Assessment Item E2 – Ethical Scenario Exercise – CS 350
Skill being assessed: When confronted with an ethical situation, determine and
provide rationale for appropriate action
Program outcome to which this skill is mapped: (e) An understanding of
professional, ethical, legal, security, and social issues and
responsibilities.
Performance Assessment Abstract: In this exercise you are to formulate a
“scenario” describing a real or imaginary situation in which you must make a nontrivial ethical decision related to the computing milieu at a company/organization
you represent. The decision must be non-trivial in that it must represent a choice
between at least two options, both of which have ethically nuanced pros and cons.
What's meant by “ethically nuanced pros and cons”? To satisfy this, your scenario
should present a set of options, each of which have positives and negatives from
various ethical perspectives. One heuristic you could apply in this regard is to find,
for each option, different guidelines in the ACM Code of Ethics that would support
choosing that particular option. That type of conflict between different and
seemingly valid ethical guidelines is what you should be seeking in describing an
ethically nuanced situation.
In essay form describe that scenario in detail, including the two (or more) choices
that confront you. Provide a description of the underlying ethical values of the
company/organization you represent in the scenario. In the context of those
values, present the pros and cons involved with each of the choices confronting you.
Finally make a recommendation as to which choice is the appropriate one in your
situation. Justify the course of action you recommend by addressing each of the
following:
• Is the recommended course of action legal?
• Does the course of action comply with the ethical values of the
company/organization you represent?
• Are the legalities and values in any way at odds with each other, or do they
essentially support each other?
Rubric for Evaluation
Criteria
Issue
underlying
scenario
Exemplary
Based scenario on an
important ethical issue
directly related to
computing or the
computing profession.
The scenario should be
nuanced in the sense
that there is not a
Satisfactory
Based scenario on an
ethical issue with a
clear relation to
computing or the
computing profession.
The scenario should be
nuanced in the sense
that there is not a clear-
Marginal
Based scenario
on an ethical
issue that is
generally related
to computing or
the computing
profession.
Although the
Deficient
Based scenario
on an ethical
issue that is
only
superficially
related to
computing or
the computing
Choices of
action and
their
consequence
s
Relationship
between
ethical
principles,
legal
structure,
and the
recommend
ed action
clear-cut ethically
right or wrong choice
of the action to take.
This is demonstrated
by the student's
providing for each
choice two guidelines
from the ACM's Code
of Ethics that seem to
support that particular
choice. One guideline
should be from Section
1 of the ACM Code
(moral imperatives),
and the other should
be from Section 2
(Specific Professional
Responsibilities). For
each the student
clearly and specifically
explains the
applicability of that
guideline.
All of the choices with
which the decisionmaker is faced are
described in a fashion
that makes clear the
nuances that are
involved and the pros
and cons of each
option. No reasonable
choices are neglected
in the discussion.
cut ethically right or
wrong choice of the
action to take. This is
demonstrated by the
student's providing for
each choice one
guideline from the
ACM's Code of Ethics
that seem to support
that particular choice.
For each the student
clearly and specifically
explains the
applicability of that
guideline.
student cites
guidelines from
the ACM Code of
Ethics, little
explanation of the
applicability of
these guidelines
is provided. Deep
ethical nuances
are generally not
present, allowing
for a ethical
decision that is
simplistic in
nature.
profession.
No real ethical
nuances are
present in the
scenario.
The choices with which
the decision-maker is
faced are
unambiguously
described, but not all
the nuances involved,
along with the pros and
cons underlying each
choice, are fully
developed. A
reasonable choice is
potentially neglected in
the discussion.
The choices with
which the
decision-make is
faced are
described, but the
pros and cons of
each choice are
glossed over too
lightly.
Provided a detailed
rationale explaining
how each possible
course of action
complies (or fails to
comply) with the
ethical values of the
company/organization
. Cogently analyzed
the relationship
between the relevant
laws governing the
situation and the
company/organization
's guiding values,
detailing areas where
the laws and the
Explained how each
possible course of
action complies (or fails
to comply) with the
ethical values of the
company/organization.
Recognized the
relationship between
the relevant laws
governing the situation
and the
company/organization'
s guiding values,
noticing areas where
the laws and the values
conflict and where they
coincide.
Marginally
justified how
each possible
course of action
complies (or fails
to comply) with
the ethical values
of the
company/organiz
ation.
Recognized that
there is a
relationship
between the
relevant laws
governing the
situation and the
The choices
with which the
decisionmaker is faced
are described
in such an
ambiguous
fashion that
the pros and
cons of each
choice cannot
be established
in any
meaningful
way.
Failed to see
the
relationship
between the
relevant laws
governing the
situation and
the
company/orga
nization's
guiding ethical
values.
values conflict and
where they coincide.
Writing Style
Written in clear and
lucid style with few, if
any, grammatical
errors
company/organiz
ation's guiding
values, but did
not demonstrate
an in-depth
understanding
how those laws
and values
conflict or
coincide with
each other
Written in a coherent
style with a modicum of
grammatical errors that
could be easily
corrected without
necessitating an entire
re-write
Written in a
fashion that
includes
numerous
grammatical
errors,
necessitating that
significant
portions of the
essay be rewritten to convey
the intended
meaning.
Written in a
fashion replete
with so many
grammatical
errors that the
essay must be
completely rewritten to
accurately
convey what
the student is
trying to say