Perspectives on Computing Ethics: a Multi-Stakeholder Analysis

Purpose: Computing ethics represents a long established, yet rapidly evolving, discipline that grows in complexity and scope on a near-daily basis. Therefore, to help understand some of that scope it is essential to incorporate a range of perspectives, from a range of stakeholders, on current and emerging ethical challenges associated with computer technology. This study aims to achieve this by using, a three-pronged, stakeholder analysis of Computer Science academics, ICT industry professionals, and citizen groups was undertaken to explore what they consider to be crucial computing ethics concerns. The overlap between these stakeholder groups are explored, as well as whether their concerns are reflected in the existing literature. Design/methodology/approach: Data collection was performed using focus groups, and the data was analysed using a thematic analysis. The data was also analysed to determine if there were overlaps between the literature and the stakeholders’ concerns and attitudes towards computing ethics. Findings: The results of the focus group analysis show a mixture of overlapping concerns between the different groups, as well as some concerns that are unique to each of the specific groups. All groups stressed the importance of data as a key topic in computing ethics. This includes concerns around the accuracy, completeness and representativeness of datasets used to develop computing applications. Academics were concerned with the best ways to teach computing ethics to university students. Industry professionals believed that a lack of diversity in software teams resulted in important questions not being asked during design and development. Citizens discussed at length the negative and unexpected impacts of social media applications. These are all topics that have gained broad coverage in the literature. Originality: The multi-stakeholder analysis provides individual and differing perspectives on the issues related to the rapidly evolving discipline of computing ethics. Social implications: In recent years, the impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on society and the environment at large has grown tremendously. From this fast-paced growth, a myriad of ethical concerns have arisen. Our analysis aims to shed light on what a diverse group of stakeholders consider the most important social impacts of technology and whether these concerns are reflected in the literature on computing ethics. The outcomes of this analysis will form the basis for new teaching content that will be developed in future to help illuminate and address these concerns

Influence of big-data based digital media on spiritual goal strivings and well-being: a media richness theory perspective

A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of PhilosophyBig-Data characteristics and spirituality are seldom discussed together in the context of assistances provided by big-data based digital media on spiritual goal strivings (SGS). This study’s main aim is to investigate the significance of this relationship between big-data based digital media characteristics and SGS outcomes, and its impact on well-being. A theoretical integrated framework was developed underpinned by Media Richness Theory (MRT) to capture the influence of big-data based digital media characteristics on SGS outcomes. The research design of this epistemological study adopted positivism type of scientific enquiry; employing a deductive approach confining under quantitative research methods and used survey data collection technique. Non-probability self-selection sampling was used and a total of 987 valid responses were analysed by applying statistical tests and techniques following rigorous statistical Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) techniques using IBM AMOS. The results revealed the existence of significant relationship between the big-data based digital media characteristics and SGS outcomes. The study also reveals that digital media characteristics influences successes in SGS outcomes where certain aspects of digital media characteristics are shown to assist SGS towards accomplishments while some have shown to cause hindrances for SGS to be accomplished. The results also confirmed that success in SGS accomplishments increased vitality aspect of well-being. This information is vital for decision making, implementing and planning for various spiritual stakeholders mainly spiritual seekers, spiritual organisations and user experience (UX) - user interface (UI) designers of big-data based digital media developers. With this knowledge contribution, the stakeholders are able to make informed decisions and look for efficient strategies that would provide effective, reliable and sustainable assistances towards SGS accomplishments. The study provides theoretical contribution to the body of IS literature with an integrated and extended MRT conceptual framework providing the foundation for exploring the extended MRT instrument for future studies in similar thematic contexts by other researchers. Further, this study’s empirically validated evidence provides practical contribution in its effort to spiritual stakeholders with the confidence to adopt and develop effective strategies to implement big-data based digital systems in organisations with selective configuring and tuning to utilise the accelerating aspects of the medium for effective SGS accomplishments. UX and UI stakeholders will benefit significantly to be able to design and develop digital systems supporting SGS based on a deeper understanding of the certain factors from this study which indicates significant influence on SGS and to look for effective strategies in their development phase to accommodate the revealed concerns and assistances that would provide efficient, consistent and sustainable spiritual goal outcomes. Overall the findings in this study provide optimistic future for utilising the assistances provided by big-data based digital media capabilities for SGS accomplishments. Overall statistical results reveal that the advantages of assistances provided towards SGS outcomes outweighed the disadvantages of hindrances towards SGS outcomes

About model-based approaches in pervasive information systems development

Tese de doutoramento em Tecnologias e Sistemas de InformaçãoUbiquitous computing is a research field of computing technology with a growing number of researchers and represents a new direction on the thinking about the integration and use of computers in people’s lives. It aims to achieve a new computing paradigm, one in which there is a high degree of pervasiveness and widespread availability of computers or other IT devices, usually with communication capabilities, in the physical environment. Model-Driven Development (MDD) constitutes an approach to software design and development that strongly focuses and relies on models, through which we build software-platform independent models. Several contributions of MDD are: gains of productivity; concepts closer to domain and reduction of semantic gap; automation and less sensitivity to technological changes; and capture of expert knowledge and reuse. This thesis aims to contribute for the appropriate use of model-based/driven development approaches in software development for pervasive information systems (PIS). This work considers a case study research strategy. It uses two projects developed in the field of ubiquitous and mobile computing that directed their software development to a model-based/driven approach. This thesis describes and analyses the projects. Each one of the project is formalized in a SPEM 2.0 model that presents the main elements of the project. This SPEM model allows perceiving the structure and elements of the project, along with some issues and facts of the project. This thesis conceives a development framework that introduces several useful conceptions. Among these conceptions are the dimensions of development, functional profiles, resources categories, functional profile instances, global and elementary development process. In consonance with this development framework, the thesis proposes a SPEM 2.0 Base Plug-In extension and a development framework pattern to assist in the analysis of the projects. The SPEM 2.0 Base Plug-In extension defines elements that are fundamental to the definition and application of the development framework pattern. The development framework pattern is applied to each of the projects to facilitate the analysis. From the analysis of the projects, the thesis synthesizes a set of guidelines and insight related to the adoption of model-based/driven approaches to pervasive information system development.A computação ubíqua é um campo de investigação de tecnologia de computação com um número crescente de investigadores e representa uma nova direcção no pensamento sobre a integração e o uso de computadores na vida das pessoas. O objectivo é alcançar um novo paradigma de computação em que há um alto grau de abrangência e ampla disponibilidade de computadores ou outros dispositivos de tecnologias de informação, geralmente com recursos de comunicação, no ambiente físico. Model-Driven Development (MDD), constitui uma abordagem de desenho e desenvolvimento de software que se baseia em modelos, através da qual construímos modelos de plataforma de software independentes. Várias contribuições de MDD são: ganhos de produtividade; conceitos mais próximos ao domínio e à redução do salto semântico; automação e menor sensibilidade às mudanças tecnológicas; captura de conhecimento especializado e reutilização. Esta tese visa contribuir para a adequada utilização de abordagens de desenvolvimento baseadas/conduzidas por modelos no desenvolvimento de software para sistemas de informação “pervasive” (PIS). Esta tese apresenta uma estratégia de investigação de estudo de caso. Usa, como estudos de caso, dois projectos desenvolvidos no campo da computação ubíqua e móvel, e os quais dirigiram o seu desenvolvimento de software para uma abordagem baseada/conduzida por modelos. Esta tese descreve e analisa os projectos; cada um dos projectos é formalizado num modelo SPEM 2.0 que apresenta os elementos principais do projecto. Este modelo SPEM permite perceber a estrutura e os elementos do projecto, juntamente com alguns problemas e factos do projecto. Esta tese concebe uma estrutura de desenvolvimento que apresenta várias concepções úteis. Entre essas concepções estão as dimensões de desenvolvimento, os perfis funcionais, as categorias de recursos, instâncias de perfil funcional, os processos de desenvolvimento global e elementar. Em consonância com esta estrutura de desenvolvimento, a tese propõe uma extensão ao SPEM 2.0 Base Plug- In e um padrão de desenvolvimento para auxiliarem a análise dos projectos. A extensão ao SPEM 2.0 Base Plug-In define elementos que são fundamentais para a definição e aplicação do padrão de estrutura de desenvolvimento. O padrão de estrutura de desenvolvimento é aplicado a cada um dos projectos para facilitar a sua análise. A partir da análise dos projectos, a tese sintetiza um conjunto de directrizes e de ilações relacionadas com a adopção de abordagens MDD para o desenvolvimento de PIS.Programa Operacional Educacional (PRODEP), e do Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, através da sua Escola Superior de Tecnologia e de Gestão.Instituto Politécnico de Bragança. Escola Superior de Tecnologia e de Gestã