DA 305: Data Ethics and Privacy

Textbook Information

Martin, Kristen. (2022). Ethics of Data and Analytics: Concepts and Cases. 1st Edition. 9781003278290 electronic book

**This book is available for free from the Penn State University Libraries website in a digital format. Students will be provided a link in Canvas course.

Published Remarks

None

Hardware Requirements

None

Software Requirements

None

Proctored Exams

None

Course Description

DA 305 will cultivate students awareness of ethical, privacy, and security rules and standards to guide how to use and analyze data and communicate the report findings. The course will demonstrate appropriate ethical, privacy, and security standards. This course will utilize case studies to demonstrate the real world implications of these topics in data analytics and identify the appropriate communication styles. The course will emphasize ethics at various stages of data analytics. This includes the communication of the implications of the data analysis to stakeholders, including how data are collected and stored as well as how it is analyzed and presented to different stakeholders. Students will be able to define who has access to which data, where and how long the data will be stored, and which procedures will be implemented for further use. (3 credits)

Prerequisite: DA 101

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Evaluate the impact of ethical and unethical use of data analytics on society.
  • Articulate a sense of ethical responsibility in their professional work.
  • Describe effective data management policies and procedures that address ethical, privacy, and security concerns.
  • Apply ethical considerations to case studies base on real world scenarios and examples.
  • Create a personalized Ethical Guidelines for data analysts.

Course Assignments

The course contains the following graded assignments.

  • Module Assignments (including quizzes, discussion boards, etc.) – Each module includes a variety of assignments ranging from content quizzes, reading quizzes, short answer responses, essay responses, and discussion boards. Follow each module from top to bottom to ensure you have completed the module assignments. Assignment descriptions and grading criteria are explained on each module assignment.
  • My Personal Ethics Code – Throughout the course you will be working on a My Personal Ethics Code. This assignment has several check ins where you will receive feedback from peers and your instructor. The final document will be submitted at the end of the course.
  • Final Project (multi-phase) – In the second half of the course, you will be working on a final project that asks you to apply your Personal Ethics Code to a chosen case study. Working in a small group, you will submit assignments in phases to ensure you and your group are working on your assignment. A final presentation will be submitted at the end of the course.