Integrating Ethics into Introductory Programming Classes

Casey Fiesler, Mikhaila Friske, Natalie Garrett, Felix Muzny, Jessie J. Smith, Jason Zietz

Abstract:

Increasing attention to the role of ethical consideration in com-
puting has led to calls for greater integration of this critical topic
into technical classes rather than siloed in standalone computing
ethics classes. The motivation for such integration is not only to
support in-situ learning, but also to emphasize to students that
ethical consideration is inherently part of the technical practice of
computing. We propose that the logical place to begin emphasiz-
ing ethics is on day one of computing education: in introductory
programming classes. This paper presents one approach to ethics
integration into such classes: assignments that teach basic program-
ming concepts (e.g., conditionals or iteration) but are contextualized
with real-world ethical dilemmas or concepts. We report on experi-
ences with this approach in multiple introductory programming
courses, including details about select assignments, insights from
instructors and teaching assistants, and results from surveys of a
subset of students who took these courses. Based on these experi-
ences we provide preliminary plans for future work, along with a
roadmap for instructors to emulate our approach and suggestions
for overcoming challenges they might face.