Ethical Practices and Implications in Distance Education: An Introduction

Ethics

The most striking feature of IT in education is to open the doors of global education to the student at his desktop. What is critical to the success of this mode of education is to have ethics in place; this is a world which is based on mutual trust and respect. These ethical concerns have been carried on from the traditional education to the online education, and thus form a very significant base for the future of online education. Ethics has become a buzz word as each discipline of work, say, engineering, medicine, or education, is trying to create standards of its own, thereby aiming to keep an edge over the competitors and peers. One is aware of various jargons like situational ethics, business ethics, business to customer ethics, management ethics, engineering ethics, medical ethics, and educational ethics to name a few. The simplest meaning of “ethics” is “moral principles.” The word “ethics” is derived from the Greek “ethos” which implies “custom or character.” The Oxford English Dictionary explains ethics as the moral philosophy or (set of) moral principles. It pertains to what and what not to do of behaviour by an individual in a right and righteous manner. An individual is expected to conduct himself in a manner so as not to be looked down upon by society.