Incorporating active learning into a Web-based ethics course

This report explores the development of interactive, Web-based activities in a computer science course for majors that meets the requirements of the Computer Science Accreditation Commission (CSAC) for a course in computer ethics and social impact. Starting from a project to develop a digital library to support a long-standing course in "Professionalism in Computing", this Web-based version has steadily evolved into a modular resource that permits teachers at other institutions to construct their own versions of an ethics and social impact course. For the past two years, the passive nature of the digital library approach has been revised to incorporate active-learning concepts. While maintaining the belief that the teaching of ethics and social impact still requires some classroom interaction between participants and collaborative development activities, each topical module has been augmented by online active learning plans that involve pre-class, in-class, and post-class projects. The preclass activities allow participants to gain a basic understanding of the topic prior to the class, to review assigned readings from the library, to surf the Web for additional resources, and possibly to participate in an opinion survey that can be used as the basis for an in-class discussion. Post-class projects involve the application of learned concepts to the lives of the participants and the institution. An online debate system that emulates an "Oxford Union" style debate, forcing participants to clearly take pro or con positions on arguments, is an integral part of the course, though also available as an independent module. Used asynchronously, the debate system gives the opportunity for discussions to extend beyond the time limit of a class period, can involve several sections of a course, or classes from differing institutions. The threaded structure of the debate system has significant advantages over chat rooms or LISTSERV(R) discussions.