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Winter Term, 2010 via ECampus 3 credits No Prerequisites Course website: http://dusk.geo.orst.edu/ethics |
Dr. Dawn Wright, dawn-at-dusk.geo.orst.edu
Winter Office Hours: Tues/Thurs 12:15-1:15, or by appointment, Wilkinson 114
Interested undergrads welcome, as well as full-time GIS professionals.
Required Text: Quinn, M. 2009. Ethics for the Information Age (3rd Edition), New York: Addison-Wesley. Other readings will be provided throughout the term.
| Course Description |
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Professionalism in today's geographic information science field (e.g., GIS, remote sensing, cartography, quantitative spatial analysis), now involves a commitment to ethical practice as informed by a more sophisticated understanding of the ethical implications of geographic technologies. For example, the use of GIS for military and surveillance purposes, the lack of privacy introduced by mobile mapping devices, and the use (misuse?) of GIS for conservation and sustainability continue to be challenging issues and topics of deep concern for many. Students and professionals working with GIS and related technologies should develop a sound grasp of these issues and a thorough comprehension of the concerns impacting their use and development in today's world. However, while most people agree that ethics matters for GIS, we often have difficulty putting ethical issues into practice. This course seeks to bridge this gap by providing a sound basis for future ethical consideration of a variety of issues. Students will first review some general ethical theories and processes of moral reasoning. Concurrently, they will briefly investigate the nature of professions in general and the characteristics of a GIS profession in particular. They will hone moral reasoning skills through methodical analyses of case studies in relation to the GIS Code of Ethics and Rules of Conduct. They will also learn to unveil the "moral ecologies" of a profession through actual interviews with real practitioners in the field. Assignments will include readings, class discussions, practitioner interviews, and preparations of original case studies. The course is part of an ongoing project supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and in collaboration with similar courses now in progress at Penn State University and the University of Minnesota. See http://gisprofessionalethics.org if interested in the NSF project.
This course is required for the online version of the graduate certificate in GIScience, and will also be accepted as an elective in the geographic information science (GIScience) concentration within the geography M.S. and Ph.D. degree programs or as an elective for the on-campus offering of GIScience certificates.
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| Discussion Topics Include... |
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| Learning Outcomes |
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By the end of this course, students should be able to:
Unit GS6 - Ethical aspects...
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| Interviews and Case Studies |
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The central activity of the course is an interview with a GIS professional
in your local area . This involves preparation of
background documentation, documentation of the interview, interview evaluation, and interview presentation, which you will assemble into a short report with corresponding sections. The purpose of the interview is to learn about the "moral
ecology" of the organization within which the professional works. The
interview may form the basis for an original case study. Or you may prepare a case study about a hypothetical situation. Case studies will follow the structure of existing case study documents presented in class. Ultimately, the goal of preparing your own case studies is to increase:
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| Grading/Assessment |
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All graduate students taking this course must register for A/F grades. The
term project related to the interview of a GIS professional (preparation of
background documentation, documentation of the interview, interview
evaluation, and interview presentation), will determine 60% of the
course grade. The original case study will be worth 20% and class
participation in online discussion fora will be worth 20%.
All students will also participate in a "pre-survey" at the beginning of the
course, to assess what they know, believe, and feel about potential ethical
problems confronting GIS&T professionals. A "post-survey" will be administered
at the end of the course, where both student and professor may assess
together how effective the course has been in raising student awareness of
ethical issues and strengthening student moral reasoning abilities.
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| Students w/Special Challenges |
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Students with documented disabilities who may need accommodations, who have any emergency medical information the instructors should know of, or who need special arrangements in the event of evacuation, should make an appointment with either instructor as early as possible, no later than the first week of the term. For further information regarding accomodations for students with disabilities in this class, please see the SSD web site at: ssd.oregonstate.edu. |
Last update: October 22, 2009
Dawn Wright © 2008-present