Students and Sensors: Data, education, privacy, and research - Applying Ethical Theory

This report analyzes the ethical dilemma arising from the collection of certain specific data from the students to be used for the purpose of research or to understand the behaviors of the student. The report identifies and analyzes the issues according to the ethical theories of Utilitarianism, deontology, Virtue and contract theory.

SCHOOL OF COMPUTING AND MATHS, Charles Sturt University
Students and Sensors: Data, education, privacy, and research
Assignment 3: Applying Ethical Theory
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Students and Sensors: Data, education, privacy, and research
1. Introduction
An ethics case study is chosen for the report that identifies and analyses the ethical dilemma
arising from the collection of certain specific data from the students to be used for the
purpose of research or to understand the behaviors of the student. Universities have been
collecting the data for a number of purposes, which includes studying the behavior,
analyzing their social circle and collecting certain data that can help in predicting whether the
students will return to the University after their freshman year. The data about the social
circle of the students and the person whom they are interacting with often helps in analyzing
their behavior. The data of the student can be shared with the researcher for the research
purposes (University, 2018). The data is anonymized before its sharing. However, it is often
seen that data is not anonymized prior to its sharing that gives rise to certain ethical issues
and dilemma. The identified issues will be analyzed according to the ethical theories of
Utilitarianism, deontology, Virtue and contract theory. The ethical analysis about the
collection and use of students’ data is analyzed in the following paragraphs.
2. Utilitarianism Theory
The Utilitarian theory of ethics analyzes the morality of the situation on evaluating whether the
outcome or the consequence of the action is moral or not. Furthermore, the Utilitarian theory
checks whether the consequence of the action is doing good to the greatest number of people (Frey,
2013). Thus according to this theory, an action will be morally and ethically permissible if a large
number of people are benefitted by the action. Collection of the students’ data and their analysis for
the business purpose of the Universities and for the researches will although do a good to the
Universities, it might not be good for the students as they are under the scanner 24*7. Another issue
associated with the data collection process is that the students are not allowed to unregister from
the entire system and data collection process as often it is found out that the details of the students
are collection without letting them know.
Thus, although the tracking and collection of the data is advantageous for the Universities, it may
not be morally permissible as long as the data is being collected without the knowledge of the
students (Peters, 2015). The Utilitarian theory of ethics works for greater good. The collection and
analysis of the students’ data are doing no harm to them; the consequence is not that bad as well.
However, in order to make this act of data collection morally permissible, it is recommended that
the consent from the student is to be taken before making use of their data for analyzing their
behaviors or for collecting the data for research purposes (Christians et al., 2015). This condition will
be accepted both by the University and the students and no one will be harmed by the decision and
therefore this way out is ethical.
3. Deontology Theory
Unlike the Utilitarian theory, the deontology theory analyses a situation on basis of the wrongness
and rightness of the action. So for a deontologist, an action itself determines whether it is right or
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Students and Sensors: Data, education, privacy, and research
wrong and it is expected that same rules will be followed by every individuals. Action of collection
and analysis of data of the students without their knowledge may not be permissible according to
the deontology theory of ethics mainly because of the fact that the action of making use of
someone’s data without their knowledge is wrong in itself (Singer, 2013). The deontology theory is
driven by the moral actions. An action will be morally correct or permissible only if it is accepted by
majority of the audiences (Yazdani & Murad, 2015). The Deontology theory of ethics does not check
the morality of the consequences and therefore the situation is needed to be judged on basis of the
rightness and the wrongness of action.
It is no denying the fact that the students’ data that is being collected is not morally right mainly
because the students may not be keen on sharing their data with anyone else. Thus if this situation
continues to exists it might give rise to an ethical dilemma as the collection of an individual data
without their permission is ethically incorrect (Dan-Cohen, 2016). This is because according to the
deontology perspective, it is wrong to claim the rightful property of any individual. Thus in this case,
the act of taking the permission of the student is recommended for the data collection process
(Kisner & Youpa, 2014). This is the possible way out from the unethical situation arising due to the
collection of the students’ data without their permission.
This unethical scenario is further evaluated on basis of virtue theory and contract theory and is
discussed in the following paragraphs.
4. Virtue Theory
Virtue theory of ethics is quite different from the deontology theory. This theory believes that the
disposition of doing anything right is more effective than just following a particular set of principles
or rules. It believes that an individual should perform a duty out of habit and not due to the rules.
The collection of the data of the students and its use is not unethical as long as it is not doing any
harm to the students (Tännsjö, 2013). The sharing of the data for the research purpose is not
unethical since the data is needed for the research study. However, there is one major problem
associated with virtue theory as it is problematic to establish the nature of virtues among the
individuals. Therefore, the character of a person is the central consideration of the virtue ethics.
The situation is not unethical according virtue theory of ethics. However the situation is wrong on
basis of certain issues. First of all it is seen that the permission of the students are not taken while
fetching the data and secondly, the students cannot come out of the data collection (Van Hooft,
2014). Although the Universities make sure that the data is anonymized before it is being shared, it is
observed that the data is not being anonymized in certain cases and there the problem arises. In
order to eliminate the ethical issue arising from the current situation it is recommended that the
data is to be anonymized before it is being shared. Furthermore, the students should be given an
opportunity of not sharing the data if they want. Then only the situation will be ethical. The situation
on the perspective of contract theory of ethics is discussed in the following paragraphs
5. Contract Theory
According to the contract theory of ethics, an act is morally permissible only if it is accepted by a
larger number of audiences in the society. Thus a contract ethicist will follow a set of rules in
analyzing whether a situation is morally or ethically permissible or not (Koszegi, 2014). The act of
data collection without ones knowledge will never be accepted by a larger group of people.
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Students and Sensors: Data, education, privacy, and research
However, the collection and sharing of the data in some cases becomes essential like in conducting
the researches (Fried, 2015). Therefore it is essential to identify a way out to eliminate the moral or
ethical issue that might arise from this situation. The situation will be accepted by a larger group of
people only if prior to the collection of data, the permission of the students can be taken. Or else the
situation will be unethical.
6. Conclusion
The report analyses the collection of the students’ data and sharing of the data on basis of four
ethical theories which are utilitarianism, deontology, Virtue and Contract theory. The ethical
dilemma arises mainly because the current situation involves collecting and sharing of the data of
the students without letting them know about the situation. Coupled with that, it is seen that the
data is often shared without the permission of the individual thus giving rise to the ethical issue. On
basis of four ethical theories, it is seen that neither of the theories can justify the act and therefore
certain recommendations are made. On analyzing the chosen case study, it is seen that the ethical
issue mainly arises because the students are not allowed to un-register from the process and neither
are having a knowledge about the same. In order to address the same, it has been proposed that the
students should be given the freedom to choose whether they want their location or data to be
tracked. This will eliminate the ethical issues arising from the situation.
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Students and Sensors: Data, education, privacy, and research
References
Christians, C. G., Richardson, K. B., Fackler, M., Kreshel, P., & Woods, R. H. (2015). Media Ethics:
Cases and Moral Reasoning, CourseSmart eTextbook. Routledge.
Dan-Cohen, M. (2016). Rights, persons, and organizations: A legal theory for bureaucratic
society (Vol. 26). Quid Pro Books.
Frey, R. G. (2013). Act utilitarianism.‐ The Blackwell guide to ethical theory, 219-237.
Fried, C. (2015). Contract as promise: A theory of contractual obligation. Oxford University Press,
USA.
Kisner, M. J., & Youpa, A. (Eds.). (2014). Essays on Spinoza's Ethical Theory. Oxford University Press.
Koszegi, B. (2014). Behavioral contract theory. Journal of Economic Literature, 52(4), 1075-1118.
Peters, R. S. (2015). Ethics and Education (Routledge Revivals). Routledge.
Singer, P. (Ed.). (2013). A companion to ethics. John Wiley & Sons.
Tännsjö, T. (2013). Understanding ethics. Edinburgh University Press.
University, S. (2018). Students and Sensors: Data, education, privacy, and research. Retrieved from
https://www.scu.edu/ethics/focus-areas/internet-ethics/resources/students-and-sensors-
data-education-privacy-and-research/
Van Hooft, S. (2014). Understanding virtue ethics. Routledge.
Yazdani, N., & Murad, H. S. (2015). Toward an ethical theory of organizing. Journal of Business
Ethics, 127(2), 399-417.
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