I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Ethics in Information Technology

2. Course Prefix & Number:
COMP 2160

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 3

Lecture Hours: 3

Lab Hours: 0

4. Course Description:

This course will introduce students to ethical topics and situations that exist in, and are possibly unique to, information technology. Actual case studies will be explored, and students will earn practical advice on how to deal with these issues if they arise. Topics covered will include a definition of ethics, ethics for IT professionals and users, computer crime, internet crime, privacy laws, constitutional freedoms, intellectual property, software development, employment issues, and industry codes of ethics.  Career Preparation: The studies in this course will help students prepare for careers such as Computer Support Specialist, PC Repair Technician, Network Administrator, Network Engineer, Systems Analyst, Systems Engineer, IS Manager and CIO.

5. Placement Tests Required:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

8. Prerequisite (Entry) Skills:
Efficiency with a current Microsoft operating system such as Windows 7, 8, or 10.

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:

University of MN Duluth, CS 3111 Computer Ethics, 4 credits

3. Prior Learning - the following prior learning methods are acceptable for this course:

• Written
• Oral
• Demonstration
• Portfolio

III. Course Purpose

1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course is required for the following program(s):

Computer Information Technology, AAS Degree
Computer Support Specialist, Diploma

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Utilize appropriate technology	Use current computer hardware and software to explore common unethical practices in the field of IT.
Apply ethical principles in decision-making	Given specific scenarios, students will identify both ethical and unethical solutions to real-world situations and problems.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

• Distinguish between ethical and unethical behavior;
• Express general ethical theories as they apply to information technology;
• Criticize the pro and con arguments used in computer crime issues;
• Identify the risks associated with unethical behavior in the IT field;
• Explain the pros and cons of freedom of expressions including First Amendment rights and how they pertain to technology use and internet blogging, posting, and how it fits the current social networking environment;
• Explain the pros and cons of freedom of expression issues using current technologies including social networking in the arena of libel, defamation, pornography, and hate statements;
• Effectively discuss the issues of intellectual property and the legal and social ramifications including but not limited to copyrights, patents, trade secrets, reverse engineering, plagiarism, open source code, freeware and shareware, and competitive intelligence;
• Discuss and argue legal and ethical issues surrounding the use of social media and evolving changes and challenges including but not limited to business application of social networking, hiring practices, cyber-bullying, cyber-stalking, predation and other social crimes, and virtual worlds; and
• Identify the negative impacts of unethical behavior and its consequences.

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

1. Overview of Ethics
• Definition of ethics
• Why fostering good business ethics is important
• Creating an ethical work environment
• Making ethical decisions
2. Ethics for IT Professionals
• Expectations of the IT industry
• Professional codes of ethics
• Government licensing
• IT professional malpractice
• Ethical issues for IT users
3. Computer and Internet Crime
• IT security incidents
• Types of exploits
• Types of criminals
• Performing a risk assessment
• Risk management
• Prevention
• Detection
4. Privacy
• Privacy laws
• Information and data privacy
• Anonymity and privacy issues
• Identity theft
• Consumer profiling
5. Freedom of Expression
• First amendment rights
• Controlling access to information on the Internet
• Anonymity and freedom of expression
• Pornography
• Defamation, libel and hate
6. Intellectual Property
• Copyrights
• Patents
• Trade secrets
• Reverse engineering
• Plagiarism
• Open source code, freeware and shareware
• Competitive intelligence
7. Social Networking
• Business application of social networking
• Hiring practices
• Cyber-bullying, cyber-stalking, predation and other social crimes
• Virtual worlds
8. Ethics of IT Organizations
• Contingent workers
• H-1B workers
• Whistle-blowing
• Outsourcing
• Green computing
• Ethical policies