Embedding Ethics in Computer Science Courses: Does it Work?

Embedding ethics modules in computer science courses is an approach to ethics education that has been gaining traction. In this talk, we present a University of Toronto embedded ethics initiative, including our pedagogical goals and the strategies we employed to realize them. We describe a two-module sequence on contract tracing and privacy rights that illustrates our approach, and a study we conducted to examine its impact. We found that the modules achieved our pedagogical goals, including creating an environment in which students felt safe sharing their opinions, and generating enthusiasm for learning more about ethics in technology. Further, we found that students' interest in ethics and technology, and their confidence in identifying, raising, and discussing ethical issues, increased significantly after completing the modules. We hope that this work will encourage and support others to deploy embedded ethics initiatives in their departments, and to study their impact.