Ethics and ICT

lepl2210  2024-2025  Louvain-la-Neuve

Ethics and ICT
3.00 credits
30.0 h
Q2
> Schedule
Teacher(s)
Gosseries Axel; Pereira Olivier;
Language
English
> French-friendly
Prerequisites
No specific prerequisites. An interest for ICT issues and a curiosity for their ethical/policy dimensions are perfectly sufficient.
Main themes
The themes change from year to year, and may include:
- net neutrality and freedom of expression
- intellectual property
- privacy
- crowdsourcing and the "sharing economy"
- cryptocurrencies
  • - e-democracy
Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

1 Contribution of the course to the program objectives (N°)
3.2, 3.3
4.2, 4.3
5.2, 5.5, 5.6
6.2, 6.3, 6.4
Specific learning outcomes of the course
a.      Disciplinary Learning Outcomes
Students having successfully followed this course will be :
  • understanding why ethical reasoning is relevant for their specific disciplinary domain and more generally ;
  • ble to identify within an ICT ethical/policy question which parts of the debate have to do with factual questions and which parts belong to a properly ethical dimension and how they should be articulated ;
  • able to formulate an ethical question when facing a technical choice with an ethical dimension, and dare stating and arguing for their own view on the question ;
  • grasping the spirit of a method in ethics to answer a given question, in relation to ICT ;
  • aware of the content of the central arguments and rationale on issues such as, for example, freedom of expression, intellectual property, privacy, e-democracy and how they lead to specific challenges in well defined ICT contexts.
b.     Transversal Learning Outcomes
 Students having successfully followed this course will be :
  • able to access the relevant sources on the topics seen in class and on other related ones ;
  • able to work both individually and in group
  • able to answer a question in a short well-structured written format, in non-technical language ;
  • able to present their work orally.
 
Content
The content will be adapted depending on the themes investigated in the class.
Teaching methods
a.    Process organization
The course will contain a mix of:
- Lectures focusing on background and methodology,
- Sessions during which students will be requested to debate and elaborate a position on a specific issue, which they will present either in writing or orally.
It may be offered to some students to make an in-depth study of a specific theme, and to report on their work either as a presentation or in writing.

b.    Media

Students will be provided for each specific theme with a short mandatory reading list. They will also be provided with a short general bibliography on the theme.
Evaluation methods
The students will be graded, based on the learning outcomes described above, from oral examination and from essays that they will submit individually or in small groups.
Grades will be the sum of two components, with the following weights:
 • 30% based on one or more team essay(s), to be submitted during the semester;
 • 70% based on one or more individual essay(s) and an exam discussion.

In the case of more than 2 unjustified absences of a student from the class, we reserve ourselves the right to activate Articles 72 and 73 of the RGEE and may recommend the jury to not authorize the student registration to the exam.
Online resources
https://moodle.uclouvain.be/course/view.php?id=716
Bibliography
Supports de cours, ouvrages de références, ...
Faculty or entity
> EPL


Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)

Title of the programme
Sigle
Credits
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
Master [120] in Multilingual Communication
MULT2M
5
Certificat d'université en éthique et société
ETES9CE
2
Master [120] in French and Romance Languages and Literatures : French as a Foreign Language
FLE2M
5
Master [120] in Chemical and Materials Engineering
KIMA2M
3
Master [120] in Civil Engineering
GCE2M
3
Master [120] in Biomedical Engineering
GBIO2M
3
Master [120] in History of Art and Archaeology: Musicology
MUSI2M
5
Master [120] in Translation
TRAD2M
5
Master [120] in Interpreting
INTP2M
5
Master [120] in History
HIST2M
5
Master [120] in Ancient and Modern Languages and Literatures
LAFR2M
5
Master [60] in History
HIST2M1
5
Master [120] in Linguistics
LING2M
5
Master [120] in Mechanical Engineering
MECA2M
3
Advanced Master in Visual Cultures
VISU2MC
5
Master [120] in Electrical Engineering
ELEC2M
3
Master [120] in Physical Engineering
FYAP2M
3
Master [120] in Ethics
ETHI2M
5
Master [120] in Computer Science and Engineering
INFO2M
3
Master [120] in Computer Science
SINF2M
3
Master [120] in Philosophy
FILO2M
5
Master [120] in Electro-mechanical Engineering
ELME2M
3
Master [120] in Mathematical Engineering
MAP2M
3
Master [60] in History of Art and Archaeology : General
ARKE2M1
5
Master [60] in History of Art and Archaeology: Musicology
MUSI2M1
5
Master [120] in Data Science Engineering
DATE2M
3
Master [120] in Data Science: Information Technology
DATI2M
3
Master [120] in Energy Engineering
NRGY2M
3
Master [120] in Political Sciences: General
SPOL2M
3