University of Sunderland Professionalism and Personal Skills Unit 8 Professionalism and Personal Skills Lecture 8: Professionalism and Ethics

University of Sunderland Professionalism and Personal Skills Unit 8 Professionalism and Personal Skills Objectives By the end of this lecture the student should – –Understand what constitutes professionalism –Understand what constitutes a Professional Institute –Appreciate the Ethical Issues

University of Sunderland Professionalism and Personal Skills Unit 8 Professionalism and Personal Skills Overview Professionals are a part of everyday life. But what exactly are professionals? What do they do? What distinguishes them from other ‘workers’? How do Ethics play a part?

University of Sunderland Professionalism and Personal Skills Unit 8 Professionalism and Personal Skills Introduction What is professionalism? What constitutes professionalism? What is a professional? Link between professionals Professional Institutes Professional Computing Personnel Ethical Issues

University of Sunderland Professionalism and Personal Skills Unit 8 Professionalism and Personal Skills Definitions Professional – –“Person engaged in a profession” Profession – –“Calling or occupation est. Learned or Scientific” (Collins Dictionary) Profession –“Occupation requiring advanced academic training such as Law or Medicine” (Oxford Dictionary)

University of Sunderland Professionalism and Personal Skills Unit 8 Professionalism and Personal Skills Professionalism What is a Professional? What Constitutes Professionalism? In Job Terms what links Professionals?

University of Sunderland Professionalism and Personal Skills Unit 8 Professionalism and Personal Skills Professional Institutes What are the Institutions? What do the Institutions do?

University of Sunderland Professionalism and Personal Skills Unit 8 Professionalism and Personal Skills The need for Professionalism in the Computing Industry Scale of IT Possible Effects DISCUSSION POINT: What make an IT Professional ?

University of Sunderland Professionalism and Personal Skills Unit 8 Professionalism and Personal Skills Computing and Professional Institutions Importance of Professionalism Problems Associated Lack of Legislation Who is recognised for IT

University of Sunderland Professionalism and Personal Skills Unit 8 Professionalism and Personal Skills Aim of Computer Ethics Make Computer Professionals – –More thoughtful –More careful Produce better computer scientists Provide usable concepts and material for use in an integrated approach for teaching and applying computer ethics

University of Sunderland Professionalism and Personal Skills Unit 8 Professionalism and Personal Skills Aim of Computer Ethics (cont) Aim to have Computer Ethics Applied across all computer science Make Computing and People who use Computers more Socially Responsible

University of Sunderland Professionalism and Personal Skills Unit 8 Professionalism and Personal Skills Other Ethical Issues Electronic Commerce Ethics Policies Software/Hardware Copying/Pirating Software

University of Sunderland Professionalism and Personal Skills Unit 8 Professionalism and Personal Skills Other Ethical Issues Most computer security systems are a result of competition between hackers and those attempting to maintain security New challenges appear on every technological horizon WWW programming language JAVA has created an arms race between security protection experts and hackers

University of Sunderland Professionalism and Personal Skills Unit 8 Professionalism and Personal Skills Other Ethical Issues Surreptitious malicious applets that delete files and send private information are causing major concern Known Java based attacks can be summarised into five categories

University of Sunderland Professionalism and Personal Skills Unit 8 Professionalism and Personal Skills Computer Professionals and Computer Ethics Education Gotterbarn (1995) –Positive guides to ethical behaviour need to be in place in current software engineering courses starting in the early stages and running through the entire program –Discussion of ethics interactively throughout the course is likely to be most effective

University of Sunderland Professionalism and Personal Skills Unit 8 Professionalism and Personal Skills Computer Professionals and Computer Ethics Education Martin & Martin (1990) –Ethical dimensions should be integrated into the early stages of education and linked to managing technology –Computer education now begins in elementary school, this is where computer ethics education should begin

University of Sunderland Professionalism and Personal Skills Unit 8 Professionalism and Personal Skills Computer Professionals and Computer Ethics Education Lu & Lin (1999) –Challenge to the Educators - integrating computer ethics topics into various modules could be the most effective way

University of Sunderland Professionalism and Personal Skills Unit 8 Professionalism and Personal Skills Computer Professionals and Computer Ethics Education Johnson (1998) –Proactive integrated approach to ethical issues in computing –Enhanced ethical behaviour by creating awareness of computer ethics and responsibility in young users of computers

University of Sunderland Professionalism and Personal Skills Unit 8 Professionalism and Personal Skills What Using Computer Ethics and Aspiring to Professionalism Can do for YOU Help you get a better JOB Improve the standard of your WORK Help Society make best use of Technology Create Safe environments for people working with and using Computer Technology Create Computer Ethics policies Trust = Confidence

University of Sunderland Professionalism and Personal Skills Unit 8 Professionalism and Personal Skills Summary What is professionalism? What constitutes professionalism? What is a professional? Link between professionals Professional Institutes Professional Computing Personnel Ethical Issues

University of Sunderland Professionalism and Personal Skills Unit 8 Professionalism and Personal Skills Objectives –Understand what constitutes professionalism –Understand what constitutes a Professional Institute –Appreciate the Ethical Issues