This document discusses ethical issues in e-learning and proposes a provisional code of ethics. It notes that technology has advanced greatly but humans have largely remained the same. It raises questions about whether the online world is a new environment or an extension of real life. Key issues addressed include the role of the teacher, freedom of expression online, intellectual property, and how to handle problems. The proposed code emphasizes the community aspects of e-learning, the importance of motivation, continuous assessment over exams, acknowledging multiple perspectives, and having policies to address issues when they arise.

1. Code of Ethics in E-learning
Kaido Kikkas
Estonian IT College *** Tallinn University
CEPOL 55/2012
Tallinn, August 28, 2012

2. The Mighty Technology
◊ Yesterday's expensive 'rocket science' is
today's everybody's stuff. Examples:
● Today's mobile phones have more computing
power than early 'Big Irons'
● Long time (~20 years) ago, some folks actually sold
news as their main business
● Mass media vs social media
● Today's home studio equipment (whether music,
photo or film) was a professional's dream once
◊ Bottom line: people can do great things when
they don't have to face stupid obstacles

3. E-learning
◊ Before early 80s: contact learning, pre-IT
distance learning (correspondence, radio, TV)
◊ 80s and early 90s: computer-based learning
(PC as an interactive video player); CD-ROMs,
learning software, multimedia
◊ 90s: e-learning 1.0 – e-mail, Web 1.0, scripts
and applets
◊ Early 00s: e-learning 2.0 – learning
management systems (WebCT/BB, Moodle)
◊ Today: e-learning 3.0 – Web 2.0, distributed
and personal learning environments

4. Opening up
◊ At first, e-learning was a closed process using
closed tools – proprietary LMS's with well-
guarded access
◊ Later, the tools opened up (Moodle, Claroline,
Manhattan, ILIAS etc), but the content was stil
closed
◊ Nowadays, a rising trend is open (and
distributed) tools to provide open learning
experience – examples range from MIT
OpenCourseWare to Wikiversity to Khan
Academy. MMOG => MMOOC

5. “Houston, we have a problem...”
◊ Technology has evolved a lot
◊ Humans are (mostly) still the same
◊ Possibly the most dangerous person to confront
is a WEB (Well-Equipped Blockhead)
(has anyone seen Idiocracy?)

6. A big question
◊ Does the cyberspace exist?
◊ Or: is the online world a new environment – or
just the extension of the RL (Real Life)?
◊ Maybe both are correct (in a sense)... Real Life
with a twist?
◊ The cyberspace is
● Like a knife – can be used to cure or to kill
● Like an amplifier – contacts, relations, stupidity...

7. Ethical issues in e-learning:
an overview
◊ Why, what, how, how much, when
◊ Who is the teacher?
◊ “On Internet, nobody knows you're a dog”
◊ Someone tries to steal my dreams!
◊ When things go sour

8. Why, what, how, how much, when
◊ In the cyberspace, misunderstandings and
controversies get amplified too – KISS
◊ Set the rules but not in stone – and try to make
people forget about them (to hell with the
grade, this thing is FUN!)
◊ Divide the workload along the course and use a
clearly-defined point system instead of exam
◊ When in doubt, rule in favour of students
◊ Build a community

9. Who is the teacher?
◊ Dictator – dictates everything
◊ Supervisor – the superficial official, does not care
◊ Guru – loves the stuff but is a bit too hippie
◊ Sensei – the older brother/sister who happens to
have seen and done it before. Recall the classics:
"Daniel san, karate here (points to forehead). Karate here (points to
his heart). Karate not here (points to his belt). You understand?"
***
Daniel: “Yeah. I'm sorry. That was pretty stupid.”
Miyagi: “Miyagi say that to father when same thing happened.
Father agree it was stupid. Father was right.”

10. “On Internet, nobody knows
you're a dog”
◊ In general, Dogbert was right
◊ Yet
● Can we always speak our mind? Direct vs self-
censorship
● Does the information 'stay inside'?
● Can truths be different?
● How does the e-learning system used influence
freedom of expression?

11. Someone tries to steal my dreams!
◊ Pacta sunt servanda
◊ Yet, the 'best before' of today's 'intellectual
property' is long gone
◊ When doing e-learning, do you
● sell your materials, or
● sell your brains (know-how, experience, insight)?
◊ Do regulate the legal side – but keep it free
(Creative Commons licenses are a good way)

12. When things go sour
◊ E-learning can have a dark side, amplified
(again!) by the cyberspace
● Destructive personalities (on both sides!)
● Cyber-hooligans
● Spammers
● Criminals
◊ Well-defined policies help (study guide etc)
◊ Technical safeguards (backups, firewalls etc)
◊ An Armageddon scenario (aka WSHTF)?

13. (a very provisional) Code of Ethics
◊ E-learning is a two-way process with mutual
influence – community aspects are important
◊ Motivation is of prime importance – and the
teacher has the key here
◊ Continuous work rather than one-time exams
◊ Often, there can be many truths
◊ Set the legal framework, but do not go crazy
◊ Have a safety valve on the course (when things
go sour)

14. Thank you
The slides will be available at
http://www.slideshare.net/UncleOwl
under the Creative Commons BY-SA license