Cross your t's and dot your i's - digital law

Digital law is one of the areas that requires more direct instruction than many of the other elements.  While ethical use of software and information should seem fairly straightforward, the ease of sharing software and “borrowing” information – along with the perceived notion that no one is being harmed (“harmed” typically denoting physical damage) – tends to dull one’s perception of morality.   Admittedly, there are gray areas when it comes to digital law.  What exactly does copyright protect, and to what extent?  What constitutes “fair use”?  And even when a matter might be obviously unethical, how likely is it that a person will be caught?

I am currently working with 11^th grade Advance Placement ELAR classes on research papers.   We have spent a significant amount of time explaining the importance of source citation and helping students document sources and information.   Many students are still developing research skills and this style of writing, so we have the perfect opportunity to stress the importance of academic integrity and the ethical use of information.   The importance of citing information, of giving credit where it is due, is hardly a new concept for our students, but as they begin to look toward the next stage in their academic careers, it takes on a new relevance.   This would be a good time to broach other related topics, making the jump from using others’ ideas to discussing the general idea of copyrights and finally to how it relates to them specifically – not just ideas, but software and other products. 

Also, it’s easy to tell students what they should not do.  We don’t want to focus only on the “don’ts” of digital law.  We need to provide plenty of examples of appropriate and responsible use, including “fair use”.