Ethics and Perceptions in Online Learning Environments

Abstract

Recent incidents of unethical behaviors reported in the media have led scholars to initiate a debate on the subject of ethics. In particular, professional and personal ethics appear to be relevant issues to explore, as literature suggests that they impact behavior. In higher education, a substantial increase in the use of online learning systems (OLSs) for the delivery of higher educational courses has been observed in the past decade (Hiltz & Turoff, 2005). However, little attention has been given in information systems (IS) literature to exploring the construct of ethics and its impact on perceptions relevant to the use (i.e., user behavior) of ISs.