Unit Description

This lesson explores subjects in Digital Ethics ranging from plagiarism, copyrights, and use policy, to social media and the impacts it is having on society.

Terms and Definitions

Digital Ethics

A concept that encompasses principles, guidelines, and moral values governing the use of technology, data, as well as digital platforms. Source: Digital ethics: definition and examples. (2024, May 15). Smowl.net. https://smowl.net/en/blog/digital-ethics/ 

AUP

Stands for "Acceptable Use Policy", which is a document stipulating constraints and practices that a user must agree to for access to a network, the internet, or other computing resources. Source: Kirvan, P. (2022, June). What is acceptable use policy (AUP)? WhatIs.com. https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/acceptable-use-policy-AUP 

Accessibility

A term that describes something that can be accessed, entered, or reached with little to no obstacles. In the realm of computing, accessibility relates to features which allows those with disabilities to use a computer through assistive technologies. Source: What is Accessibility? (n.d.). Www.computerhope.com. https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/a/accessibility.htm 

Plagiarism

an act or instance of using or closely imitating the language or thoughts of another author without authorization and representation of that author's work as one's own, as by not crediting the original author. Source: Dictionary.com. (2018). the definition of plagiarism. Www.dictionary.com. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/plagiarism 

Copyright

a type of intellectual property that protects original works of authorship as soon as an author fixes the work in a tangible form of expression. Source: U.S. Copyright Office. (2025). What is copyright? Www.copyright.gov; U.S. Copyright Office. https://www.copyright.gov/what-is-copyright/ 

Creative Commons

A set of various licenses that allows people to share their copyrighted work to be copied, edited, built upon, etc. while retaining the copyright to the original work (often used attributively). Creative Commons is also the name of the organization that releases these licenses. Source: Definition of Creative Commons | Dictionary.com. (n.d.). Www.dictionary.com. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/creative-commons 

What are the 5 media types as related to digital/multimedia?

1. Video

2. Audio

3. Text

4. Images and Graphics

5. Mixed media e.g. things like video games

Source: (2024, January 24). 5 Types of Digital Media [Review of 5 Types of Digital Media]. Hilbert College Global; Hilbert College. https://online.hilbert.edu/blog/types-of-digital-media/ 

Lesson Learned

This lesson was a dive into social media and the impacts it can have on society. It was also interesting to work with crediting works properly, even works you made yourself!! I had never created a digital commons license until this lesson, which was pretty interesting.