PHIL 430 - Ethics and Law in Information Technology (IT)

Credits: 5
Variable Credit Course: No

Lecture Hours: 55
Lab Hours: 0
Worksite/Clinical Hours: 0
Other Hours (LIA/Internships): 0

Course Description: Explore legal and ethical concepts in the information technology field. Includes data privacy, explores handling and storing data, licensing, third party requirements, anonymize, Open Source, copyright, intellectual property rights, hacking and fraud. Study the difference between laws and ethics and examine ethical issues encountered in IT to arrive at appropriate ethical choices.

Prerequisite: BASAD Dept. Chair permission.
Meets FQE Requirement: No
Integrative Experience Requirement: No

Student Learning Outcomes

Identify and analyze statutory, regulatory, constitutional, and organizational laws that affect the software development professional.
Evaluate current ethical dilemmas in the technology field including data privacy, hacking, and fraud.
Using ethical principles, prepare a recommendation for handling and storing data, licensing, third party requirements, and anonymizing data.
Compare and contrast copyright, including Creative Commons, and Open Source software, within the context of intellectual property rights.
Compare and contrast diverse perspectives and ethical dilemmas in the application development field and recommend an appropriate response.
Given various contracts in the software development field, distinguish enforceable contracts from non-enforceable contracts.
Analyze ethical dilemmas that have faced software developers in the past and their response.
Demonstrate ethical leadership and teamwork.

Course Contents

Statutory, regulatory, constitutional, and organizational laws that affect the software development professional.
Current ethical dilemmas in the technology field including data privacy, hacking and fraud.
Ethical principles for handling and storing data, licensing, third party requirements, and anonymizing data.
Copyright, including Creative Commons, and Open Source software, within the context of intellectual property rights.
Diverse perspectives and ethical dilemmas in the application development field and recommend an appropriate response.
Various contracts in the software development field, such as the difference between enforceable contracts from non-enforceable contracts.
Ethical dilemmas that have faced software developers in the past and their response.
Ethical leadership and teamwork.

Instructional Units: 5