Laptop Use in Class-Distracting or Beneficial?

Increased campus wireless access to the Internet at the University of Colorado prompted discussion about laptop use in the classroom (Profs Grapple with Laptop Rules as CU Campus Goes Wireless - Boulder County Daily Camera, March 15, 2009). One student remarked about off-topic Web surfing being distracting and contacted her professor with a plea to restrict Internet use during class. Some professors banned laptops in lecture classes, while others require laptop users to be in the front seats. One clever professor matched laptop use with scores on the first test and 17 heavy laptop users were advised that they scored 11 percent worse than other students. According to the professor, after that alert only six students continued using their laptops and grades of laptop abstainers increased.

Discussion Questions:

1. Is it a student's right to use a laptop during class, despite the possible distractions it presents to other students? Why or why not?
   
2. Does the ability to search online to clarify a class discussion topic make the class presentation more interesting, because you can immediately add something from an online source? Why or why not?
3. Can most students easily multi-task online during class and keep up with the professor? Why or why not?
   

MySpace Posts Prompt Nursing Student Dismissal

A former nursing student at the University of Louisville (KY) brought legal action against the school because they forced her to leave the program because of outspoken MySpace posts (U of L Dismisses Nursing Student over Blog Posts, Louisville Courier-Journal, March 14, 2009). The blogger, Nina Yoder, requested that she be allowed to return to the nursing program because the school "violated her First Amendment rights."

The nursing school countered that Yoder was expelled because she mentioned her affiliation with the University in the posts, talked about patients, used profanity, and made derogatory comments about ethnic and religious groups which violates the school's nursing honor code. In one section of the nursing honor code, students must pledge to maintain "confidentiality and professionalism in all my written work, spoken word, actions and interactions with patients."

Discussion Questions:

1. Do universities have the right to dismiss students because of activities outside classrooms and clinical settings?
2. The University of Louisville includes a statement on academic freedom at their website. It clearly states that "students have a right to their own views on matters of opinion, rather than fact, and a right to express those views in appropriate ways." If Nina Yoder did not disclose patient names, should she be able to talk about working with patients in her blog posts?

Professor Shuns Plagiarism Police Role

In her new book, My Word! Plagiarism and College Culture, University of Notre Dame anthropologist Susan D. Blum promotes a proactive academic integrity appeal to students that encourages recognizing originality and distinguishing between levels of plagiarism (It’s Culture, Not Morality, Inside Higher Ed, February 3, 2009). With a greater emphasis on collaboration and a "entirely different concept of ownership," today's students need more education on what is acceptable when using the work of others in assignments rather than a heavy emphasis on the penalties for plagiarism. Also, constructing assignments to minimize the opportunity for plagiarism is an important academic integrity tool for professors.

Discussion Questions:

1. Do most professors assume that students know what academic integrity means by the time they reach college?
2. How much do professors explain acceptable practices when students work on assignments?
3. Do you think most professors agree that it's a good idea for students to work together on projects?
4. Is all plagiarism equally bad? Or is forgetting to cite a source worse than copying a paragraph from a book and not putting quotes around it?
   

Company Put Profits over Safety in Tainted Peanut Scandal

Allegations that the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) willfully sold salmonella-contaminated peanuts that caused at least nine deaths and made over 600 people ill in 43 states continues to rock the entire food industry (Salmonella Outbreak Eases Way for Food Safety Reforms, Baltimore Sun, February 15, 2009). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notes that PCA owner, Stewart Parnell disregarded "at least 12 tests revealing salmonella in 2007 and 2008" and persisted in distributing peanut products in a quest to increase profits. A criminal investigation is underway into PCA's actions.

In the wake of this tragedy, food safety advocates are calling for reform of the FDA with one Connecticut congressperson calling for a new agency, Food Safety Administration to work proactively to prevent food contamination. Rep. Rosa DeLauro sponsored legislation for the Food Safety Modernization Act to mandate that "companies control health hazards in their operations and meet federal standards for removing contaminants and be subject to regular inspections, based on the "risk profile" of the food they produce." Also, the act would give government the ability to "seize unsafe products and order recalls."

Discussion Questions:

1. Why would a company risk lives by distributing unsafe products? Are companies so desperate to make money in a downturned economy that they would do anything to increase profits? Didn't someone realize that continuing to distribute these dangerous products would ultimately cause the downfall of the company and related businesses?
2. Despite additional government inspections and regulations, the consumer still must depend on the food industry to act responsibly and follow safe practices when processing their products. How can the food industry ensure that companies employ best practices when processing food?
3. After reading this article from the Baltimore Sun, what other practices or regulations would you recommend to improve food safety?
   

Obama's Transition Web Site Licensed to Creative Commons

The Obama Change.gov web site now permits viewers "to copy, distribute, display, and perform material from the site, as well as to remix it, as long as the work is attributed to its source" as reported in CNET News for December 1, 2008 ("Obama Team Changes Change.gov Copyright Policy"). The article notes that federal government sites are in most cases free of copyright use restrictions, so Change.gov is a bit different in that it requires attribution.

Discussion Questions:

1. Stanford Law Professor Larry Lessig is quoted in the article saying, in effect, that crediting an information source is good practice. Why do you think he made that comment? Do you agree or disagree with his statement?
2. Did you know that material produced by the United States government can be freely used without copyright restrictions? In this age of budget deficits and economic woes, do you think it would be a good idea for the federal government to charge use fees on goverment information? Why or why not?

Employee Qualities Desired by IT Management

Computerworld magazine from November 10, 2008 cites ethics and morals as the top traits sought by information technology leaders based on an online survey by the Society for Information Management-SIM ("SIM Survey: Ethics, Morals Top Workplace-Skills Wish Lists of IT Execs"). "Gauging the moral fiber of job applicants" is a key aspect of the Dannon Co. hiring process according to Mike Close, chief technology officer. Jerry Luftman, a professor at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J. and SIM's vice president of academic affairs noted that "circumventing security systems" and other misdeeds by technology employees has spurred the increased interest in assessing the ethical attitudes of new hires.

Discussion Questions:

1. Is it possible to determine a prospective employee's moral compass in a brief interview?
2. Is it most important that a company's administration exhibits ethical behavior to demonstrate what is expected of all employees?
3. Should all companies use and enforce a code of ethics so employees know what actions are acceptable and the consequences for not following the code?

Ethical Considerations When You Have 2 or More Jobs

The Vancouver (BC) Sun highlights the issue of working for more than one employer in its September 20, 2008 issue ("Career Hazards Are Hiding in the Moonlight"). The problems usually surface when you hold 2 or more different jobs with employers in the same or related line of business. You may inadvertently disclose proprietary information to the other employer or one employer may believe you are doing work "on behalf" of the other company. The best policy is to be honest about your work situation with both employers.

Discussion Questions:

1. Should employers prevent their workers from taking a second job in a related industry?
2. Do you think it would be difficult to keep company secrets from being disclosed to another employer in a related industry?
3. If your second job is in an unrelated field, does your other employer need to know about it?
4. What are other concerns related to taking a second or third job to make extra money?