Ethical Issues in Safety & Security

• Upon completion of this module, one should be able to discuss and appreciate the different ethical issues in safety and security, understand the significance of plagiarism, and know the issues around lack of access to information and communications technologies.

Ethical Issues for Safety and Security

• Social Networking: Websites and services connecting individuals online with similar interests (e.g., Facebook, Myspace, Twitter).
• Acceptable Use Policies: Regulations by network administrators or school leaders aligning with technology needs and safety.
• Netiquette: Online etiquette involving respecting views and displaying courtesy in online discussions.
• Cyberbullying: Bullying through social media or technologies like text messaging, characterized by invasiveness, wider reach, and constant accessibility.
• Student Data: Students possess rights regarding the control and use of their personal information.
• Internet Privacy: Online activity is tracked via IP addresses, so be aware of shared private information, password protection, and exposure of confidential data.

Digital Divide

• Digital divide refers to a community segment's lack of access to information and communications technologies which affects:
  • Gender
  • Socio-Economic Status
  • Race
  • Resource Equity
  • Teacher Bias
• Gender: Men are more IT-driven, while women are more passive technology users; men favor video games, and women prefer chatting and email.
• Socio-Economic Status: Poverty limits access to technology, widening the digital divide due to the high cost of technological resources.
• Race: Minority groups face limited access to informational technology skills due to socio-economic disadvantages which can affect careers.
• Resource Equity: Equal access to technology is important for quality education and bridging the digital divide.
• Teacher Bias: Teaching methods and technology use in the classroom influence students' understanding and adoption of technology.

Legal Use of Digital Media

• Copyright: Grants creators rights to reproduce, distribute, perform, and display their work, protecting against theft and unauthorized use.
• Plagiarism: Using another person's work or ideas without giving proper credit.
• Fair Use
• Creative Commons

Types of Plagiarism

• The Ghost Writer: Submitting another's work as one's own.
• The Photocopy: Copying significant portions of text from a single source without changes.
• The Potluck Paper: Copying from multiple sources, tweaking sentences to fit together, but retaining original phrasing.
• The Poor Disguise: Slightly altering a paper by changing keywords and phrases.
• The Labor of Laziness: Paraphrasing most of the paper from other sources and organizing it to fit together.
• The Self-Stealer: "Borrowing" generously from one's previous work.
• The Forgotten Footnote: Mentioning a source author's name but excluding specific information to locate the referenced material.
• The Misinformer: Providing inaccurate source information, making it impossible to find them.
• The Too-Perfect Paraphrase: Properly citing a source but neglecting to put quotation marks on text copied word-for-word.
• The Resourceful Citer: Properly citing all sources, paraphrasing, and using quotations but containing almost no original work.
• The Perfect Crime: Properly quoting and citing sources in some places but paraphrasing other arguments from those sources without citation. Copying media from other websites, using copyrighted music, performing another person’s copyrighted music, composing a piece of music that borrows heavily from another composition, without permission or citation, is plagiarism.

Intellectual property

• Creations of the mind, such as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, symbols, names, and images used in commerce.
• Protected by patents, copyrights, and trademarks, enabling creators to gain recognition or financial benefits.

Types of Intellectual Property

• Copyright: Legal rights creators have over literary and artistic works (e.g., books, music, films, software). Copyright grants exclusive rights to copy, distribute, reproduce, display, and license the work. A new copyright owned by an individual typically lasts 70 years after the copyright owner's death, 95 years for corporations.
• Patents: Exclusive right granted for an invention offering a new solution to a problem, requiring public disclosure of technical information.
• Trademarks: A sign distinguishing goods/services of one company from others, protected by intellectual property rights.
• Industrial Design: The ornamental or aesthetic aspect of an article, either three-dimensional (shape) or two-dimensional (patterns, lines, color).
• Geographical Indications: Signs identifying products with specific geographical origin, qualities, or reputation due to that origin.
• Trade Secrets: IP rights protecting confidential information that is commercially valuable and subject to reasonable secrecy measures.