| The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions that computer science educators have about computer ethics. In particular, the opinions of college-level computer science faculty were examined.; Data for this study were gathered using questionnaires which were mailed to all 144 full-time faculty members teaching computer science courses in Kentucky colleges and universities which offer a computer science major or minor. Data were processed using the Statistical Analysis System software package. Chi square analysis and comparison of means were employed to determine whether demographic differences existed.; Accessing confidential databanks and copying commercial software were considered today's most important ethical issues. A majority of respondents considered computer ethics to be a global problem, at their institutions, and among all sample groups, especially computer science students. The study showed that schools should publish a computing ethics policy, and that computer ethics can and should be taught at the university level in a classroom setting, preferrably in a separate module within a larger elective course, taught by computer science faculty, primarily for college freshmen. The study also showed that faculty should be expected to discuss computer ethics in other courses. A computer ethics module or course should cover a wide variety of topics, including copying commercial software and viruses and worms, and employ a variety of teaching methods, especially case studies and lecture.; Some significant differences in responses were traced to demographics. Public university faculty were more likely than church-related faculty to agree that ethically inappropriate computer practices are common among noncomputer science faculty and prefer class discussion of instructor-provided case studies as a teaching method; public university faculty were less likely to select copying commercial software as today's most important ethical issue. Respondents from colleges and universities with an existing computer ethics course were more likely to consider computer ethics a local problem. Faculty who had discussed computer ethics were more likely to respond that computer ethics is a local problem, a school should develop its own computing ethics policy, and computer ethics can and should be taught in the classroom. Educators who had attended a class or seminar on computer ethics agreed unanimously that computer ethics is a global problem. |
