Goal 12 MATH 350: Ethics in Math and Computer Science

When I signed up to take an ethics class in Math, I was not too sure what that would entail or how math could be ethical. We were taught about the different ethical theories such as Kantianism, Social Contract Theory, Utilitarianism, and Virtue Ethics and how they are incorporated into different controversial topics. A typical class would start with covering an ethical theory, Dr. Huyveart gave an example of a current event (usually related to computer science), and we discussed if it was viewed as ethically right or wrong according to the theory. When I saw on the syllabus that part of the class grade was a debate, I was very nervous because I had never participated in a formal Lincoln-Douglass debate before. However, most of the class felt this way, I was paired with my friend Iris and was given plenty of time to prepare, so I ended up doing a good job. While I would never choose to take part in a debate again, I am thankful for the experience and speaking skills I gained.

 

My artifact is the debate on why schools should be banned from having access to student laptop webcams.