Computing Education: A Discussion Paper on Teaching and Assessing Ethics

The need to teach and assess ethics in computing education cannot be overemphasized. This is not unconnected to the ubiquitous nature of computing products and services, which has made ethical considerations of their use a focal point in the twenty-first century. The pervasiveness of computers in everyday life is a fact that defines the twenty-first century. However, as important and useful as the transformational field of computing is in this age, it´s potential for harm and as catalyst for disaster or catastrophe has increased. Therefore, there is urgent need to review the inclusion of ethics teaching and assessment in the educational training of computing students in order to guard against the perceived negative tendencies of computing. This paper seeks to contribute to the discussion on the need to advance the teaching and assessment of ethics in the computing disciplines. This, we believe is necessary to better prepare students for the incredibly demanding and complex world that awaits them after graduation.