TDP013 Web Programming and Interactivity

Ethics task

Learning objectives

From the syllabus: Link to syllabus

• Be able to explain and analyze ethical aspects related to the subject area.

Aims

Organizations that try to shape a functioning corporate ethics are usually called "value-driven". The operations are then based on a set of values. Companies and other organizations that work with ethics and values are usually more successful than those that do not (Collins and Porras, 1994). A value can be described as the "inner compass" of the company or organization and it is often connected to what is called CR or CSR (corporate responsibility/corporate social responsibility).

The world is placing increasingly higher expectations and demands on companies and organizations regarding the impact of their operations on society and individuals. The core values are the company's or organization's response to how they actively work towards and relate to these demands in the form of ethical principles or an ethical code (often referred to as a "code of conduct").

Of course, it is not enough to establish a set of core values. The company or organization must also enable employees and management to apply the ethical principles in their daily lives. If ethics are to be put into practice, they must be implemented in the organizational culture that guides all employees. However, there is often a conflict between the company's established core values, the company's other goals, and applicable rules and laws.

Preparations

The assignment is done individually. Before the writing assignment, you should generally read parts of the following literature:

• Introduction to ethics (~10 min)
• ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (~3500 words)
• Computer and Information Ethics in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (~8000 words)
• The code I'm still ashamed of (~1100 words)
• "Uncle" Bob Martin - "The Future of Programming" (the last 10 minutes)
• Protecting Privacy and Society (~4 min)
• On designing a More Ethical Internet (~6 min)

Writing assignment

Find a so-called value-driven company's code of ethics or ethical policy. Choose a software or hardware development company with a global presence. These can usually be found on the companies' own websites. Identify the ethical goals and values you find in it and reflect on them using the Gibbs reflection model. The Gibbs reflection model usually consists of six steps that you should systematically go through step by step. Here, the model has been adapted somewhat for the task and we only use the first three steps:

Write a reflection document in which you answer the questions above in Gibbs' reflection model. The document will be used as support during the seminar and should be around 1 page long (approx. 500 words) excluding references and any ethical code or policy. The report should refer to at least 2 of the resources listed under literature above. The report should be included as a PDF file in your repository on gitlab.liu.se before the seminar.

Submission

1. Include the report in your assigned repo at gitlab.liu.se.
2. Send an email to the teacher of your assigned seminar. Subject of the email: "TDP013_2026_GROUP_NUMBER-EthicsReport-LiU-ID".

Oral presentation at seminar

During the seminar, you will briefly describe the company's code of ethics or ethical policy that you have written about in your reflection document. Feel free to use the Gibbs reflection model and your report as support for your discussion. Do all companies seem to list the same ethical goals and values? In what ways are they similar to each other and in what ways do they differ?

You will be assigned to a group before the seminar. The seminar will take about 1 hour per group. Let us know which company you have chosen one week before the seminar to huanyu.li@liu.se.

If you miss the seminar

If you miss a seminar, a 13-15 minute screencast should be prepared in which you present your company's code of ethics as above. Since there is no opportunity to ask questions, you should also look at another company's code of ethics, present this briefly and compare it with the chosen company's. Plan what you are going to say before you make the recording to be able to use the time effectively. If the video is too long, it should be cut down to a maximum of 15 minutes before submission. Share the video as a downloadable link to huanyu.li@liu.se.

Company Selection Deadline: 25 September 2026 23:59 CEST (applies to company selection via email to huanyu.li@liu.se and seminar registration via webreg)
Report Submission Deadline: 30 September 2026 23:59 CEST (applies to report submission)

Page responsible: Huanyu Li
Last updated: 2026-08-28