A STUDY OF COMPUTER ETHICS VIOLATION    1600w

There has been a widespread use of ICT in teaching and learning process. Computer is one of the most technologies used in learning activities by students in universities throughout the world. It is a mean to facilitate learning, improve academic success, provide access to many resources and give opportunity for communication (Kay & Lauricella, 2011).

Even though the computers provide students with advantages, they might also lead to several ethical problems. There is extensive unethical usage of computer among students. Kuzu (2009) stated some of these unethical computer using behaviors such as using unlicensed software, copying files or programs without authorization, contempt of people’s work, accessing personal information of people and publishing this on the Internet without authorization, communicating on the Internet in disrespected way, downloading of others’ files and e-mails, opening adult web sites and sending viruses. These are some of the unethical practices of computer which lead to the build a big construct that is computer ethics. Martin and Yale-Weltz (1999) stated that there are characteristics caused by computer use namely: new concerns emerge rapidly, computer ethics, and computerized information.

The term of computer ethics refers to a part of social and humanistic studies of computing (SHC) which is theoretical of the way in which different forms of information technology shape these computer ethics which have been developed to address individuals or social systems (Breij, 2001). On the other hand, Shelly (2010) is more specific and described the term computer ethics as ethical guidelines that lead people to the right way of using computers and information systems. Moreover, Barnard, de Ridder and Pretorius (2003) state that computer ethics is the study of behavioral activities of IT professionals that is useful for all of society. Baase (2003) definition is quite closely to Barnard’s definition and describes computer ethics as a list of professional ethics same as medical, legal, teaching and accounting ethics.

Computer ethics’ aim is to make decisions that dep