2 Perspectives on privacy
5.3 Online privacy concerns
6. Intellectual Property
6.1 Protecting intellectual property
6.2 Challenges to intellectual property due to computer technology
7. Ethical use of computer systems
7.1 Case studies – e.g., Internet Etiquette – cyberbullying and doing
8. Ethical development of computer systems
8.1 Case studies – e.g., autonomous systems, AI
1. Class exercise (20%)
2. Project
a. Presentation (20%)
b. Essay (30%)
3. Test (30%)
1. Quinn, M. J. (2016). Ethics for the information age (7th ed.). Boston: Pearson Addison Wesley.
2. Reynolds, G. W. (2018). Ethics in information technology (6th ed.). Boston, Mass: Thomson Course Technology.
3. Schneider, G. P., & Evans, J. (2017). New perspectives on the internet : Comprehensive (10th ed.). Boston, Mass.: Course Technology/Cengage Learning.
4. Tavani, H. T. (2015). Ethics and technology: Controversies, Questions, and Strategies for Ethical Computing (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
5. Brinkman, B., & Sanders, A. F. (2013). Ethics in a Computing Culture. Boston, Mass.: Course Technology/Cengage Learning.
6. Baase, S. (2012). A Gift of Fire: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues for Computing Technology (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Press.
7. Farjami, S. M. (2012). Is there a place for cyberethics? A conceptual look at the effects of cybertechnology on ethics and communications in cyberspace. Asian Social Science, 8(4), 148-152.
8. Maner, W. (2004). Unique ethical problems in information technology. Computer ethics and professional responsibility, 39-59.
9. Mark, L., & Ratliffe, K. T. (2011). Cyber worlds: New playgrounds for bullying. Computers in the Schools, 28(2), 92-116.
