Abstract
This
paper discusses and demonstrates Program Learning Outcome 5 "the importance of the use ethical practices of technology while
designing and promoting infusion of technology to enhance learning experiences
in education." As educators, it is
necessary to understand the ethical issues that are faced, as instructional
technology becomes the focus in instructional design. An explanation of the principles and theory
that apply will be explained and why they were chosen. The discussion includes the design and
implementation challenges experienced during the redesign of a MATLT activity and
how they were overcome.
As the use of web-based
training increases, ethical issues related to the applications of the
technology and the materials utilized within the technology have also
risen. Educators are obliged under the
code of ethics and standards adopted by the Association of Educational
Communications and Technology (AECT), the professional association of educators
and others who work together to improve instruction through technology by
maintaining a high level of professional conduct as principles of ethics (para
1). This code of ethics is a guide for
educators to use to protect the student, the organization, and themselves to
uphold the highest standards of legal and ethical behavior that serves as a
defining feature of the profession.
As instructional designers
struggle to create quality online courses of study, the emerging issues that
are prominent have been categorized as copyright, confidentiality or learner
privacy, accessibility of materials, diversity, conflict of interest, and professionalism/confidence
(Lin, 2007). The MATLT activity chosen
to redesign is a wiki The Curious Kindergarten
Garden created
for kindergarten students to use as a learning and collaborating tool to explore,
formulate, and construct meaning as they create a garden environment that
supports organic life. The wiki is also linked to the classroom website and
would benefit from the same changes.
An issue that was not
addressed in the original wiki was including an ethics code with guidelines about
Internet use and the procedures of posting information. The written policy was
omitted at first on the wiki and website due to the age of the students
involved, the Student Acceptable Internet User Agreement of the district
already signed, and the teacher giving verbal instructions to the students
about creating posts on the wiki. The teacher would oversee changes made to the
Wiki in the classroom, monitor the posts, and attends to immediate
notifications via email. An ethics code
was added with additional instructions because it was decided that there would
not be an adequate level of professionalism in the posting of students from
their homes, even with parental supervision. This would be a reference guide for
parents who wish to add helpful posts to the supporting blog. It was also decided to develop site
administration standards to prevent unauthorized access from those outside the
class, including extended family or others not part of the class.
The next issue was learner
privacy and safety. According to Lin (2007) technological solutions can help to
solve ethical solutions such as using passwords and privacy restrictions. Privacy
restrictions are to be maintained and participants will sign an agreement not
to share this information without proper authorization. An additional statement
was placed in writing on the wiki and website to reinforce the student
acceptable policy use agreement that is part of the district requirements for
all parents and students upon admittance to school. The educator must be
meticulous in following that no one posts any private information about
students’ names or allows unauthorized persons to access the site. A video
geared for young students in the safe use of the Internet was also added.
According to Akcay (2008) the
Internet serves as a communication tool and the importance of Netiquette is an
ethical issue. The Student Safety video
addresses the importance of Netiquette to insure that the students are
responsible and do not write or display anything that would be offensive to
others. The challenges in redesigning this activity were to find an effective
way to present this information to both adults and young children. Another challenge that occurred was whether
to include a WebQuest resource containing a video of a reading of a book that
our classroom did not have. It was
decided to remove the content because it was not certain whether or not a
copyright infringement occurred.
With proper training and
guidance, all participants can engage in effective technology classrooms and
extend learning to the home. A
partnership with students, teachers, and administration will provide enhanced
learning experiences supported by technology tools in the global informational
world.
References
Akcay, B. (2008). The relationship between technology and ethics; from society to school. Turkish Online Distance Education. Retrieved from the relationship between technology and ethics - tojde tojde.anadolu.edu.tr/tojde32/pdf/article_9.pdf
Lin, H. (2007). The ethics of
instructional technology: issues and coping strategies experienced by
professional technologists in design and training situations in higher
education. Educational Technology Research and Development, 55,
411-437. Retrieved from http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/ed690mb/ethics.pdf
What is AECT? The Association
of Educational Communications and Technology. Retrieved from http://www.aect.org/newsite/
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