How an online community promotes graduate students' professional development
Dennen digital ethics2012
1. 10/31/12
The Ethics of Online Coursework:
Instructor Responsibilities, Student Participation, and
Managing Public-‐‑Private Learning
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Vanessa P. Dennen
Florida State University
2nd Annual Symposium on Digital Ethics
Loyola University
October 29, 2012
• Your future employer was able to hear
everything you said in a class 3 years ago?
• Your ex tracked you down based on
information about a course assignment?
• A class discussion aRracted media aRention?
• Scholars in your field beliRled and ridiculed
you for your naïveté when you were just trying
to do your coursework?
• A student at another university downloaded
your assignment and turned it in as her own?
What if …
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• Traditional classrooms = ephemeral
spaces
• Online classrooms = archived spaces
• Web 2.0 activities = an open stage
Is learning private?
Is this space private?
How private?
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Is this space private?
How private?
Is this space private?
How private?
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Is this space private?
How private?
Is this space private?
How private?
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• Online tools are supported and encouraged by
the institution
• Web 2.0 tools provide interesting pedagogical
possibilities – both in and out of class
• Technology might motivate today’s learners
Issues: Instructor Perspective
• May have an account already
• May be entirely unfamiliar
• Teacher is in charge
• Focused on the grade
Issues: Student Perspective
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• Researchers are bound by IRBs
• FERPA protects student records
• NETS Standards and district policies
guide K-‐‑12 technology use
• University level course technology
decisions typically are left to the
discretion of the instructor
No Guidelines
Context: Reflective blog for course (mandatory
assignment)
• While vanity googling during a job search, the
student realized the blog was still online years
later
Case 1: Lingering Lessons
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Context: Student tweeting under real name
• Jane Doe: Fuck yeah! It’s my 19th birthday!!!
• Jane Doe: Check me out, bitches! I’m 19 today!
Worship me!
• Jane Doe: (twitpic with friends, beers in hand)
• Jane Doe: Head hurts. Fuckin awesome
birthday party.
Case 2: Troublesome Tweets
Context: Student was given an assignment to get
information from an expert.
• Student posted to a popular academic forum,
asking for help in a very general way.
• Responses criticized the student heavily. (A few
helped or were at least kind.)
• The interactions remain archived and
searchable.
Case 3: Forum Faux Pas
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• Explore privacy controls of tools you will use
• Develop options for students who may be
uncomfortable online
Solutions: Pre class
• Teach students about privacy control options
• Pseudonyms
• Multiple accounts
• “no robots”
Solutions: Pre assignment
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• Teach students about making good choices
online
• Encourage students to talk about their
experience(s) online
• Alert students to potential bad choices online –
even if those choices are not directly course
related
Solutions: During class
• Remind students that they may wish to delete
items or accounts when you are done grading
everything
Solutions: Post class
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• There is no need to shy away from using online
tools in a class seRing
• Instructors have a responsibility
to educate students about online
behavior and protect them from
online harm
• The power is in having guidelines
and providing education, not in
enforcing rules
Closing thoughts:
Do more good than harm
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