April 1995 — Features
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Intellectual Honesty in the Era of Computing
Conclusion Intellectual honesty is a fundamental value in education. It includes respect for the intellectual creations of others. The onslaught of computers in our lives has not changed the rules, but it is putting our values to the test by making it easy to appropriate the works of others. While laws and policy condemn and ban such activity, in the world of computers it will be individuals who decide the issue. Like the shepherd of Gyges, individual computer users are tempted to exploit a cloak of invisibility for their personal benefit. Institutions need to create an environment and foster a responsible computing attitude throughout their communities that respects intellectual honesty not because it is the law or policy, but because it is the ethical and appropriate way to behave. Frank Connolly, an associate professor of Information Systems at The American University, is a former vice president of EDUCOM and presently heads the Ethics and Technology initiatives for the American Association for Higher Education (AAHE). Connolly is also principal architect and spokesperson for the "Bill of Rights & Responsibilities for Electronic Learners." He published The Ethics Kit, by S. Webster and F. Connolly (eds), Primus/McGraw-Hill, October 1993. Currently Connolly offers a series of one-day workshops for K-12 community on challenges of the Internet. The workshops focus on the policy and behavioral aspect of connectivity, rather than the wires and technology aspect. Three workshops are directed to school boards, school administrators and teachers. E-mail: frank@American.edu. A Bill of Rights and Responsibilities for Electronic Learners Preamble In order to protect the rights and recognize the responsibilities of individuals and institutions, we, the members of the educational community, propose this Bill of Rights and Responsibilities for the Electronic Community of Learners. These principles are based on a recognition that the electronic community is a complex subsystem of the educational community founded on the values espoused by that community. As new technology modifies the system and further empowers individuals, new values and responsibilities will change this culture. As technology assumes an integral role in education and lifelong learning, technological empowerment of individuals and organizations becomes a requirement and right for students, faculty, staff, and institutions, bringing with it new levels of responsibility that individuals and institutions have to themselves and to other members of the educational community.10656-14029
