Engaging undergraduates in discussions about ethics in computing

Abstract

Third-year computing students enrolled in a software engineering subject were introduced to the Australian Computer Society (ACS) Code of Ethics in the context of a computing professional's obligation to manage quality, safety and reliability. Following an introductory lecture, case study scenarios were interactively discussed during class. Immediately afterwards, students were surveyed to assess their self-perceived and actual ability to apply the ACS Code to another similar scenario. Of the 68 students who gave their informed consent to participate in the study, 34% reported being fully comfortable with applying the ACS Code of Ethics, while 63% were somewhat comfortable. In justifying multiple-choice options for dealing with a new case study scenario, 37% provided a good justification for their choice, 48% provided a poor justification, and 15% provided no justification. A further qualitative analysis of the responses suggests the need for formal assessment of ethics in computing education, and highlights the importance of improving the perceived relevance of ethics to students and the need for in-depth treatment of ethical issues.

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