Four Opportunities for SE Ethics Education

Abstract

Many software engineers direct their talents towards software systems which do not fall into traditional definitions of safety critical systems, but are integral to society (e.g., social media, expert advisor systems). While codes of ethics can be a useful starting point for ethical discussions, codes are often limited in scope to professional ethics and may not offer answers to individuals weighing competing ethical priorities. In this paper, we present our vision for improving ethics education in software engineering. To do this, we consider current and past curricular recommendations, as well as recent efforts within the broader computer science community. We layout challenges with vignettes and assessments in teaching, and give recommendations for incorporating updated examples and broadening the scope of ethics education in software engineering.

Using Cybersecurity Body of Knowledge (CyBOK) Case Studies to Enhance Student Learning

“…The difference between the two is essentially their complexity. Yet, vignettes are usually too brief to provide a proper context and thereby require a thorough investigation of the problem to arrive at a proper solution [26]. An example of a vignette could be: "Paul holds open the door to the clearance level 3 office doors for Jamie, who walks right behind Paul, such that Jamie doesn't have to swipe her access card.…”