The Development of a Curriculum Model for the Teaching and Training of Information Ethics at a higher education level in Southern Africa

Coetzee Bester & Johannes Britz

Abstract

In essence this article aims at safer participation in the cyber space. African knowledge societies are unceasingly confronted with new opportunities and challenges as part of the digital environment. Towards building sustainable knowledge societies, human behaviour in cyber-space should be guided by strong values in the fight against leading information-impoverished lives. In this article guidelines are provided for a curriculum model to teach preferred human behaviour as part of Information Ethics in a digitally connected multi-cultural Southern Africa. The article addresses two research questions; (i) what are the basic elements to compile a curriculum model for formal training on Information Ethics in Southern Africa, and (ii) what is the theoretical frame of reference for the design of a curriculum model for teaching Information Ethics in Southern Africa – both as a new field of study and as a way of life.

Keywords:

Information Ethics, cyber safety, Information Ethics teaching model, developing information societies, curriculum development