Experience Report: Using Narratives to Teach Responsible Computing in the U.S. and NigeriaGlobal
The rapid evolution in computing and artificial intelligence technologies, with the corresponding impact to human well-being, calls for an increase in ethical awareness to influence the computer science students who will be creating the future. Interdisciplinary teams of scholars are attempting to build frameworks for explaining appropriate ethical considerations for responsible computing. Although professional computing codes of ethics are intended for managing ethical dilemmas in computing, there are no single fixed solutions to all possible challenges which computer scientists face in their professional work. The use of narratives is one way to engage computer science (CS) students, as they explore the ethical implications of their work and critically examine the implications of decisions that are made as a part of professional practice. This experience report shares the story of a team of faculty (Computer Science and Applied Philosophy) working to integrate computing ethics into their undergraduate CS programs in different instructional contexts; a liberal arts college in the USA and a technology and research university in Nigeria. This collaborative work in progress shares examples of modules and assessments refined over time based on evolving student interests and curriculum needs, and that is responsive to the rapid advances in computing technologies. Contributions of this report include: 1) documentation of the origins of this interdisciplinary partnership, 2) a rationale for a narrative-based approach for fostering responsible computing principles and practices, and 3) preliminary data the impact of this approach within international computing environments.