Module 1: Foundations of Ethics and Legal Frameworks

  • History of ethics and ethical theories
  • Laws and regulations governing IT practice
  • Codes of professional conduct and relationships with professional societies

Module 2: Intellectual Property and Ownership of Information

  • Foundations of intellectual property
  • Plagiarism and software piracy
  • Patents, trademarks, and trade secrets
  • Digital Millennium Copyright Act

Module 3: Workplace Ethics and Conflict Resolution

  • Fairness in the workplace: harassment, discrimination
  • Strategies for resolving workplace conflict
  • Whistleblowing: ethics and implications
  • Privacy and civil liberties in the workplace

Module 4: Legal Issues in Computing

  • Legal issues surrounding cybersecurity and ethical hacking
  • Identity theft and its implications
  • Professional and ethical responsibilities in computing

Module 5: Organizational and Social Issues in IT

  • Managerial and organizational ethics in IT application
  • Privacy and civil liberties organizations
  • Ethical decision-making in organizational contexts

 

Teaching/Learning Methods

  • Lectures and case studies
  • Group discussions and debates on ethical dilemmas
  • Role-playing exercises for conflict resolution
  • Analysis of real-world scenarios and legal cases
  • Practical assignments on professional codes of conduct

 

Modes of Assessment

  1. Continuous Assessment: 40%
    • Assignments, case study analysis, and class participation
  2. Midterm Examination: 20%
  3. Final Examination: 40%

 

Reading List/References

Primary Texts (Essential Readings):

  1. Reynolds, G. W. Ethics in Information Technology. Cengage Learning, 2022.
  2. Spinello, R. A. Cyberethics: Morality and Law in Cyberspace. Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2021.

Supplementary Readings:

  1. Tavani, H. T. Ethics and Technology: Controversies, Questions, and Strategies for Ethical Computing. Wiley, 2020.
  2. Baase, S., & Henry, T. A Gift of Fire: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues for Computing Technology. Pearson, 2021.

Additional Resources:

  1. Articles from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) on privacy and civil liberties.
  2. Online resources on intellectual property law and case studies.
  3. Research articles on ethical hacking and cybersecurity.