MSE 6121 Professional Ethics, Law and Marketing for Software Engineering

1. Course description

This course is an introduction to computing ethics, law and marketing. It is intended for IT students who have not studied business principles, or who have little work experience in the industry. The course provides a survival kit for IT graduates entering the work force. The course considers computer ethical issues, such as information privacy, computer crime, computer terrorism. The course considers the international legal framework available to protect software system development. This includes non-disclosure agreements, employment contracts, intellectual property law (copyright, patent, licensing, and royalties), trademarks and warranty disclaimers. The course also considers the marketing of a software system development, involving SWOT analysis and action plan (including budget).

2. Learning Outcomes 

A.    Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

 1.  Knowledge and principles related to computing with professional ethics.

2.  Responsibly design and develop software. 

3.  Understand the professional, follow legal and ethical responsibilities of software Engineer. 

4.  Manage ethically and professionally various key and specific issues intelligently.  

    5.  Maintain and assess quality and standards for software developed and used. 

B. Cognitive/Intellectual skills/Application of Knowledge

Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to:

1.  Persistently use various scientific principles ethically. 

2.  Evaluate technical risk appropriately. 

3.  Appropriately assess commercial risk. 

4.  Maintain and ascertain social impact of software development and its effects.

C.      Communication/ICT/Numeracy/Analytic Techniques/Practical Skills

Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to:

1. Analyze safety standards and risk efficiently.  

2. General transferable skills

3. Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to:

4. Carry out independent research work professionally. 

5. Do team-based assignments with an appropriate working environment. 

6. Effectively communicate ideas, views and share as well as present reports etc. Fluently. 

3.  Indicative Content

Ethics: Computer Ethics. Ethical Theories: What Is Ethics, A variety of Ethical views, important distinctions, Ethical Guidelines for Computer Professionals: Special aspects of professional ethics, new ethical problems and standards for computer technology, Professional codes of Ethics. Cases: Introduction and methodology, Copying an Employee’s file, Insufficient Privacy Protection, Risky Systems, Going Public, Release of personal information, Conflict of Interest, Copyright Violation, trademarks, patents, to different types of intellectual property, Hiring foreign programmers. The structure of the engineering profession, Professional codes of conduct and codes of practice. Produce quality software.

Law: Employment, Contract, Software law overview, Copyright in detail, Software licensing, Trade secrecy (non-disclosure/confidentiality) agreements and trade mark registration, Patents, Template contracts in law notes, recent information privacy related law amendments, eg. Covering websites, spam, spyware (supplementary document on Privacy Law), recent computer crime related law amendments, eg. Napster successors, spam, censorship, defamation (supplementary document on IT Crime Law), Professional organizations, eg. ACM, IEEE, ACS.

Health and Safety: The Health and Safety at Work Act and other relevant statutory provisions, Human factor, Financial considerations, Regulatory issues as they affect software systems: standards, certification and licensing, professional codes of practice, legal regulation. Liability: negligence and product liability; the Consumer Protection Act.

Marketing: Introduction to marketing: definition of marketing Concept, marketing core concepts, Marketing management philosophies, The marketing environment: Analysing the marketing macro environment & microenvironment, Consumer behaviour, Factors influencing consumer behaviour

The marketing management process: market segmentation, targeting and positioning analysing marketing opportunities, Product decisions: Product Classifications, Product line, New product development process, Product life cycle strategies, Branding and packaging Pricing: Considerations and approaches, Pricing strategies, Distribution channels: Types of distribution channels: retailing and wholesale, Organization of channels, Channel design, channel management, Physical distribution, Promotion: Promotion mix, Sales force management, Introduction, What is e-marketing?, Distinguishing between e-marketing e-business and e-commerce, E-marketing planning, Situation analysis , Demand analysis, Competitor analysis, Intermediary analysis. Financial accounts: balance sheets, profit and loss accounts, cash flow statements. The treatment of software in company accounts & customer satisfaction.

Related case study

4. Learning and Teaching Strategy

The strategy is to use lectures, tutorial support and group work (with about 5 students in each group).the lecture shall be delivered in a week intensive lecturing while a final assessment shall also be done.

5. Assessment Strategy

This module shall have 100% assessment based on individual assignment or group assignments.

The final assessment shall be made in three parts as the three module leaders individually complete their portions of the module. The final assessment shall be averaged.

6. Assessment Criteria

For the assignment, criteria will be drawn up appropriate to the topic, based on the learning outcomes.