WebQuest Title:
Ethics in the
Computer Industry
Description:
Computer ethics is difficult to define, but if we are to be good
citizens and good computer technicians we need to think about and discuss this
topic.
Ethics may be different in details to each of us, however, as a
society our agreed ethic values are translated into laws.
Computers used in the home and for personal use are relatively
new. This topic is complex because for
the first time in history, cyberspace has unified cultures across the
globe. What might be OK for one culture
or government, may be unethical for another.
As a reporter for your school newspaper, you have been assigned a
column for the next 4 weeks on Computer Ethics.
Task:
Using the
resources shown below, write 4 news editorials, 250 words each about ethics in
the computer industry. Include in your
editorials:
§
Research on the topics. Topics might include:
§
Computer
viruses (what are they, how are they generated, what should the penalty be for
people who create them)
§
Computer
security (in the home, in business, in government)
§
Computer
privacy (what should be private: at home, in school, in business, what should the government be allowed to
know)
§
Software
piracy, plagiarism, intellectual property.
§
E-Mail
(spamming, flaming, spying, viruses, content)
§
Chat
rooms (How safe are they?)
§
Web
page content (pornography)
§
OSHA
(are computers safe to use)
§
Conclude
the article with your opinion on the specific topics that you chose.
§
Each topic that you write
about must include
§
a description of the topic
§
how it is related to computer
ethics
§
what is the controversy about
it today
Resources:
Books in the
lab
Books in your
school library
Books in your
local library
Newspapers
and magazines
Buffalo News - Computer companies lost $12.2 billion in
stolen software
Buffalo News - Student pleads guilty to hacking
Other Resources found in a Google Search
Process:
Visit the Internet sites listed under Resources. Get an understanding of each site and start
by making an outline of computer ethic topics.
After visiting each site, expand on your outline, putting more
detail in each ethics topic.
For example, if one of your topics is computer viruses, your first
outline topic might be computer viruses and how they affect computers in
general. Your subtopics might be
particular viruses and how each one works.
Learning Advice:
·
Open with an introduction about computer ethics.
·
Provide an outline of topics covered in your editorials.
·
Each editorial must be a new topic.
·
Discuss controversies surrounding the topics.
·
Your conclusion should reflect your own personal opinions on the
topics discussed and computer ethics in general.
·
Remember when discussing ethics, that you should consider the age
groups of people who have access to the PCs.
Today, PCs are available to all ages, so, the question is not what is
right for you, but what is right for society as a whole.
Conclusion:
After completing this WebQuest, you should have a greater understanding of
computer ethics and how they are ever changing with the changing Internet
issues society faces. What about the
availability of pornography on the Internet? Are there problems with chat
rooms? How does your opinion of computer ethics compare to your friends,
neighbors, or parents? How would ethics
be different if we had computers 100 years ago?
Created by Joe DeMerle Orleans-Niagara BOCES