Ethics, Information Technology and Today’s Undergraduate Classroom Paul Conway University of Michigan 1085 S. University Ave. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 734-615-1419 pconway@umich.edu ABSTRACT This paper highlights interdisciplinary research grounding a course that is one of the core requirements of a new undergraduate informatics curriculum. Ethics and Information Technology explores the ethical dilemmas that exist where human beings, information objects, and information systems interact. The course tests the notion that the most effective way to explore how new technologies relate to integrity, truthfulness, trust, respect for privacy and individuality is to become immersed in a technological environment where unethical behavior as well as ethical norms can be safely and confidentially tested, evaluated, observed, and experienced. The paper will summarize an emerging literature in three areas: (1) the theories of ethics and information technology, (2) the characteristics of the “Net Generation” regarding the use of new technologies, and (3) the central role played by “trust” in assessing the ethical implications of new technologies, including online multiplayer games, image editing, collaborative authoring, and open source coding conventions. The paper will then demonstrate how this literature informs the design and implementation of the course. Topics Information policy, ethics and law Keywords Undergraduate education, Information ethics, Pedagogy 1. INTRODUCTION A new course, Ethics and Information Technology, is a significant contribution by the University of Michigan’s School of Information to a new undergraduate concentration in Informatics. The course is one of four required core courses for the newly approved major, which itself represents a deep collaboration among faculty across three University schools. The uniqueness of the undertaking raises the stakes, challenging the faculty of each school to define a rich field of study in ways that resonates intellectually across the entire partnership. The nature of this cross-campus collaboration influences the design of new courses, as well as the approaches to undergraduate education. Ethics and Information Technology tests the notion that the most effective way to explore how emerging technologies relate to information ethics is to immerse students in a technological environment where unethical behavior as well as ethical norms can be safely and confidentially tested, evaluated, observed, and experienced. In this regard, the course exists at the intersection of technology, ethics, and pedagogy. This paper frames the principal theoretical issues that underlie the design of the course and outlines its most salient pedagogical features. 2. CONTEXT “Ethics” is variously defined [O.E.D.] as a branch of philosophy concerned with evaluating human action, the study of individual or group values, or a system of defining right and wrong behaviors. When applied to the professions, ethics defines a code of standards governing fair and responsible conduct with other members of a profession and the general public. In association with computer and information technologies, ethics concerns the relationship of systems with the people who use them. [14] Most recently, the concept of information ethics has extended philosophical consideration well beyond the human behavior to explore the ethical properties of information objects. [9] The study of ethics within the context of information technology is international in scope. The International Center for Information Ethics (ICIE) identifies 104 individuals in over 90 organizations around the world whose primary field of scholarship and teaching is information ethics, with Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States having a particularly strong presence in the field. [13] For the United States, ICIE’s selective database lists 32 individuals in 30 universities with a primary focus on information ethics research. Nearly a dozen scholarly journals, continuing sequences of international conferences, and highly touted monographs and compendiums attest to the deepening scholarly interest in ethics and emerging technologies. The teaching of ethics has traditionally been an important element of the university curriculum. The University of Michigan’s Ethics in Public Life Initiative, for example, has compiled a current list of over 300 regularly-scheduled courses that involve ethics as a substantial component. [22] Academic disciplines offering these courses range from the traditional and obvious (e.g., philosophy) to the more subtle and nuanced (e.g., environmental studies). Every professional school at Michigan offers at least one course