Informed discussion in information technology survey courses

Abstract

Structured debates have been suggested as a way to help students understand the basic ethical, social, and legal issues inherent in information technology. In this paper, we present evidence that a form of less structured debates we call informed discussions provide equal benefits. As with debates, informed discussions allow for a high-level of participation, demand that students conduct significant research, and provide an interactive environment. However, informed discussion is more engaging for certain populations. Our work is based on debates and informed discussions conducted in three courses. Two of these courses are at the undergraduate level and one is a Masters level course; all provide a survey of some area of information technology.