Professional Issues in Information Technology

Unit Code: HIT8044

Credit Points: 12.5 Credit Points

> Related Course/s
> Teaching Methods
> Assessment
> Aims & Objectives
> Generic Skills Outcomes
> Content
> References

Related Course/s:

Aims & Objectives:

• Independently investigate the professional context of an ICT professional and the attendant ethical and professional issues
• Undertake professional project management processes through the use of project planning and team management tools
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the project process through reflective reporting and peer review
• Develop and present a resolved project outcome that demonstrates understanding of, and engagement with, the major issues, challenges and opportunities presented to the ICT professional. More specifically, this would include an appreciation of ethical conduct for an ICT professional from a range of perspectives, professionalism and codes of conduct
• Appreciate the roles and responsibilities of ICT professionals in organisations and society, and comprehend relevant work-related behaviours and issues and how professionals should respond
• Understand the legislative and regulatory obligations and standards as they relate to ICT environments in organisations, including freedom of speech and intellectual property, and appreciate their impact on the work of the ICT professional
• Discuss the impacts of business compliance imperatives, including Sarbanes Oxley, privacy legislation and anti-money laundering legislation, and how this impacts on the work of the ICT professional
• Comprehend the issues involved in offering consultancy services, including legal responsibilities, and negotiating and managing the client-consultant relationship
• Recognise the importance of life long learning and a need to continually refresh knowledge and skills for the ICT professional
• Have a sound understanding of industry structures, nature of key drivers within an industry, ICT drivers and trends within an industry, understand interconnections between industry sectors

Teaching Methods:

Assessment:

Generic Skills Outcomes:

Content:

• ethics and professionalism 
• philosophical foundations of professional ethics
• codes of ethics (ACS, ACM, AIS, IEEE-CS, ACM Software Engineering, Engineers Australia) and codes of conduct, and their impact onto the work and behaviour of ICT professionals
• Australian Standard 8015 (Corporate Governance of Information & Communication Technologies) and its implications for ICT professionals
• ethical decision making in both employee and consultant relationships
• understanding the impacts of ICT on end users from an ethical standpoint
• professionals roles and responsibilities, professional work behaviours and attitudes
• business compliance imperatives, including Sarbanes Oxley, privacy legislation and anti-money laundering legislation, and their impacts on the work of ICT professionals
• providing IT consultancy services – responsibilities and management
• life long learning and career development as it relates to sound professional practice
• freedom of speech, intellectual property, and their impacts on the IT professional
• understanding industry drivers, IT trends within industries and interconnectedness within industry
• social impacts of IT

References:

Bott, F. (2005) Professional Issues in Information Technology. British Computer Society, UK.
Keen, A. (2007) The Cult of the Amateur: How Today’s Internet is Killing our Culture and Assaulting our Economy. Currency, USA.
Reynolds, G. (2003) Ethics in Information Technology. Thomson Learning Technology, Boston.
George, J.F. (2004) Computers in Society: Privacy, Ethics and the Internet. Pearson Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
Kling, R. (ed) (1996) Computerization and Controversy: Value Conflicts and Social Choices. 2nd ed. Academic Press, San Diego.
Spinello, R.A. (2002) Case Studies in Information Technology Ethics, 2nd ed.. Prentice Hall, USA.
Schultz, R.A. (2005) Contemporary Issues in Ethics and Information Technology. IRM Press, USA.
Schwalbe, K (2005) Information Technology Project Management, Fourth Edition. Thomson Course Technology, USA.