Incorporation of Information Ethics Into

Curriculum at the University of Botswana

Olugbade OLADOKUN & Boemo JOROSI

Background Information

• University of Botswana (UB), a broad based public

institution was established in 1982

• A dual mode institution, UB’s main campus is seated in

Gaborone, the capital

• Branch campuses located in Francistown, and

Okavango Research Institute (ORI) in Maun

• UB has a total student population of 18,717

- 15,966 Full-time; 2,171 Part-time and 580 DLs

- Total Staff 2,794: 4 Executive Management;

890 Academic Staff; 1,488 Support Staff; 412

Industrial Staff

• Currently, the University of Botswana has:

- 7 established Faculties: 41 Departments and 5 Schools

Faculties, Schools and Departments

- Business: 4 Departments

- Education: 10 Departments including Teaching

Practice

- Engineering and Technology: 5 Departments

- Health Sciences: 4 Schools

- Humanities: 8 Departments

- Science: 6 Departments

- Social Sciences: 8 Departments

- Centre for Continuing Education

- School of Graduate Studies

ETHICS & INFORMATION ETHICS

• Ethics refers to well-founded standards of right and

wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do,

usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to

society, fairness, or specific virtues (Velasquez et al,

2010).

• wiseGEEK (2003) sees IE as a term used to describe

the study and evaluation of the various ethical issues

that arise in a world driven by the sharing of electronic

data

• ..Close look at the morality involved in making use of

the information or data, how innovations in

information technology can help to promote ethical

use of information, and in general identify ways to

practice workable ethics in virtual environments.

Objective of Study/Research Questions

• The objective/purpose of the study is to establish

the courses with ethics, morality and/or information

ethics incorporated into curriculum at the University of

Botswana

Research Questions:

• What ethics or related courses are incorporated into

the curriculum of the University of Botswana?

• What information ethics courses are available or

taught in the curriculum at the UB?

Methodology

• Using 2012/13 Undergraduate AND Graduate

Academic Calendar to search for courses with

ethics and/ or moral(ity)

• The scope of coverage of ethics or moral

contents in courses retrieved were examined

• Content analysis of curriculum done using ANIE

Framework

• Courses without ethics or moral contents were

expunged

Findings: Faculty of Business

Departments Number of Courses on

Ethics

Accounting and Finance 3

Management 2

Marketing 2

Tourism and Hospitality

Management

0

Findings: Faculty of Education

Departments Number of Courses on

Ethics

Adult Education 0

Educational Foundations 1

Educational Technology 0

Family and Consumer Sciences 0

Languages and Social Sciences

Education

5

Mathematics and Science

Education

0

Physical Education, Health &

Recreation

0

Primary Education 0

Findings: Faculty of Engineering

and Technology

Departments Number of Ethics

Courses

Architecture and Planning 2

Civil Engineering 1

Electrical Engineering 0

Industrial Design and

Technology

0

Mechanical Engineering 1

Findings: Faculty of Health Sciences

Schools Number of Ethics

Courses

Public Health 0

Medicine 1

Nursing 1

Allied Health Professions 0

Findings: Faculty of Humanities

Departments Number of Ethics Courses

African Languages &

Literature

0

English 0

Chinese Studies 0

French 0

History 0

Library & Information

Studies

4

Media Studies 1

Theology & Religious

Studies

7

Visual & Performing Arts 1

Findings: Faculty of Science

Departments Number of Ethics

Courses

Biological Sciences 0

Chemistry 0

Computer Science 1

Environmental Science 0

Geology 0

Mathematics 0

Physics 0

Findings: Faculty of Social Sciences

Departments Number of Ethics Courses

Economics 0

Law 4

Political & Administrative

Studies

2

Population Studies 0

Psychology 0

Social Work 0

Sociology 1

Statistics 0

Summary of Findings

Faculties Number of Ethics Courses

Business 7

Education 6

Engineering & Technology 4

Health Sciences 2

Humanities 13

Science 1

Social Sciences 7

Total 40

Summary of Findings in %age

Faculty No. of Ethics

Courses

% of Total Ethics

Courses

Business 7 17.5

Education 6 15.0

Engineering & Tech 4 10.0

Health Sciences 2 5.0

Humanities 13 32.5

Science 1 2.5

Social Sciences 7 17.5

Total 40 100.0

Findings

• A total of only 40 courses with ethics and related

concepts were retrieved across all academic fields at UB

• With 13 courses (32.5%) Faculty of Humanities has the

highest ethics and related courses

• Faculties of Science and Health Sciences occupy the

rear in offering ethics in their curricula with only 1 (2.5%)

and 2 (5%) courses respectively

• Faculties of Business and Social Sciences have 7

ethics courses (with 17.5%) apiece; whilst Faculty of

Education has 6 (15%) ethics courses

• Faculty of Engineering and Technology has 4 ethics

courses with 10%

• Even if it is a paltry one course, there is no Faculty that

does not offer Ethics courses in at least one of its streams

ANIE THEMATIC FRAMEWORK

• Global Intercultural IE

• Bio-ethics

• IE and development of knowledge societies

• Information ethics and development goals

• Needs of children

• African IE

• Diversity of cultural traditions

• IE and Character Formation of Children

• Cultural Literacy

• Local content & language

• Brain drain/brain rain

ANIE THEMATIC FRAMEWORK

• Respect of human dignity

• Cultural diversity

• Trust, attitudes and behaviours

• Intellectual freedom

• Censorship

• Fair representation

• Public accountability

• Cultural policies

Sample of Ethics Courses Across Discipline

• ACC202: Ethics in Accounting (3)

• BIS405: Legal and Ethical Issues of Information Systems (3)

• MGT204: Business Ethics (3)

• MKT406: Marketing Ethics (3)

• ELM401: Teaching Moral Education in Secondary Schools (3)

• ELM493: Contemporary Moral Issues in Moral Education (3)

• URP427: Planning Ethics (3)

• RES411: Business and Professional Ethics (3)

• CBB529: Professional Ethics (3)

• LAW441:Ethics in Law and Health Care (3)

• LIS230: Legal Aspects/Issues in Information (3)

• BMS226: Ethics for Media Professionals (3)

• TRS106: Ethics: Classical Theories (3)

• BFA313: Theatre Ethics (3)

• PAD406: Ethics and Public Administration (3)

• MPA 718 Ethics and Accountability in Public Administration (3)

C O N C L U S I O N

• Ethics courses though few cut across several disciplines

at both undergraduate and graduate levels in UB

• Irrespective of course of study, every UB undergraduate,

is expected to register for a General Education Course –

GEC, with Information literacy skills (and ethics) component

• From a total of 32 departments with graduate

programmes, only nine (9) courses with ethics were

uncovered

• LIS and TRS largely have more contents of IE or ethics

in general in their curricula

• ANIE’s adopted core contents of IE are not too feasible

in the synopses of most courses

• Most Departments do not offer courses devoted to

ethical/moral issues as presented in the context of research

methods courses

RECOMMENDATIONS

• As LIS restructures its programmes, more IE

and indeed ANIE’s suggested contents should

be embedded

• LIS should open its doors wide for students from

other Departments & Faculties to register for its

courses on IE

• Make case for University wide IE courses in the

fashion of GEC courses

• Efforts should be made to strengthen some of

the compulsory GEC courses with IE contents

REFERENCES

• Mmakola, L.K. et al.(2012). Information Ethics

Integration in the Curriculum at the University of

KwaZulu Natal. Paper presented at ANIE’s Conference

held in Pretoria, RSA

• Velasquez, M. et al (2010) What is Ethics. Available online at

http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/whatisethics.htm

l Retrieved 29 June 2014

• University of Botswana (2012). Undergraduate Calendar

2012/2013. UB: Gaborone

• University of Botswana (2013). Graduate Calendar

2013/2014. UB: Gaborone

• WiseGeek (2003). What Is Information Ethics? Available

online at: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-information-

ethics.htm#didyouknowout Retrieved 20 June, 2014

APPRECIATION

• THANK YOU