6 Discussion assignments – average will be 35% of your grade

6 Project assignments – average will be 35% of your grade

3 Exams – average will be 30% of your grade

An overall grade will be assigned based on the following scale:

90% - 100% A 89% - 80% B 79% - 70% C 69% - 60% D 0% - 59% F

Do NOT buy the textbook materials access until you receive detailed instructions from your instructor!

Ethics in Information Technology, Sixth Edition, George Reynolds, Cengage Learning, 2019.

In this class students will “Examine personal and contemporary organizational ethical issues and challenges in the design, development, and use of computing technologies in a global environment. Special emphasis on philosophical basis for computer ethics, reliability and safety of computer systems, protecting software and other intellectual property, computer crime and legal issues, and professional codes of ethics.”

This course is designed to provide students in the BAS Software Development program with an ethical framework from which they may ascertain the appropriate actions to take as they work in the IT field. It is believed that without the proper perspective and understanding of ethical, legal, and societal issues it can be difficult to know the best decisions to make. This course hopes to help individuals take responsibility for their actions, act with transparency and accountability, and understand the implications of their actions towards individuals, organizations, and society.

1. Demonstrate the ability to include ethical considerations in your decision-making

2. Outline the manner in which historical philosophers have addressed ethical issues

3. Explain the ethical issues and options that confront IT workers and IT users

4. Identify the actions that should be taken upon discovery of a security intrusion

5. Summarize the capabilities of surveillance technologies as they impact privacy

6. Analyze key federal laws and their effects on technological freedom of expression

7. Examine the scope of intellectual property issues and the available protection measures

8. Define potential ethical issues software manufactures face when making decisions

9. Elaborate on the manner in which AI and machine learning may introduce bias

10. Discuss ethical issues associated with the use of social networks and social media

11. Survey recent whistle-blowing cases focusing on associated ethical issues

Professor Ralph E. Hooper

Office Phone: 512-223-2599

Office Location: Room 1300.25 San Gabriel Campus

Virtual Office Hours: Mon & Wed 1:00 pm --3:30 pm via Zoom (email for appt.)

ACC email: ralph.hooper@austincc.edu -- Zoom will be available for meetings

Instructor Website: https://hooper.accprofessors.com/ 

Instructor Bio: I have been teaching at the college level for over 35 years in both mathematics and computer science. My research interests are computational thinking and educational technology. I enjoy travel and baseball.