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Consequences of Computing:
A Framework for Teaching
Principles and Skills Underlying the Social and Ethical Dimensions - Page 24 of 36
[ES3] Identifying and evaluating alternative courses of action. Often, ethical mistakes
are made more from a failure of imagination rather than a failure of moral principle. If you
simply cannot think of alternative courses of action, then you are left with little choice. An
important practical aspect of ethical reasoning involves determining if all the available
options have been exhausted. Many students will look at a situation and assume that the
dichotomous choices as given (copy or don't copy the interface, test or don't test the system,
involve or don't involve users in design) are the only choices. Practice in negotiating
alternatives can give students caught in ethical binds the confidence that they can think
about their choices. Practice evaluating the alternatives they have generated can make it
easier to evaluate the options in actual decisions. Again, this sort of practice can be
equally well done in both concentrated courses on ethical and social issues and in technical
courses.
[ES4] Applying ethical codes to concrete situations. Professional ethical codes
represent the consensus of the field with regard to the responsibilities of those professionals.
Students who aspire to join the profession should be familiar with these codes in their
application to situations that are likely to occur in professional life. Remember that the
methods of ethical reflection we are asking students to learn include comparing their
intuitions and reasoning to both concrete cases and to established values in the field.
Ethical analysis that does not do this is incomplete because it is not anchored in dialogue
with other professionals and their ethical reasoning. It should be clear from the way we are
proposing dialogue that we are not talking about slavish obedience to any ethical code, but
thoughtful reflection that includes as a significant part a concern for the consensus of the
field on ethical issues.
This concern can be taught in both the dedicated class and in technical classes. Reminders to
consider ethical codes can easily be included as a part of case analysis in technical classes.
The dedicated class can also view the code as a document of a social process of dialogue, and
explore the process of adoption, evaluation, and revision of ethical codes. This places the
student firmly in the tradition of dialogue with other professionals as they evaluate the code.
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