10.03 Ethical Conflicts. Discuss the most likely ethical conflict that you believe a Technology Coordinator would or could face. Identify what the specific ethical conflict is, why and when the conflict would occur, and how to overcome or work through the ethical conflict

     

Technology Coordinators are likely to encounter a wide range of ethical conflicts in the course of their duties. In an educational landscape of heightening intensity and pressure, as new technologies emerge, newpolices will need to be developed to address issues that arise.In between the emergence of the new technology and the updating of the old policy, ethical conflicts will arise. A school district purchases a specific number of licenses for various software titles and that is the number of computers on which it can be installed. Because of the number of open source options, shareware, and freeware that is currently available, many folks don't always look at the bigger picture and the legal side of situations.A prevalent type of ethical conflict for technology coordinators will involve and continue to involve the issue of intellectual property.  

According to Business Software Alliance in the Fourth Annual BSA and IDC Global Software Piracy Study of the software installed in 2006 on personal computers (PCs) worldwide was obtained illegally, amounting to nearly $40 billion in global losses due to software piracy. 

Teachers often skirt issues when it comes to copyright. They tend to be more concerned about teaching their students and using 'whatever means' necessary to do their job. Teachers in many cases are used to operating in a culture of sharing. If they “buy a book” to read to a class for a particular unit, they see it as the same as if they purchase a piece of software to reinforce a unit they are teaching they, and they want to be able to have the same rights. Software licensing is a major concern for Technology Coordinators. There are many computers in the district, many more programs, and making sure that the correct number of installs match the correct number of licenses is very important. Audits that catch any mistakes can result in a costly fine. Therefore it is important for teachers to understand basic copyright policies.

Some times the best offense is a good defense. To help teachers better understand why policies are in place, the first step would be to take initiative to prevent the issue from occurring. Some preventative measures would include the following strategies. Schools could have a "sign up list" for software. If someone wants a particular software package installed on a school computer, they can put in a request. In most cases, it is possible to look at the license agreement and make a determination. If the software can not be installed, then there is a system in place to explain why. In many cases, the "shareware" license may say "not for commercial or educational use"; so it’s free at home, but not on a school computer.

Another proactive solution is to use a "Software Asset Management" system which allows a Tech Director to monitor installed software on school computers. If a user installs software without permission, SAM rolls the computer back to its state before the installation. For Macintosh, Windows, and Linux, a great solution is a product called "Deep Freeze" by Farionics. Deep Freeze allows an administrator to "lock down" a computer without completely locking OUT a user. A computer that is "frozen" will allow a user to write to certain areas of the hard drive (Documents, Pictures, etc), but other areas are only written to on a temporary basis. You can "freeze" the Applications folder (Mac) and Program Files folder (PC) - allowing users to "try" software, yet when the computer reboots any "frozen" parts are returned to the state the administrator chooses. Since many "shareware" programs are designed only for personal or temporary use, removing them upon reboot maintains the software policy of the district while allowing teachers and students the flexibility to try software.

Ethical conflict exists for technology directors in that it is their responsibility to enforce a policy, and yet they must still act as an advocate for learning, not as some person that wants to block,filter, or deny technology. In addition, technology directors know that many teachers do not understand copyright policies. The follow scenario would be an example of a conflict and an outline of how that conflict might be managed: A teacher buys a copy of software they found at Wal-Mart for their classroom. They bring it to school and install on multiple computers. The Technology Coordinator needs to explain that the software can only be installed on one machine because they only have one copy of it. Hopefully, this conversation will satisfy the teacher and the software would be removed. It's possible they did not know that was the case. The action of reviewing the policy with the teacher should suffice in a first offense situation.

If the teacher is not satisfied and either re-installs the software or an additional software, then it is important to take some steps. A face to face meeting to suggest purchasing additional copies or suggesting other software that can be used can help the director to maintain a level of respect.

If however the behavior continues, then the teacher is clearly in violation of the Acceptable Use Policy of the district as well as willful disregard for copyright law. A possible solution is for the teacher to be denied administrative access (the ability to install software) to the machines until they have taken a copyright course to reinstate those privileges. Blatant violations such as these will require actions as stated in the "Professional Activities Manual" as negotiated by the contract, and may vary by school. At this point the responsibility of the Technology Coordinator is fulfilled and the teacher or staff member's supervisor must intervene.