Ethics patches in a box
Let’s essay an essay
Overview
Description of course/setting
- Actual: senior capstone in statistical & data sciences
- Generic: liberal arts course on ethics, technology, and society
NAS ethical areas
- Ethical precepts for data science and codes of conduct,
- Privacy and confidentiality
- Responsible conduct of research
- Ability to detect algorithmic bias
Questions/goals addressed
- How can we constructively assess the ethical considerations of a data science product?
- How does our consideration of ethical issues in data science reflect our own values? What are those values?
Bloom taxonomy
- Evaluation: Students judge the actions of real-world actors and justify their assessment
Generalizability
- any data science product
Lesson plan for instructors
Student preparation required
- no technical knowledge required
- read:
- O’Neil (2016)
- frameworks for data science ethics:
- Data Values and Principles
- Data Science for Undergraduates: Opportunities and Options, Ch. 13
- Elliott, Stokes, and Cao (2018)
- (optional) additional context and commentary:
- Data for Good Exchange
- Commentary by Tom Simonite
- Commentary by Virgina Eubanks
- Comparison by Lori Sherer
- Interview with Cathy O’Neil
Instructions for students
Choose one of the following prompts and write an at most 2500-word essay on data science ethics, technology, and society (in Markdown). In addition to the readings list above, expect to do some additional research relevant to your topic. This is not a reflection paper – you should support your arguments with citations throughout.
Choose one episode from Weapons of Math Destruction and analyze it in the context of either the Data Values and Principles or the Hippocratic Oath for Data Science outlined by the National Academy of Sciences. Did the actors in this episode behave ethically? Explain why or why not by linking specific actions to specific ethical principles. Could this code of ethics prevent similar behavior in the future?
Choose one episode from Weapons of Math Destruction and analyze it in the context of both the Western and Confucian principles ethical principles outlined by Elliott, et al.. Did the actors in this episode behave ethically? Explain why or why not by linking specific actions to specific ethical principles. Could either code of ethics prevent similar behavior in the future?
Choose your own topic. Check with your instructor before proceeding.
Activity description
Various in-class discussions surrounding WMD will support student engagement with the material and help them gain comfort with discussing ethical issues.
Deliverables
- an essay, not to exceed 2500 words
- (recommended): scaffold the assignment by requiring students to submit an outline at least two weeks in advance
- (optional): have students submit a draft