Applying Ethical Theories to Student Data - CSU Computing Essay

This essay examines the ethical considerations surrounding the collection and analysis of student data by universities, focusing on a case study involving the University of Arizona's data collection practices via student ID card swipes. It analyzes this scenario through the lens of four classical ethical theories: utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics, and contract theory, to determine the ethical implications of collecting student data without their explicit consent. The essay argues that the current data collection methods violate several ethical principles, particularly concerning student privacy and informed consent. It concludes by recommending that universities prioritize transparency and seek student consent before collecting and analyzing their data, suggesting surveys as a method to gather student input while respecting their autonomy and ensuring data security. Desklib provides a platform for students to access this essay and many other solved assignments.

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
The given case study deals the universities collecting as well as analyzing the data of the
student for different purpose (University 2018). At the University of Arizona, the researcher collects
the data of the student by swiping the ID cards of the students at various locations across the campus.
The research was carried out to study about the daily routine of students and their relationship with
other students. The case study reveals that when the student swipes their CatCard, the researcher get
to know the location of the students and also the details of other students who swipes the card at the
same time and at same locations. This helps the researcher to know about the daily routine of the
students and relationship with other students who are present in the same time. The collecting of data
becomes an issue because this Student ID card research raised the privacy concern as the students
were not informed about the data collection that was taking place (West 2017). Only the students who
were involved in the data collection research were aware of the fact that their data were collected for
research purpose. Other students were totally unaware of the fact. This essay consists of the IT Ethics
theories which involves utilitarianism, contract, deontology, and virtue (Hutchings 2016). The four
issues of ethics are explained related to the case study in this essay.
2. Utilitarianism Theory
The Utilitarian theory of ethical issue is mainly based on a person’s ability for predicting the
consequences of the related action. For a utilitarian, the choice that leads to greatest benefit to
maximum of the people is correct ethically. Mostly there are two types of utilitarianism- rule
utilitarianism and act utilitarianism (Grant, Arjoon and McGhee 2017). Act utilitarianism mainly
describes a person that performs the act according to the benefit of most of the people, eliminating the
feeling of the person, or without considering the societal constraints which includes law. Whereas,
rule utilitarianism involves law as well as fairness that is involved in the law. Value justice and
beneficence is included in the rule benefit.
In the case study, utilitarianism ethics theory is not followed as collecting of data is only
beneficiary to the researchers who are involved in collection of data. The students whose data are
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Students and Sensors: Data, education, privacy,
and research
collected are not even informed about the fact that their data are collected and analysed for a research
study (Kovac 2018). A utilitarianism ethics involves a theory which benefits most of the people. Most
of the people involved in this case study is the students. The students are not at all benefitted by this
research as their data privacy is at risk.
3. Deontology Theory
The deontology ethics theory defines that the people who are involved should believe and
follow the obligations as well as the duties when they are engaged in some decision making.
According to deontology theory of ethics, it can be stated that the people should follow the obligations
to some other individual or the society (Chakrabarty and Bass 2015). This is because to uphold the
duty of a particular person is considered as an ethically correct law. A person who follows deontology
will keep the promise and will always maintain the law. A person who follows deontology theory will
give very consistent decision as the decision they will take will be based on the set of duties of the
individual.
The research involved in this case study does not follow the rules and obligations that are
related to the case study. The law that is included in the given case study includes the researcher to
follow all the laws and regulations for carrying out the research (Turrens 2018). But, while carrying
out the research study, the details of the students are taken from the CatCard without the consent of
the student. For carrying out a research study, the ethical rule that is to be followed is to let the
students know about their data being collected for the research study. But, in the given case study, the
researcher collects the data without the consent of the students which does not satisfy the rule of the
deontology ethics.
4. Virtue Theory
The theory of virtue ethics involves judging a particular person by their individual character
instead of judging them by their action which may differ from their original behavior. Virtue ethics is
followed by moral of a person, reputation, as well as motivation of a person ( Holyoak, K.J. and
Powell 2016). This virtue ethics is taken in to when a person is rated regarding its irregular as well as
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Students and Sensors: Data, education, privacy,
and research
unusual behavior which is stated as an unethical behavior. For example, if an individual takes a
plagiarized passage, then later on the original writer of the passage gets to know about it and the
person will get to know about the character of that person and will judge him accordingly.
The virtue ethics is followed in the case study as because the researcher is known to the
university and has allowed to keep a track on the student without the consent of the student. The
reputation of the research is good and the person is moral according to the University of Arizona and
allows the researcher to carry out the research study (Walsh 2015). The researcher is judge by her
individual character and is expected to not do any illegal action with the data that are collected from
the data analysis.
5. Contract Theory
The contract theory of ethics involves social theory where all people lives in a society
together completing an agreement that satisfies political as well as moral rules of behavior of the
people. According to the law of social contract theory, some of the people who are involved in the
society believes that they can live by their own choice and not because of the divine requires it. The
theory of social contract is an old philosophy which views a particular moral of a person or the
political obligations of the person that are dependent on contract or on agreement that helps to form in
the society they live in (Laczniak and Murphy 2018). The social contracts does not include laws but
includes raising of hands in a class to speak. In America, the U.S. Constitution is considered to be en
explicit example of social contract. The U.S. constitution generally sets out what the government can
do and what the government cannot do. People who live in America mainly agrees with the
government which involves moral obligations as well as political obligations that are outlined as the
social contract of the constitution.
The social contract of ethics according to the given case study states that all the people live in
a society together following moral rules as well as political rule of behavior (Browning 2015). The
social contract is not followed as for collecting the data, the ethical laws and the legal laws are not
followed. The researcher collects the data without the permission of the students and use those data
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Students and Sensors: Data, education, privacy,
and research
for analyzing the research work. The social contract theory is followed if there all the ethics are
maintained in a society. The social ethical theory is not followed in the case study as the students are
not aware of the fact that their data is collected for research purpose.
6. Conclusion and Recommendation
From the above discussion, the case study related to data privacy issue of the student can be
studied which generally carries out a research study by collecting the data of the students. The case
study states that with the increasing number of students, the universities are basically collecting as
well as analyzing the data of the student for carrying out many research study. The CatCard of the
students are being analyzed in case study for analyzing the daily routine of the students and finding
out the relationship between the students. But the main issue comes while collecting the data for
carrying out the research study. The data that are analyzed are collected without the consent of the
student. Many of the students do not know about their data being carried out for data analysis. The
ethical issues that are being carried out are stated in this essay. There are many ethical issues that are
related with this fact. The data privacy issue of the student are taken in to account.
The recommendation that can be provided for the taken case study is informing the students
about the research that is being carried out. The students need to know about their data being analyzed
for the research study. If not possible to inform the students, then a survey is recommended to carry
out by which the students will give their outputs as per the questionnaire is made. The students will
give their own answer win their will and they will not be forced to give their answer. The researcher
should also ensure the data security of the data that are collected.
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Students and Sensors: Data, education, privacy,
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References
Browning, N., 2015. The ethics of two-way symmetry and the dilemmas of dialogic
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Chakrabarty, S. and Bass, A.E., 2015. Comparing virtue, consequentialist, and deontological ethics-
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Business Ethics, 126(3), pp.487-512.
Grant, P., Arjoon, S. and McGhee, P., 2017. Reconciling Ethical Theory and Practice: Toward
Developing a Business Ethics Pedagogical Model. Business and Professional Ethics Journal, 36(1),
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Holyoak, K.J. and Powell, D., 2016. Deontological coherence: A framework for commonsense moral
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Hutchings, K., 2018. Global ethics: an introduction. John Wiley & Sons.
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Students and Sensors: Data, education, privacy,
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