5.5 Case analysis and presentation: machado

Computer Ethics

Case Module Template: Machado Case

By William J. Frey

Module Abstract:

This module, designed for the EAC Toolkit (NSF SES 0551779), will test the Toolkit and Connexion’s ability to network different online and offline sources for ethics across thecurriculum. It consists of four components designed to provide tools for an in-depth analysis of the cases found at www.computingcases.org ; it also makes substantial references to the draft manuscript of a textbook in computer ethics entitledGood Computing: A Virtue Approach to Computer Ethics under contract with Jones and Bartlett Publishing Company. (This book will consistof the cases displayed at Computing Cases—Therac-25, Machado, and Hughes Aircraft—and 7 additional cases all developed through NSF projects DUE-9972280 and DUE 9980768.)

Module Introduction:

This module as displayed in Connexions presents the case abstract and timeline both taken from ComputingCases. It then refers to the website where the following can be found by browsing:

• case narrative,
• case history,
• a teaching introduction which also provides a useful overview,
• an ethical analysis that can be accessed by clicking on the appropriate concept in the table displayed (clicking on safety willopen a short document that discusses the safety implications of the case)
• a Socio-Technical Analysis which spells out the different components of the cases socio-technical system such as hardware,software, physical surroundings, people/groups/roles, procedures, laws, and data/data structures.
• supporting documents such as three RFCs (Request for Comments) on the Unix finger command, a profile of students at UCI,and an interview with Allen Schiano from the University of California at Irvine’s Office of Academic Computing.

These materials all posted at www.computingcases.org provide the background information necessary for a detailed and exhaustive case analysis. (Asuggestion: since you will be working in groups, divide these readings among your group members and take advantage of class timeto report to one another on the contents of the links you have individually explored. Be sure to triangulate by assigning morethan one member to each link. This will help to identify and solve problems in interpretation.)

The case abstract and timeline in this module outline the case. The following decision point taken from theMachado case will provide the focus for an in-depth case analysis. You will respond to the decision-point by working through a fourstage decision making procedure inspired by the standard Software Development cycle:

• problem specification,
• solution generation,
• solution testing, and…
• solution implementation.