Definition of ethics: Ethics is a shared set of principles and values that helps us evaluate what is right and wrong, guiding our decisions, actions, and how we treat others.
Student Exercise:
a. Express the above definition in your own words and outline a situation that might involve a choice of ethical and unethical behaviour.
b. Break into small groups and consider the ideal of ‘shared’. How shared to you feel your ethics are.
New Refined Methodology
Step 1: Identify the people involved, their interests and the facts of the situation.
Step 2: Examine the situation from each person’s point of view.
Step 3: Compare viewpoints and identify any conflicting ethical principles.
Step 4: Compare the digital situation with a similar real-world situation.
Step 5: Construct an open scenario in which the different viewpoints can be explored.
Step 6: Decide on a course of action, justify it and reflect on the decision.
We will use the above on an example after the discussion on ethical principles
What are some ethical principles?
Theory related to ethical principles can be read here.
Applying the methodology
In the above document a distinguision made between clear cut ethical situation where it is clear what an ethical response would be and ethical dilemas where it is not clear what the ethical response should be.
Student Exercise applying the methodology
a. Clear Cut Ethical Situation: Manipulate a students image to show them in an embarrising situation and distribute it to a Social Media Site sed by many students at the school (note: the actually change made is left deliberatly vague)
Step 1: Identify the people involved, their interests and the facts of the situation.
People Involved: the student, creator/distributer, other students, teachers, parents, public
Step 2: Examine the situation from each person’s point of view.
Student: no control, no knowledge, being used for fun or ridicule, could be very upsetting, serious mental health consequences
Creator: in control/power, motive is fun? motive is to do harm, can’t know the impact, engaged in bullying
Other students: receivers, might be friends with student, become worried, develop mental health issues, might not like student, might re-send with degrogatory message etc
Teachers: wil not know, unitl brought to their attention, need to waste time investigating, need to support those effected, need to meet with creator, possibly with parents, possible medical people
Parents: may no know for some time, student not likely to reveal, notice change in student, get angry, need to support, incur costs for medical attention, ring school
Step 3: Compare viewpoints and identify any conflicting ethical principles.
The creator does not know the affect, student could be seriously effected, teachers and parents left in the dark, difficulty determining facts.
The key ethical principle is to no harm, don’t use others for your benefit.
Creator migh argue “just exercising my freedom of speech”, or student deserves it, it was just fun, just getting my own back, the student did same to me.
Step 4: Compare the digital situation with a similar real-world situation.
digital: easy to do, wide circulation, can be repeated, can’t be taken back
No computer involved: just a picture, limited exposure, can be removed, can more readily be seen, effects on student can be same.
Step 5: Construct an open scenario in which the different viewpoints can be explored.
Motivation of the creator is in conflict with the consequences. But what of the claim “student did it to me”?
The effects on the student were BAD to use our simple language from before, should be avoided.
Step 6: Decide on a course of action, justify it and reflect on the decision.
Ignore the claim just getting my own back for the minute.
The ethical principle violated is the notion of “do not harm”, the creators actions where unethical as they resulted in harm.
To consider the situation that both had done the same thing we can conclud both acted unethically as not acted to cause harm.
Student Exercise: repeat the methodology to consider the dilema outlined below. Do as group activity and report back.
An ethical dilema might be involved here to. Suppose a friend of the student wanted to report the person who bragged about sending the image, but they also know that student themselves had done the same thing but nobody knew this only you.
