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ISEDJ 6(9)

Volume 6, Number 8

February 6, 2008

6 pages 318 K bytes

Copyright Ethics: Relating to Students at Different Levels of Moral Development Gayla Jo Slauson Mesa State College Grand Junction, CO 81501 USA Donald Carpenter Mesa State College Grand Junction, CO 81501 USA Johnny Snyder Mesa State College Grand Junction, CO 81501 USA

Abstract: A recurring topic in computer classes is the changing state of intellectual property rights. Copyright laws appear remarkably easy to ignore in a networked world. Although many students may consider themselves to be ethical people, they do not always (or perhaps even often) relate to the reasons for copyrights. Widely accepted moral development theories indicate that people from around the world determine if an action is ethical or not by making decisions based primarily on which stages of moral development they are in presently. In this light it seems logical to approach the copyright issue and other ethical issues discussed in the classroom through multiple perspectives. The authors in this paper suggest ways to relate copyright compliance to students inhabiting each stage in Lawrence Kohlberg’s moral development model. Kohlberg’s theories are used primarily due to the widespread recognition his work has received from academics. Additionally, opportunities for further study in this area are explored, including considerations about modifications to Kohlberg’s model due to potential differences in ethical perceptions in today’s undergraduate students.

Keywords: ethics, copyright, education, morality

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