Group items tagged

Information technology is changing many aspects of human endeavor and existence. This is beyond doubt. What are contested are the social and ethical implications of these changes. The source of these contestations is the multiple ways in which one can conceptualize and interpret the information technology/society interrelationship. Each of these ways of conceptualization and interpretation enables one to see the information technology/society relationship differently and therefore construe its social and ethical implications in a different manner. This entry is concerned with the phenomenological approach to interpreting information technology and its social and ethical implications. However, in order to understand the distinctiveness of the phenomenological approach some other possible ways of interpreting this relationship will also be outlined briefly.

Studies in Ethics, Law, and Technology1 is a peer-reviewed and policy-focused journal that examines the ethical and legal issues that arise from emerging technologies. While much attention has gone to specific fields such as bioethics, this is the first journal to address the broad scope of all technologies and their impact on the environment, society, and humanity. Topics include biotech, nanotech, neurotech, IT, weapons, energy and fuel, space-based technology, and new media and communications. Articles explore the synergy between law and ethics, and provide a robust policy response to technology's opportunities and challenges.

The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics offers the following resources on current ethical issues in technology:

"In this paper I intend to discuss social decision-making involving extreme risks. By an extreme risk, I mean a potential outcome of an act for which the probability is low, but whose negative value is high. Extreme risks are often discussed when new technologies are introduced into society. Nuclear power and genetic engineering are two well-known examples." (Martin Peterson)

The purpose of this page is to provide resources for the various instructional units/cases presented in Information Technology Ethics. Because of the extensive references, these references will be segmented into indidivual pages.

This section contains links to a variety of scenarios of ethical and unethical technology use by students. The scenarios will include discussion questions and brief commentary.

The following links have been furnished as a starting point to help members of the CSM community learn more about CSM policies and the ethical issues associated with the use of information technologies in our society.

Digital citizenship can be described as knowing how to behave appropriately and responsibly with regard to technology use.\nNine elements within three main areas have been identified that together make up digital citizenship. These are from the book 'Digital Citizenship in Schools' by Mike Ribble and Gerald Bailey:

"There have long been doctored photos, and the advent of digital photography and computer programs taught some hard lessons in skepticism." (chicagotribune.com)

"The Center for Information Policy Research (CIPR) was established in 1998, at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, School of Information Studies (UWM-SOIS)"