Using the defining issues test for evaluating computer ethics teaching

Since the publication in 1997 of the Australian Computer Society's (ACS) body of knowledge for computing professionals, a higher priority has been given to the teaching of computer ethics in Australia. This paper evaluates an undergraduate computer ethics teaching program using the defining issues test of moral judgment. A "before-and-after with a control group" research design was used. For both the experimental and control groups, a general increase in moral judgment development was observed over the semester. The experimental group exhibited a significantly larger increase in moral judgment development than the control group. However, it was found to be the result of an increase in the moral development of the female students rather than the male students. The results are discussed and the implications for studies in an education context are outlined.