IT3165 Ethics for the Information Technology Professional
Unit 1 Discussion
DQ1 The Need for Ethics: The Moral Cyberspace Landscape
After reading the study assignments for this unit, give your initial reaction and thoughts to the study of ethics as it pertains to the field of information technology. In your response, include the following points:
Describe the unique ethical problems you see in IT and the reasons why you are studying computer ethics (also known as cyberethics).
Discuss current issues in IT that are relevant to IT professionals today.
Share your initial thoughts on how ethics must be related to IT and the Information Age.
Response Guidelines
This discussion will be an open-ended and in-depth, two-way discussion to afford you the opportunity to interact with your course instructor and other students. Please note that your initial post is due by 11:59:59 CST on Wednesday of this week. On 11:59:59 CST on Sunday of this week, please post a response post to two of your fellow learners' posts.
Length: Your content post should be between 200–250 words presented in three to four paragraphs. A paragraph should be between three to five sentences. Please add the appropriate APA citations to the content post.
You will respond to at least two other learners' initial posts. Your response posts to your fellow learners' post should be between 100–150 words with the appropriate APA citations added.
Both your content post and your response posts should reflect a collegial attitude, and be free of grammar and spelling errors.
Post your discussion in the discussion forum.
Note: Use the sources provided in the course to support your responses. Remember to access the Web links as provided and do any Internet research necessary to support the details of your responses. Sourcing your information is required.
DQ2 Ethical Theories and Cybertechnology
For this discussion:
Reflect on the readings for this unit. Consider the issue of hacking, and network and security vulnerabilities, within a company you are employed (either currently or in the future).
Describe how religion, law, and philosophy may each provide different grounds for justifying a moral principle for this issue.
How would you propose a new policy with your employer to alleviate this issue?
What key issues would you include in your justification?
Response Guidelines
This discussion will be an open-ended and in-depth, two-way discussion to afford you the opportunity to interact with your course instructor and other students. Please note that your initial post is due by 11:59:59 CST on Wednesday of this week. On 11:59:59 CST on Sunday of this week, please post a response post to two of your fellow learners' posts.
Length: Your content post should be between 200–250 words presented in three to four paragraphs. A paragraph should be between three to five sentences. Please add the appropriate APA citations to the content post.
You will respond to at least two other learners' initial posts. Your response posts to your fellow learners' post should be between 100–150 words with the appropriate APA citations added.
Both your content post and your response posts should reflect a collegial attitude, be free of grammar and spelling errors.
Post your discussion in the discussion forum.
Note: Use the sources provided in the course to support your responses. Remember to access the Web links as provided and do any Internet research necessary to support the details of your responses. Sourcing your information is required.
DQ3 The Secrets and Truths About IT Ethics
Review Harbert's 2007 article, "Ethics in IT: Dark Secrets, Ugly Truths—and Little Guidance," which you were assigned in this unit. This article looks at ethics in IT and the policies that govern them. It considers several questions governing IT ethics. After reviewing the article, reflect on the following:
What are your thoughts about the article?
What really caught your attention?
What type of concerns or issues did you gather from the article that may be common in other organizations?
Do you believe some of the issues that were mentioned in the article happen in an organization where you are or have been employed? Explain.
Describe why it is important for businesses and organizations to provide employees with clear guidelines regarding IT and computer usage.
What other comments, concerns, or thoughts do you have about this article or about IT ethics in general?
Response Guidelines
This discussion will be an open-ended and in-depth, two-way discussion to afford you the opportunity to interact with your course instructor and other students. Please note that your initial post is due by 11:59:59 CST on Wednesday of this week. On 11:59:59 CST on Sunday of this week, please post a response post to two of your fellow learners' posts.
Length: Your content post should be between 200–250 words presented in three to four paragraphs. A paragraph should be between three to five sentences. Please add the appropriate APA citations to the content post.
You will respond to at least two other learners' initial posts. Your response posts to your fellow learners' post should be between 100–150 words with the appropriate APA citations added.
Both your content post and your response posts should reflect a collegial attitude, be free of grammar and spelling errors.
Post your discussion in the discussion forum.
Note: Use the sources provided in the course to support your responses. Remember to access the Web links as provided and do any Internet research necessary to support the details of your responses. Sourcing your information is required.
IT3165 Ethics for the Information Technology Professional
Unit 2 Discussion
DQ1 Biometric Technologies and Privacy
For this discussion:
Discuss arguments for and against the use of biometric technologies for security, especially in airports and large stadiums.
Should biometric technologies, such as face recognition programs and iris scanners, be used in public places to catch criminals?
How can biometric technologies impact privacy issues in our society today?
Discuss your support or nonsupport for biometric technologies.
Response Guidelines
This discussion will be an open-ended and in-depth, two-way discussion to afford you the opportunity to interact with your course instructor and other students. Please note that your initial post is due by 11:59:59 CST on Wednesday of this week. On 11:59:59 CST on Sunday of this week, please post a response post to two of your fellow learners' posts.
Length: Your content post should be between 200–250 words presented in three to four paragraphs. A paragraph should be between three to five sentences. Please add the appropriate APA citations to the content post.
You will respond to at least two other learners' initial posts. Your response posts to your fellow learners' post should be between 100–150 words with the appropriate APA citations added.
Both your content post and your response posts should reflect a collegial attitude, be free of grammar and spelling errors.
Post your discussion in the discussion forum.
Note: Use the sources provided in the course to support your responses. Remember to access the Web links as provided and do any Internet research necessary to support the details of your responses. Sourcing your information is required.
DQ2 Developing a Personal Code of Ethics
One of the most important things that a person can do is to develop a personal code of ethics. After reading "Personal Code of Ethics," reflect on, and respond to, the following prompts:
What do you feel is important to include in a personal code of ethics?
What would you include in your personal code of ethics?
What would you include in your personal code of ethics that includes potential IT issues that you may be confronted with as an IT professional?
Response Guidelines
This discussion will be an open-ended and in-depth, two-way discussion to afford you the opportunity to interact with your course instructor and other students. Please note that your initial post is due by 11:59:59 CST on Wednesday of this week. On 11:59:59 CST on Sunday of this week, please post a response post to two of your fellow learners' posts.
Length: Your content post should be between 200–250 words presented in three to four paragraphs. A paragraph should be between three to five sentences. Please add the appropriate APA citations to the content post.
You will respond to at least two other learners' initial posts. Your response posts to your fellow learners' post should be between 100–150 words with the appropriate APA citations added.
Both your content post and your response posts should reflect a collegial attitude, be free of grammar and spelling errors.
Post your discussion in the discussion forum.
Note: Use the sources provided in the course to support your responses. Remember to access the Web links as provided and do any Internet research necessary to support the details of your responses. Sourcing your information is required.
IT3165 Ethics for the Information Technology Professional
Unit 3 Discussion
DQ1 Legal and Moral Issues in IT: Patriot or Traitor?
Consider the situation of Edward Snowden that you read about in the article by James Bamford, "The Most Wanted Man in the World."
Describe your opinion on this issue.
Do you feel that Edward Snowden is a whistle-blower and a patriot or is he a traitor?
How do you feel about his current situation of living in Russia and not returning to the United States?
Do you believe he should be imprisoned or honored?
Response Guidelines
This discussion will be an open-ended and in-depth, two-way discussion to afford you the opportunity to interact with your course instructor and other students. Please note that your initial post is due by 11:59:59 CST on Wednesday of this week. On 11:59:59 CST on Sunday of this week, please post a response post to two of your fellow learners' posts.
Length: Your content post should be between 200–250 words presented in three to four paragraphs. A paragraph should be between three to five sentences. Please add the appropriate APA citations to the content post.
You will respond to at least two other learners' initial posts. Your response posts to your fellow learners' post should be between 100–150 words with the appropriate APA citations added.
Both your content post and your response posts should reflect a collegial attitude, be free of grammar and spelling errors.
Post your discussion in the discussion forum.
Note: Use the sources provided in the course to support your responses. Remember to access the Web links as provided and do any Internet research necessary to support the details of your responses. Sourcing your information is required.
DQ2 Web Technologies: Free Speech Versus Censorship
In Chapter 9 of Tavani's text, we studied the issue of free speech versus censorship. For this discussion, respond to the following:
How do you feel this issue fits in with the "world" wide Web?
Should free speech be considered when it comes to postings that are filled with hate speech?
What happens when hate speech is directed at a certain race, ethnic group, or religion?
What about sexting and pornography? Should these activities be filtered in some way or should censorship be totally abandoned to the issue of free speech?
Response Guidelines
This discussion will be an open-ended and in-depth, two-way discussion to afford you the opportunity to interact with your course instructor and other students. Please note that your initial post is due by 11:59:59 CST on Wednesday of this week. On 11:59:59 CST on Sunday of this week, please post a response post to two of your fellow learners' posts.
Length: Your content post should be between 200–250 words presented in three to four paragraphs. A paragraph should be between three to five sentences. Please add the appropriate APA citations to the content post.
You will respond to at least two other learners' initial posts. Your response posts to your fellow learners' post should be between 100–150 words with the appropriate APA citations added.
Both your content post and your response posts should reflect a collegial attitude, be free of grammar and spelling errors.
Post your discussion in the discussion forum.
Note: Use the sources provided in the course to support your responses. Remember to access the Web links as provided and do any Internet research necessary to support the details of your responses. Sourcing your information is required.
IT3165 Ethics for the Information Technology Professional
Unit 4 Discussion
DQ1 Codes of Ethics Comparison
A code of ethics is becoming an essential part of many IT departments within organizations, as well as across companies, organizations, and society. After reading and analyzing the codes of ethics from the studies activity earlier in this unit and researching other examples, address the following for this discussion:
What similarities did you find in the resources?
What differences did you note in the various codes that you reviewed?
Discuss what you think are important to include in a code of ethics for IT professionals.
Response Guidelines
This discussion will be an open-ended and in-depth, two-way discussion to afford you the opportunity to interact with your course instructor and other students. Please note that your initial post is due by 11:59:59 CST on Wednesday of this week. On 11:59:59 CST on Sunday of this week, please post a response post to two of your fellow learners' posts.
Length: Your content post should be between 200–250 words presented in three to four paragraphs. A paragraph should be between three to five sentences. Please add the appropriate APA citations to the content post.
You will respond to at least two other learners' initial posts. Your response posts to your fellow learners' post should be between 100–150 words with the appropriate APA citations added.
Both your content post and your response posts should reflect a collegial attitude, be free of grammar and spelling errors.
Post your discussion in the discussion forum.
Note: Use the sources provided in the course to support your responses. Remember to access the Web links as provided and do any Internet research necessary to support the details of your responses. Sourcing your information is required.
DQ2 The Digital Divide
For this discussion, respond to the following prompts:
What obligations does the United States have, as a democratic nation concerned with guaranteeing equal opportunities for all its citizens, to ensure that all Americans have full access to the Internet? Keep in mind that many elderly and impoverished people in the United States are still lacking Internet access.
Does the United States also have obligations to developing countries to ensure that they have global access to the Internet?
If so, who should pay for the development of technology for Internet access?
Response Guidelines
This discussion will be an open-ended and in-depth, two-way discussion to afford you the opportunity to interact with your course instructor and other students. Please note that your initial post is due by 11:59:59 CST on Wednesday of this week. On 11:59:59 CST on Sunday of this week, please post a response post to one of your fellow learners' posts.
Length: Your content post should be between 200–250 words presented in three to four paragraphs. A paragraph should be between three to five sentences. Please add the appropriate APA citations to the content post.
You will respond to at least two other learners' initial posts. Your response posts to your fellow learners' post should be between 100–150 words with the appropriate APA citations added.
Both your content post and your response posts should reflect a collegial attitude, be free of grammar and spelling errors.
Post your discussion in the discussion forum.Note: Use the sources provided in the course to support your responses. Remember to access the Web links as provided and do any Internet research necessary to support the details of your responses. Sourcing your information is required.
IT3165 Ethics for the Information Technology Professional
Unit 5 Discussion
DQ1 Proprietary Software
There have been cases involving sting operations to apprehend pedophiles. While many people agree that these sting operations are necessary, others may argue that these could be classified as entrapment and should not be used. For this discussion:
Do you believe that sting operations should be used to lure pedophiles?
Are there other methods that could be used to protect children from these predators? Explain your answer.
Response Guidelines
This discussion will be an open-ended and in-depth, two-way discussion to afford you the opportunity to interact with your course instructor and other students. Please note your initial post is due by 11:59:59 CST on Wednesday of this week. Because this is our final and short week, at 11:59:59 CST on Friday of this week, please post a response post to two of your fellow learners' posts.
Length: Your content post should be between 200–250 words presented in three to four paragraphs. A paragraph should be between three to five sentences. Please add the appropriate APA citations to the content post.
You will respond to at least two other learners' initial posts. Your response posts to your fellow learners' post should be between 100–150 words with the appropriate APA citations added.
Both your content post and your response posts should reflect a collegial attitude, be free of grammar and spelling errors.
Post your discussion in the discussion forum.
Note: Use the sources provided in the course to support your responses. Remember to access the Web links as provided and do any Internet research necessary to support the details of your responses. Sourcing your information is required.
DQ2 Reflections
This course covered many moral and social issues as they relate to IT. In addition, you had a chance to work on an individual assignment and a team project. In this discussion, respond to the following as they relate to your entire experience:
How has your view changed from Unit 1 in what you see as the unique ethical problems in IT and the reasons you studied computer ethics?
What impact has this had on you?
Share your closing thoughts on how ethics must be related to IT and the Information Age.
Response Guidelines
This discussion will be an open-ended and in-depth, two-way discussion to afford you the opportunity to interact with your course instructor and other students. Please note your initial post is due by 11:59:59 CST on Wednesday of this week. Because this is our final and short week, at 11:59:59 CST on Friday of this week, please post a response post to two of your fellow learners' posts.
Length: Your content post should be between 200–250 words presented in three to four paragraphs. A paragraph should be between three to five sentences. Please add the appropriate APA citations to the content post.
You will respond to at least two other learners' initial posts. Your response posts to your fellow learners' post should be between 100–150 words with the appropriate APA citations added.
Both your content post and your response posts should reflect a collegial attitude, be free of grammar and spelling errors.
Post your discussion in the discussion forum.
Note: Use the sources provided in the course to support your responses. Remember to access the Web links as provided and do any Internet research necessary to support the details of your responses. Sourcing your information is required.
IT3165 Ethics for the Information Technology Professional
Unit 2 Assignment
Research Report on IT Ethics
For this assignment, you will research an issue related to information technology ethics. You may want to select a topic you feel will have an impact on your professional life. Your paper will be a minimum of three pages long (not including a title page, table of contents, and reference page). You must have a minimum of three references, cited using current APA guidelines. Papers that do not meet these requirements will receive point deductions.
Report Requirements
Evaluate an issue related to cyberethics.
Evaluate the implications of ethical issues for people and for technological practices.
Demonstrate effective communication of facts, research, analyses, and opinions regarding issues in information technology ethics.
Follow APA style and format guidelines for resources and citations, and create a document that is clearly written and generally free of grammatical errors.
Please refer to the Research Report on IT Ethics Scoring Guide for more information on how you will be graded.
Potential Topics
There are many options to pursue. Here are some possibilities:
Access or digital divide.
Legal liability or accountability.
The importance of an organizational code of ethics.
Fair information practice principles.
Privacy protection.
Electronic medical records/HIPAA.
Copyrights.
The role of cookies.
Data mining, property rights.
Hackers and hacking.
Criminal behavior on the Internet.
Global issues.
Policy approaches (for example, privacy policies or employer policies related to cyberethics).
Social implications and social values.
Laws and the legal system pertaining to IT.
Whistle-blowing.
Workplace monitoring.
Viruses.
Social networks.
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device).
Biometric technology.
Social media issues.
You may want to choose a current topic that is trending in IT.
Once the paper is submitted, please open the link to make sure it opens in the correct format and that you have posted the final version—the one you want graded.
IT3165 Ethics for the Information Technology Professional
Unit 3 Assignment
Team Project Timeline, Tasks, and Responsibilities
For the final assignment of the course project, due in Unit 5, you will write, as a team, a brief report on the importance of writing and adapting a code of ethics for your organization and develop a PowerPoint presentation that will include the components of the proposed code of ethics for your company. This will be your final assignment of the course, Team Project: IT Code of Ethics. The report will be written as if to be presented to the CEO and CIO of the organization. The PowerPoint presentation will be presented to top management and supervisors as well as the CEO and CIO.
Your instructor will set up a discussion area in the group area in the courseroom. At this time, locate the team that you are assigned to for the course project and contact your team members.
For the Unit 3 assignment, begin by:
Establishing some rules for the team.
Developing a brief project plan.
Defining team roles and assignments with deadline dates.
Building a constructive climate by using good communication practices.
Use the group discussion area with your team to complete your tasks, responsibilities, and timeline documentation. Your team will establish who will be the project manager (PM). This can be done by consensus, nomination, or by volunteering.
Primarily, the goal of the Unit 3 assignment is to develop a task list for the project. For a successful assignment, complete the following:
Determine who will be the project manager, or leader, for your team. This person will submit the final components (report and PowerPoint) for the Unit 5 assignment as well as the required assignment for Unit 3.
Determine the strategy with which you will complete your team project. This includes the tasks that will be completed for the paper and PowerPoint presentation.
Document specific guidelines and responsibilities for each team member to ensure a functional team.
Determine the timeline in which the tasks and final project will be completed.
Include other issues that are integral to the success of your team project.
As a team, start to plan your paper by doing the following:
Review the overall project requirements in the course project description.
Determine the tasks that need to be done to complete your paper.
Determine the responsibilities of each team member. You may decide to assign various pieces of the assignment at this time. You may want to consider assigning some team members to the report and others to the PowerPoint.
Since the final project assignment is due in Unit 5, it is important for your team to organize the tasks and activities as soon as possible. Organization helps teams identify all the issues that will be involved in the project.
It is recommended that your team post a draft of the Unit 3 project component by Friday in your group discussion area. By doing this, team members can provide feedback for improving this paper and the updates can be completed prior to submitting. This project component is due by Sunday evening and must be submitted by the project manager to the instructor.
Assignment Submission
The project manager will submit a document with the names of all team members. Included in the document will be the responsibilities of each team and the due dates. The paper should be 1–3 pages. This paper does not require APA citations.
Everyone else on the team will submit a short document stating what he or she has contributed to the group effort thus far. This paper does not require APA citations but must be written in a professional manner.
IT3165 Ethics for the Information Technology Professional
Unit 4 Assignment
Team Project Update
Your course project is due next week. For this assignment, you are to give an update on the progress for your team. This is an individual assignment. Everyone in the group will submit his or her own document.
Write a one-page paper that addresses the following:
Describe your team's progression for the course project.
Specifically describe your role for the course project.
Has the communication been acceptable?
Describe how challenges have been addressed by your team.
Describe your contribution to the team project thus far.
This paper does not need to have APA formatting but must be written in a clear and professional manner.
IT3165 Ethics for the Information Technology Professional
Unit 5 Assignment
Team Project: IT Code of Ethics
For the final assignment and course project, due in Unit 5, your team will write a brief report on the importance of writing and adopting a code of ethics for your organization and develop a PowerPoint presentation that will include the components of the proposed code of ethics for your company. This will be your final assignment. The report written by your team will be presented to the CEO and CIO. The PowerPoint presentation will be presented to top management and supervisors as well as the CEO and CIO.
Your research of existing codes of ethics in Unit 4 will be beneficial to this project. You will use precepts and principles from ethical thinkers to justify your recommendations for each aspect of your code.
Your paper should be a minimum of three pages (double-spaced), with at least two references. The title page, table of contents, and reference pages do not count as part of the three-page minimum. Be sure your paper follows current APA guidelines, including in-text citations. This paper should include an explanation of the ethical responsibilities of information technology professionals.
Your PowerPoint presentation should be a minimum of four slides. It should include a justification for your proposal of implementing a code of ethics for the company along with some of the issues that should be covered in the code of ethics.
To successfully complete this project, you will be expected to:
Write a well-written report that provides justification of why your company should incorporate an IT code of ethics and that explains the ethical responsibilities of information technology professionals.
Develop an informative PowerPoint presentation that includes specific conduct that will be highlighted in your company's IT code of ethics.
Identify ethical responsibilities of information technology professionals.
After your team has come to an agreement on the course project, the project manager will submit the final documents to this assignment.
Project manager: Ensure that the project meets all requirements. This includes ensuring there is a title page and a reference page. Ensure that all team members' names are listed on the title page. Attach your team's project to this assignment (there should be two files, the paper and the PowerPoint presentation).
All other team members (excluding project manager): Submit your agreement with the team project. Include the team name or number in the subject line.
Resources
Team Project: IT Code of Ethics Scoring Guide.
APA Style and Format.
Toggle Drawer
[u05d1] Unit 5 Discussion 1
Proprietary Software
There have been cases involving sting operations to apprehend pedophiles. While many people agree that these sting operations are necessary, others may argue that these could be classified as entrapment and should not be used. For this discussion:
Do you believe that sting operations should be used to lure pedophiles?
Are there other methods that could be used to protect children from these predators? Explain your answer.
Response Guidelines
This discussion will be an open-ended and in-depth, two-way discussion to afford you the opportunity to interact with your course instructor and other students. Please note your initial post is due by 11:59:59 CST on Wednesday of this week. Because this is our final and short week, at 11:59:59 CST on Friday of this week, please post a response post to two of your fellow learners' posts.
Length: Your content post should be between 200–250 words presented in three to four paragraphs. A paragraph should be between three to five sentences. Please add the appropriate APA citations to the content post.
You will respond to at least two other learners' initial posts. Your response posts to your fellow learners' post should be between 100–150 words with the appropriate APA citations added.
Both your content post and your response posts should reflect a collegial attitude, be free of grammar and spelling errors.
Post your discussion in the discussion forum.
Note: Use the sources provided in the course to support your responses. Remember to access the Web links as provided and do any Internet research necessary to support the details of your responses. Sourcing your information is required.
