Ethics/Copyright

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this unit, learners should be able to:

• define Ethics/Copyright

• provide examples of items where Copyright may apply 

• explain how corporate cultures can be implemented to combat unethical behaviour and infringement of copyright

• implement a Professional Online Presence and Learning Network (POPLN)

• discuss how libraries can cooperate with stakeholders to provide data services and assist learners in avoiding unethical behaviour and infringement of copyrights.

Definition of Ethics:

According to an article by Al-Nuaimi et al. (2020), computer ethics is “the analysis of the nature and social impact of computer technology and the corresponding formulation and justification of policies for the ethical use of such technology.” 

Definition of Copyright:

Copyright is one of the legal rights among many which is collectively known as intellectual property rights (IPRs), which give exclusive rights to the owners and creators of ideas, information, and creative works. Copyright covers written materials or literary works, artistic, dramatic and musical works, photographs, websites, film and video, sound recordings, and works of architecture. (Secker & Morrison, 2016)    

Corporate Cultures as a Key Method to Avoiding Unethical Behaviour or Avoiding Infringement of Copyrights When Using ICTs

"Professional Ethics in the Information Age" is an article which elaborates on Ethics and ways in which individuals can act ethically, as well as why people behave unethically by doing research on this matter. Particularly interesting for the article is the perspective of these researchers that a resolution does not occur in improved individual behaviour, but instead, in improved corporate cultures, which encourage ethical behaviour (Burmeister, 2017). This implies that individuals find it difficult to combat unethical behaviour. Therefore, corporate culture should be implemented so that it becomes easier for individuals to avoid unethical behaviour and disregard of copyrights. Schools that offer Computer Application Technology as a subject should thus implement a culture to ensure that learners behave ethically and avoid breaching copyrights. These schools, for example, may implement strategies to harshly deal with learners who behave unethically or disregard copyrights and make these learners aware of the dire consequences that they will face if they do not comply with the school's culture of avoiding unethical behaviour and avoiding infringement of copyrights when they use the Internet or Social Media. Another example may include that schools should make learners aware of what unethical use of information is and what infringement of copyrights is. Once they are aware, they may find it difficult to engage in unethical behaviour or infringe copyrights since they will be conscious of these activities and be aware that they can affect their personal digital identities if they do not abide by these rules.       

Professional Online Presence and Learning Networks (POPLN)

To initiate POPLN, learners were given background reading to do. This is a reading about the professional use of social media in education. These included media reports underscoring the dangers of social media for teachers who faced disciplinary action for transgressions. The following guidelines are from the teachers' union and regulatory bodies, with various examples of social media tools:  

• Cybersafety: which is your online identity and measures on how to protect your professional reputation, integrity, and privacy.

•  Being proactive: where one establishes a professional online presence.

•   Lifelong learning: by using the Internet to build a personal or professional learning network.

•   Challenges: expanding one's collection of social networking tools for professional purposes.

 With these considerations and goals in mind, the core focus of the POPLN challenge directed learners to:

 Select a tool to begin with, any free online social networking tool can be used.

•  find the tool online

•   create a profile

•   explore the uses of professional networking and learning

•   find out how others use it

•   reflect on the potential for future learning and seeking of help

•  share some thoughts and respond to peers.

The above extract was adapted from (Forbes, 2017)

When teaching Computer Application Technology learners, the above strategy can be used as a practical activity or assignment to identify learners who perform unethical activities and assist them in avoiding such activities. 

Cooperate with stakeholders to provide data service

This is another method that can be utilised in an attempt to avoid unethical behaviour and the infringement of copyrights. According to an article by Si et al. (2015), some libraries have forcibly undertaken government-funded research projects to obtain financial support for the improvement of data management services. Once these libraries gain the necessary financial support, learners in schools should be encouraged to utilise the services offered by these libraries. Learners should ask librarians for assistance on how to avoid unethical behaviour and disregard of copyrights so that they can develop a positive personal digital identity.  

Watch the two videos below to better understand Ethics and Copyright: