Professional And Ethical Issues in

IT
CIS6004

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Welcome to CIS6004 !
Introducing the module:-
• What is the module about?
• Why are we doing it?
• How are we going to do it?
• Professional? Legal? Social? Ethical?

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Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module, students should be able to:
• Critically consider the wider legal, social, professional and ethical
environment for IT professionals.
• Critically discuss contemporary issues at the intersection of
computing, technology, economy, politics and society.
• Demonstrate appreciation of the importance of a professional and
ethical approach to computer science, software engineering and
information systems, along with the importance of lifelong
professional development.

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What? Topics
• Aspects of professional and ethical approaches to the management of
Computing, Software Engineering and Information Systems within the
current environment;
• Applications of hardware and software
• Information, data, privacy and civil liberties;
• BYOD, mobile devices, fair use.
• Professional approach and legal aspects to employment within the
industry;
• Social media, professional profiles, digital footprints.
• Contemporary societal issues e.g. data retention, encryption, national
security, net neutrality, copyright, IP.

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How? Learning Activities
Learning and Teaching Delivery Methods
• Lectures: 24 hours
• Seminars and Workshops: 24 hours
• Independent Study : 152 hours

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Assessment and Weighing
This module is assessed as follows:
WRIT1 – Coursework (4000 words equivalent)– 100%

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How? Reading
 Reading is an essential foundation for achieving this module’s
learning outcomes
 Students who do background reading tend to achieve higher marks
 Lack of reading shows in students’ written work, presentations and
seminar contributions.
 Weekly, topic-specific reading suggestions are in the reading list
provided

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Required Readings
• A Gift of Fire: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues for Computing
Technology (5th Edition) by Sara Baase
• Ethics for the Information Age (7th Edition) by Michael J. Quinn

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Recommended Reading
• Cyberethics: Morality and Law in Cyberspace (6th Edition)
by Richard Spinello

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Journals and On-line Material
• Met Search : Library Services by Cardiff met

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How? Writing & Referencing
• All your written work must be properly referenced
• You must explicitly acknowledge the sources of all ideas, arguments
and information that are not your own
• The range and quality of references used in your work will be
assessed
• Importance of authoritative academic sources
• Style of referencing = Harvard
• Plagiarism (Turnitin)

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Turnitin report Sample

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Turnitin report Sample

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How? Writing & Referencing: Important links
• Referencing
http://study.cardiffmet.ac.uk/AcSkills/Pages/Referencing.aspx
• Criticality
http://study.cardiffmet.ac.uk/AcSkills/Pages/Criticality.aspx
• Writing
http://study.cardiffmet.ac.uk/AcSkills/Pages/Writing.aspx
• Studying
http://study.cardiffmet.ac.uk/AcSkills/Pages/Studying.aspx

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How? Writing & Referencing : Important links
• Assessment
http://study.cardiffmet.ac.uk/AcSkills/Pages/Assessment.aspx
• Presentations
http://study.cardiffmet.ac.uk/AcSkills/Pages/Presentations.aspx
• Research
http://study.cardiffmet.ac.uk/AcSkills/Pages/Research.aspx

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What is expected of you… ?
 Attendance
◦ Know your seminar days, times and rooms
◦ Punctuality: Lecture etiquette
 Preparation
◦ Bring the required reading to your seminars
 Participation
◦ Thinking, reflecting and contributing to discussions

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Activity 1: Introduce yourself
• Your name
• Where did you study
• Your career ambitions or goals
• Give an example of something that you consider to be ethical in the
computing/IT world, and something that is unethical. Try to explain
why, in each case.

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What is the module about?
Social Issues?
◦ Information systems and computer technologies are used in
society, for society, and by society.
◦ Their social impact is widespread and profound
◦ E.g. ..impact on work, communication, entertainment, medicine/health,
transport, warfare
◦ Implications for individuals, communities, societies?
◦ What are the positive and negative aspects?
◦ What are the benefits and gains?
◦ What are the risks and losses?
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What is the module about?
Ethical Issues?
◦ If information systems bring social benefits, how do we decide what is
“beneficial” and what is not?
◦ How do IT professionals decide what is “the right thing” to do?
◦ The design, the management and the use of information systems
raise ethical issues...for IT professionals, managers, and the public
◦ How do we identify and assess these issues?
◦ What ethical principles might be involved?

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What is the module about?
Professional Issues?
◦ As future IT professionals, you will be working with
information systems in various capacities
◦ Understanding the implications of decisions, choices, actions,
policies
◦ Justifying decisions, actions, behaviour
◦ What does it mean to be a “professional”?:-
 Adhering to professional codes of conduct?
 Behaving “ethically”? Doing the “right thing”?

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What is the module about?
Legal Issues?
◦ Behaving professionally also means:-
 Knowing the relevant legislation
 Complying with the Law in your professional practice
◦ This module will help you to:-
 Understand legal issues
 Understand the relationship between the “Law”, “Ethics” and
“Professionalism” (these are not always in harmony with each other)

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Why? Rationale
Relevance of this module to you:-
• Informing tomorrow’s IT professionals
• Raising awareness of your role as a future IT professional
• Exploring issues you may well face in your careers
• Ensuring the best use of technologies (ethical and socially
responsible)
• IT graduates need to be aware of these issues (British Computer
Society)

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Learning Pit

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Activity 2:
Get into groups of 3 or 4. Each group will be assigned one of the following fields of application, and
should think about the social impact of ICT in that field:-
• Higher Education
• Law Enforcement
• Communication
• Banking/Finance
• News Media
• Health/Medicine
• Warfare
• The Home
Within your assigned field, think of examples of how computer technologies have had “positive”
and “negative” effects (or “advantages” and “disadvantages”). As a group, try to come up with at
least with 2 positive and 2 negative effects. What underlying issues and questions are raised?

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