Week:#6MiniReport#3

Recorder:KarrahCunningham
Elaborator:LaurieWhite
ExplorerB:DanaPayne

EthicalStandardsScenario

TeamName:BellaLuna

Coordinator:RouwaidaMahmoud
ExplorerA:LaurieWhite
EthicalProblemScenarios#3and#5

EthicalProblemScenario#3

StrugglingSchool.
Youhavejustbeenhiredasatechnologyspecialistworkinginasecondaryschool.
Asyoubegintoworkyoudiscoverthattheschooldoesnothaveproperlicensesformostofthesoftware
beingusedinthestudentcomputerlab.Itisapoorschoolandtheprincipalandteachersarealready
stretchingtheircreativitytothelimitinordertoprovideadecenteducationfortheseyoungpeople.They
wouldnotbeveryhappyifyoumadeanissueofsomepicayuneproblemwiththeirsoftwarelicenses.
Whatdoyoudo?1

Inthisscenario,theschoolviolatedthecopyrightagreement.Thetechnologyspecialistneedsto
documentwhichsoftwareisbeingusedillegally,maketheprincipalawareofthesituation,andfind
optionsavailable.Theymaypurchaseasitelicenseforthesoftware,orfindfreesoftwaretoperformthe
samefunction.Thetechnologyspecialistalsoneedstoensurestudentscanmeetinstructionalgoalswith
allrecommendedsoftware.2
Byinformingtheprincipal,thetechnologyspecialistisactinginaccordancewiththe
Association
forEducationalCommunicationsandTechnologys(AECTs)3
CodeofProfessionalEthics,Section3,
Part8,whichstates,
Infulfillingobligationstosociety,themember:(8.)Shallinformusersofthe
stipulationsandinterpretationsofthecopyrightlawandotherlawsaffectingtheprofessionandencourage
compliance.4

ThisscenarioismodificationsoftheoriginalscenariosdesignedbyDr.MolendaatIndianaUniversity.

Reiser,RobertV.Dempsey,JohnV.(20110314).TrendsandIssuesinInstructionalDesignandTechnology(3rdEdition)(Page343).
PearsonHE,Inc..KindleEdition.
3
Reiser,RobertV.Dempsey,JohnV.(20110314).TrendsandIssuesinInstructionalDesignandTechnology(3rdEdition)(Page342).
PearsonHE,Inc..KindleEdition.
4
CodeofProfessionalEthics,
AssociationforEducationalCommunicationsandTechnology
,
http://
aect.siteym.com/members/group_content_view.asp?group=91131&id=309963

Anyillegallyinstalledsoftwareshouldberemovedfromthestudentcomputers.Thoughthe
schoolisstrugglingfinancially,itdoesnothavetherighttoviolatecopyrightlaws,inthiscaseU.S.
CopyrightLawTitle17,Chapter1,
Section106:
ExclusiveRightsofCopyrightedWorks.5 Theschools
copyinganduseofthesoftwaredoesnotmeettherequirementsneededtofallundertheU.S.Copyright
LawTitle17,Chapter1,Section117:Limitationsonexclusiverights:Computerprograms.6This
violationmayimposeamuchhighercosttotheschoolthanthecostofthepurchasingthenecessary
softwarelicenses.
Inadditiontosuggestingalternativefreesoftware,thetechnologyspecialistcouldresearchthe
availabilityofdemoversionsofthesoftware.Theschoolcouldseekhelpfromthecommunityto
purchaselicensedsoftware.Thiscouldbeagrantorfundraisertargetedtoimprovetheschools
technology.
Iftheschooladministrationrefusestocomplywiththecopyrightlawbyremovingunlicensed
softwareorpurchasingsitelicenses,thetechnologyspecialistwillbefacedwithadecisiontocontinue
workingfortheschool,andthusgoagainsttheirprofessionalcodeofethics,ortoquitthejobatthe
school,thuslosingtheircurrentincomesource.

EthicalProblemScenario#5

RealisticRecycling.
Asafreelanceconsultant,youdevelopandteachacourseonHowtoImplement
IntranetTrainingforBlueCirclePharmaceuticalsinLouisville.Theypayyou$16,000forthecourse
thecontractincludesastatementthatBlueCircleownstherightstopresentationofthiscourse.Six
monthslater,SuperiorFoodsinMontereyasksforacoursethatissomewhatsimilar,butnotthesame.
Youfeelyoucanrecycleabout50%ofthematerialusedinthefirstcourse.Youareconsidering
acceptingthejobandchargingSuperiorFoodsthesameamount,$16,000.Anyproblem?7

UnitedStatesCopyrightOffice.(2010).CopyrightLawoftheUnitedStatesofAmericaandrelatedlawscontainedinTitle17oftheUnited
StatesCode.Washington,DC:U.S.CopyrightOffice.
http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#106
.
6

UnitedStatesCopyrightOffice.(2010).CopyrightLawoftheUnitedStatesofAmericaandrelatedlawscontainedinTitle17of
theUnitedStatesCode.Washington,DC:U.S.CopyrightOffice.
http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#117
.
7

ThisscenarioismodificationsoftheoriginalscenariosdesignedbyDr.MolendaatIndianaUniversity.
2

Inthisscenario,BlueCirclePharmaceuticalspurchasedacourseonintranettrainingfortheir
employees.Intranetinformationisspecifictoagivencompany,thereforetheinformationcontainedin
thetrainingisnotinthepublicdomain.BlueCirclerequestedthestatementtoowntherightstothe
presentationofthiscourseinalllikelihoodbecauseitcontainedproprietaryinformationthattheydidnot
wantsharedwiththepublic.ThoughSuperiorFoodsmayusesimilarintranetinformation,thefreelance
consultantneedstocarefullydesigntheirtrainingsoasnottoappeartouseanymaterialthefreelance
consultantdevelopedundercontractforBlueCircle.
RecyclinganypartofthecoursematerialswouldviolateAECTsCodeofEthics,Section1,part
4,whichstates,
Infulfillingobligationstotheindividual,themembershallconductprofessional
businesssoastoprotecttheprivacyandmaintainthepersonalintegrityoftheindividual.8Whatis
perhapsmoreapplicableisthatAECTDefinitionandTerminologyCommitteesclearlyarticulated
importanceofadherencetothecopyrightlawandtheassuranceofresponsibilitytoinformothersofthe
regulationsofthelaw.9Inthiscase,thefreelanceconsultantisadvisedtoobtainpermissioninwriting
from
BlueCirclePharmaceuticalsforreuseofanymaterialsthatweredevelopedinsupportofBlue
CirclePharmaceuticalspresentation.
RecyclingthematerialfromBlueCirclewouldalsoviolatetheISPICodeofEthicswhichstate
thatinordertocultivatetrust,designersmust,Maintainahighleveloftrustwithmyclients,colleagues,
andotherswithwhomImaycomeincontactbyavoidingactivitiesthatcreateactual,apparent,or
potentialconflictsofinterest.TheISPICodeofEthicsincludesanintegrityprincipleaswell.Thissays

CodeofProfessionalEthics,
AssociationforEducationalCommunicationsandTechnology
,
http://
aect.siteym.com/members/group_content_view.asp?group=91131&id=309963
9

Reiser,RobertV.Dempsey,JohnV.(20110314).TrendsandIssuesinInstructionalDesignandTechnology(3rdEdition)(Page345).PearsonHE,Inc..
KindleEdition.

designers,Donotuseinformationforanypersonalgainorinanymannerthatwouldbecontrarytothe
lawordetrimentaltothelegitimateandethicalobjectivesoftheclientsorganization10
Therefore,theinstructionaldesignershouldrespecttheagreementhesignedwithBlueCircle.
Insteadofrecyclingthematerial,heshouldprotecttheintellectualpropertythatbelongstotheBlue
Circle,andbuildanewcoursewithcontentspecifictoSuperiorFoods.

10

InternationalSocietyforPerformanceImprovement
http://www.ispi.org/uploadedFiles/ISPI_Site/About_ISPI/About/CodeofEthics.pdf