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Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2026 (27/07/2026 - 21/11/2026)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Elec Engineering & Comp Science School
This course introduces students to the ethical dimensions of computing practice, the responsibilities of computing professionals and the critical role of responsible decision-making. Through a case study centred approach, students will explore how everyday design and development decisions can lead to profound social, legal and ethical consequences. Topics include professional codes of conduct, frameworks for ethical decision-making, bias and inclusion, cybersecurity and privacy, sustainability and the ethical challenges of emerging technologies. Students will gain the tools to anticipate the consequences of technological choices beyond mere legal compliance, understand relevant Australian laws and global standards. Students will develop the moral sensitivity and principled reasoning needed for responsible computing.
This course treats all external sources of information (including textbooks, academic articles, developer forums, online tutorials, and generative AI) as pieces of a wider knowledge ecosystem. You are permitted to engage with these diverse forms of cognitive support to help solve complex problems. However, you will be assessed on your ability to critically select, evaluate, and validate these inputs. You retain full responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of your decisions. If you choose not to use AI tools, alternative information pathways are fully supported and will not disadvantage you.
The course places particular emphasis on responsible inquiry and judgement. You will work with diverse forms of knowledge, which may include academic research, policy, technical documentation, practitioner and community knowledge, public data, crowdsourced resources and generative systems. You will be expected to determine what knowledge is needed, evaluate what different sources can and cannot contribute, integrate evidence carefully, make uncertainty visible and remain accountable for the conclusions and recommendations you produce.
Course requirements
Assumed background
It is assumed that students have completed some computing study.
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
CSSE1001 or ENGG1001 or COMP1200
Course contact
Course staff
Course coordinator
Associate Professor David Ross
Lecturer
Associate Professor David Ross
Dr Peter Worthy
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
A lecture or class that would have been scheduled on a public holiday will not occur and will not be substituted for another date. The course schedule has been planned to accommodate any missing dates. There are no public holidays coinciding with any activities at time of this Course Profile being published.
Aims and outcomes
The course aims:
- For students to understand the foundational guides and governance of professional computing practice, including codes of conduct and relevant Australian laws while emphasising that legality does not always equate to ethical behaviour.
- To equip students with practical ethical decision-making skills, providing frameworks & methods for anticipating the impact of technological solutions and making principled, reasoned choices beyond mere legal compliance.
- To foster in students a developing moral sensitivity and an instilled sense of ethical responsibility that will guide their professional conduct and contribute to the responsible practice. This would be built on in later courses as students apply decision-making skills to projects.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Describe the foundation principles and regulatory frameworks that guide and govern professional practice in computing, including relevant codes of conduct and Australian laws pertaining to technology.
LO2.
Apply ethical decision-making frameworks to anticipate the social, environmental and ethical impact of technological products and development processes.
LO3.
Explain legal & ethical responsibilities associated with issues related to privacy, security, diversity, inclusion and systems reliability in computing practice.
LO4.
Identify and critically reflect on personal biases and their potential influence on technological design, development and deployment.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Weekly Tasks | x 2 |
7/10/2026 2:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Case Study
|
x 5 |
Proposal (non-graded formative) 21/08/2026 5:00 pm Case Study Report (graded with Interview) 16/10/2026 5:00 pm Oral Interview (graded with Report) 27/10/2026 11:00 am
This is a sequence comprising three assessments: a non-graded Proposal to confirm the appropriateness of your case study; a Case Study Report and an Oral Interview (both combined in grading). |
| Examination |
Final Examination
|
x 3 |
End of Semester Exam Period 7/11/2026 - 21/11/2026 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Weekly Tasks
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- x 2
- Due date
7/10/2026 2:00 pm
Task description
Throughout the semester, individual or group tasks will be assigned. Students are to document their completion of the tasks each week, and to compile those tasks into an individual portfolio submission. An interim opportunity for formative feedback on your completed tasks will be available at the end of Week 5 (i.e. before the Census Date).
Information sources (including AI Tools)
You may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools (including Generative AI and Machine Translation tools), and other external sources or systems to support this assessment. Their use is optional, and choosing not to use AI tools will not disadvantage you.
You remain responsible for determining what knowledge and assistance are appropriate, evaluating the relevance and limitations of contributions, verifying consequential claims, and deciding what should influence your final system map and analysis. Any use of AI tools must be acknowledged in accordance with the course requirements. Your Accountable Knowledge Integration Statement must explain the role of any consequential human or technological contributions and how you evaluated and integrated them. Failure to acknowledge AI tools use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Assessment security
Open assessment: In this assessment you can use resources such as your notes, course materials, and other tools, including AI, while completing the task. The focus is not on memorising information, but on understanding, applying judgement, and demonstrating your own thinking.
Submission guidelines
See the brief for submission details.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extensions are limited to 7 days as feedback will be provided within 14 days to allow you to prepare for the final assessments.
Late submission
A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.
Case Study
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- Mode
- Oral, Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- x 5
- Due date
Proposal (non-graded formative) 21/08/2026 5:00 pm
Case Study Report (graded with Interview) 16/10/2026 5:00 pm
Oral Interview (graded with Report) 27/10/2026 11:00 am
This is a sequence comprising three assessments: a non-graded Proposal to confirm the appropriateness of your case study; a Case Study Report and an Oral Interview (both combined in grading).
- Other conditions
- Secure.
Task description
Analyse a computing technology case with respect to the ethical topics covered in this course. Your case study will apply ethical frameworks and principles to a sociotechnical system, evaluating it with respect to, e.g. professional codes of ethics, bias and fairness, accessibility, consent, transparency, privacy, security, relevant legal frameworks and governance.
This is a sequence comprising three assessments: a non-graded proposal to confirm the appropriateness of your case study, a case study report and an oral interview.
The proposal is a non-graded formative submission that can provide feedback to students before the census date. Students will get feedback on their proposal and learn whether it is appropriate for the course as is, or would be better to revise.
Your grade for this assessment is based on your case study report and the oral interview combined. These are not graded separately and your oral interview forms the secure component in this assessment. To be clear, students need to pass (satisfactory) the interview otherwise their grade for this assessment item will be capped at a 3. Details will be provided as part of the assessment brief.
In accordance with UQ Assessment Policy, your oral interview will be recorded.
Information sources (including AI Tools)
You may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools (including Generative AI and Machine Translation tools), and other external sources or systems to support this assessment. Their use is optional, and choosing not to use AI tools will not disadvantage you.
You remain responsible for determining what knowledge and assistance are appropriate, evaluating the relevance and limitations of contributions, verifying consequential claims, and deciding what should influence your final system map and analysis. Any use of AI tools must be acknowledged in accordance with the course requirements. Your Accountable Knowledge Integration Statement must explain the role of any consequential human or technological contributions and how you evaluated and integrated them. Failure to acknowledge AI tools use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Assessment security
Secure assessment: This assessment is designed to protect academic integrity and assess your understanding of course concepts. You must only use the approved materials and tools for this assessment task. Use of prohibited materials in this task may be investigated and treated as academic misconduct. See assessment instructions for more details.
Hurdle requirements
Students must achieve a grade of 4 (Pass) or greater in EITHER (a) this assessment (secured by the oral Interview component), or (b) the secure end of semester Final Examination; AND achieve a final grade of 4 or greater to pass the course.Submission guidelines
See the brief for submission instructions.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Note the interview component of this assessment is a scheduled in-person recorded secure assessment in Week 13. Extensions are limited to 7 days to ensure students can receive feedback on their proposal before the census date, feedback on their report with sufficient time to incorporate into their oral interview in Week 13, and can receive feedback on their overall Case Study in time to prepare for their Final Examination, with the examination period starting the following week.
Students with approved absences may be offered one rescheduled session. If they do not attend the rescheduled session, they will receive a mark of zero.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
Note the interview component of this assessment is a scheduled in-person recorded secure assessment in Week 13. Late submissions for this component will not be possible without an approved extension. Consistent with industry practice around presentations to clients/industry partners, no late submissions will be accepted and a 100% late penalty applies.
This has been approved by the Associate Dean (Academic)
Final Examination
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- x 3
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
7/11/2026 - 21/11/2026
- Other conditions
- Secure.
Task description
The final exam (including any deferred or supplementary exams) are closed-book examinations and no calculators or student notes of any kind are permitted in the examination room.
As the final exam (including any deferred or supplementary exams) are in-person technology-free paper-based secure exams, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are not available to students while performing this assessment.
Assessment security
Secure assessment: This assessment is designed to protect academic integrity and assess your understanding of course concepts. You must only use the approved materials and tools for this assessment task. Use of prohibited materials in this task may be investigated and treated as academic misconduct. See assessment instructions for more details.
Hurdle requirements
Students must achieve a grade of 4 (Pass) or greater in EITHER (a) the Case Study assessment (secured by the oral Interview component), or (b) the secure end of semester Final Examination; AND achieve a final grade of 4 or greater to pass the course.Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Some engagement with the assessment tasks; however has failed to demonstrate any knowledge or understanding of the underlying concepts or has failed to demonstrate an ability to apply those concepts in practice. |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates clear deficiencies in understanding of the fundamental concepts and/or ability to apply these concepts; presents incomplete or unsupported arguments; communicates information or ideas that are frequently incomplete or confusing and gives little attention to the conventions of the discipline. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Demonstrates limited understanding of the fundamental concepts and/or ability to apply these concepts; presents undeveloped or inappropriate or not fully supported arguments; communicates information or ideas with lack of clarity and inconsistent adherence to the conventions of the discipline. |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates sound understanding of the fundamental concepts and ability to apply, critically appraise and, where necessary, extend or adapt these concepts; develops routine arguments or decisions and provides acceptable justification; communicates information and ideas adequately in terms of the conventions of the discipline. |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates substantial understanding of the fundamental concepts and ability to apply, critically appraise and, where necessary, extend or adapt these concepts; develops convincing arguments or decisions and provides coherent justification; communicates information and ideas fluently in terms of the conventions of the discipline. |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates advanced understanding of the fundamental concepts and ability to apply, critically appraise and, where necessary, extend or adapt these concepts; develops advanced and original arguments or decisions and provides advanced justification; communicates information and ideas at an advanced level in terms of the conventions of the discipline. |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates expert understanding of the fundamental concepts and ability to apply, critically appraise and, where necessary, extend or adapt these concepts; develops expert and original arguments or decisions and provides expert justification; communicates information and ideas at an expert level in terms of the conventions of the discipline. |
Additional course grading information
Your final grade is calculated by taking each grade for each of your assessment items and multiplying by the Weight shown for each item, adding them all together and dividing by the sum of the Weights - that is, dividing by 10.
Note the divisor is always ten (10), irrespective of any missing assessments - thus missing assessments effectively grade as zero in the final calculation.
If you failed the hurdle on the secure assessments [you must achieve a grade of 4 or greater in EITHER (a) the Case Study assessment (secured by the oral Interview component), or (b) the secure end of semester Final Examination], then your grade is capped to no more than 3, but can be lower depending on your individual assessment grades.
After averaging your weighted grades as described above, and applying any hurdle if applicable, the resulting grade point average is then rounded to a single grade.
That is, if W is your grade for your Weekly Tasks, C is your grade for your Case Study, and E is your grade for your Exam, then your final Grade G = ROUND( ( (W x 2) + (C x 5) + (E x 3) ) / 10)
The course coordinator reserves the right to moderate marks.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Assignment remarking
If there are administrative errors (e.g., marks added up incorrectly) in your grade or feedback - speak to a member the course teaching staff. and we will seek to resolve it. For all other remarking requests refer to Querying a result on my.UQ: https://my.uq.edu.au/querying-result
Support
If you are having difficulties with any aspect of the course material, you should seek help. Speak to the course teaching staff.
If external circumstances are affecting your ability to work on the course, you should seek help as soon as possible. The University and UQ Union have organisations and staff who are able to help, for example, UQ Student Services are able to help with study and exam skills, tertiary learning skills, writing skills, financial assistance, personal issues, and disability services (among other things).
Complaints and criticisms should be directed in the first instance to the course coordinator. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you may bring the matter to the attention of the School of EECS Director of Teaching and Learning.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Blackboard The course Blackboard site (learn.uq.edu.au) will be the entry point for access to all course resources. Important announcements will be made on this blackboard. Check the announcements regularly; at least once a week and more often in the week before assignments are due.
Ed Discussion The course will use the Ed Discussion as a Q&A forum. Students are encouraged to ask questions on this discussion board and answer questions of their peers. Do not publicly post assessed items on the forum as this may result in Academic Misconduct. If you are unsure, ask before posting.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 13 |
Seminar |
Seminars Seminars will be mainly used to introduce new material. |
Applied Class |
Applied Class There will be weekly applied knowledge classes, every week, starting in Week 1. |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
- AI for Assessment Guide
- Recording of Teaching Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: