Scenario: A school technician notices that a parent database contains contact details for all students and staff. A colleague asks for a copy to use for a private tutoring business.

Question: Explain the ethical issues involved and assess the impact of acting ethically or unethically in this situation.

Structured answer:

• Define ethics as principles that guide acceptable professional behaviour.
• Explain that personal data must only be used for the purpose it was collected for.
• State that sharing the database would breach confidentiality and privacy.
• Describe the impact of ethical behaviour: protects data subjects, maintains trust, avoids legal and disciplinary action.
• Describe the impact of unethical behaviour: misuse of data, loss of trust, reputational damage, possible fines or dismissal.
• Conclude that the technician should refuse the request and report it through the proper channel.

Application: The technician should not provide the database because it contains personal information collected for school administration, not commercial tutoring use.

Model answer: Ethics in computing means following principles that protect users and data. In this case, giving a colleague a copy of the parent database for a private business would be unethical because the data was collected for school purposes only. It would breach confidentiality and could violate data protection rules. If the technician acts ethically and refuses, the school remains trustworthy and the privacy of students and staff is protected. If the technician acts unethically, the school may suffer reputational damage, the people whose data is exposed may be harmed, and the technician could face disciplinary action or legal consequences. The correct action is to refuse the request and report it to a manager or data protection officer.

Relevant example: A receptionist at a clinic must not copy patient contact details for a friend who runs an insurance company.

Why it scores high marks: It defines ethics, applies the concept to the scenario, and explains both positive and negative consequences clearly.

Scenario: A software developer finds a serious bug in a hospital booking system. Fixing it properly will delay the release, but the manager wants the system launched on time.

Question: Explain how a computing professional should act ethically in this situation and why this matters.

Structured answer:

• State that a professional should prioritise user safety and system reliability.
• Explain that releasing known faulty software may cause harm.
• Suggest reporting the issue clearly with evidence to the manager.
• Explain that ethical action may involve delaying release until the bug is fixed or applying a temporary workaround.
• Discuss the impact of unethical action: harm to patients, incorrect bookings, loss of trust, legal claims.
• Discuss the impact of ethical action: safer system, improved reputation, compliance with professional standards.

Application: In a hospital system, a bug could lead to missed appointments or double-bookings, so safety and accuracy are essential.

Model answer: A computing professional should act ethically by putting users first and reporting the bug honestly. Releasing the system without fixing a serious fault would be irresponsible because it could affect patient care. The developer should provide evidence of the bug, explain the risks, and recommend delaying the release or using a safe temporary fix. Ethical behaviour protects patients, reduces the chance of system failure, and supports the organisation's reputation. Unethical behaviour may save time briefly, but it could cause harm, complaints, financial loss, and legal problems.

Relevant example: A navigation app released with a known routing error could direct emergency vehicles to the wrong location.

Why it scores high marks: It links ethical behaviour to real consequences and shows professional judgement rather than a simple opinion.

Scenario: A junior programmer is unsure whether to accept a job that involves building a system to track users without clearly telling them what data is collected.

Question: Explain the importance of professional bodies such as BCS and IEEE in helping computing professionals make ethical decisions.

Structured answer:

• Identify professional bodies as organisations that define standards and codes of conduct.
• State that BCS and IEEE guide members to act responsibly, honestly, and in the public interest.
• Explain that their codes help professionals recognise unethical work and refuse it.
• Describe benefits: shared standards, public trust, professional reputation, and accountability.
• Explain that membership can support continued professional development and ethical awareness.

Application: The programmer can use the code of conduct to judge whether the tracking system respects privacy and transparency.

Model answer: Professional bodies such as BCS and IEEE are important because they create codes of conduct that tell members how to behave responsibly. These codes emphasise honesty, integrity, privacy, and acting in the public interest. In this scenario, the programmer can use those standards to judge whether the project is ethical. If users are tracked without informed consent, the work may be unacceptable. Professional bodies also increase public trust because employers and clients know members are expected to follow recognised rules. They help professionals maintain high standards and stay accountable for their actions.

Relevant example: A BCS code may require a professional to protect confidentiality and avoid misleading users.

Why it scores high marks: It names the bodies, explains their purpose, and applies the idea directly to the scenario.

Scenario: A student makes a revision website and copies diagrams, notes, and practice questions from several textbooks and websites without asking permission or crediting the authors.

Question: Explain why copyright legislation is needed and assess the ethical and legal issues in this situation.

Structured answer:

• Define copyright as legal protection for original creative work.
• Explain that copyright legislation protects authors, developers, artists, and publishers from unauthorised copying.
• State that it encourages creativity by giving owners control and possible income.
• Identify the student's actions as infringement because material is copied without permission or attribution.
• Explain legal and ethical consequences: takedown requests, penalties, unfair loss to original creators, plagiarism concerns.
• Suggest ethical alternatives: use royalty-free material, create original content, or seek permission and cite sources.

Application: The student should not copy practice questions from a textbook because the publisher owns the content.

Model answer: Copyright legislation is needed to protect original work and stop people from copying or distributing it without permission. This gives creators control over how their work is used and helps them earn money from it. In this scenario, the student has likely broken copyright law by copying diagrams, notes, and questions without permission or acknowledgement. This is also unethical because it is unfair to the creators and could mislead users into thinking the work is original. The student should create original content, use allowed resources, or seek permission and give clear credit.

Relevant example: Uploading a scanned chapter from a textbook to a public website without permission is copyright infringement.

Why it scores high marks: It explains both the purpose of copyright and the consequences of infringement in context.

Scenario: A small charity needs accounting software and is comparing software released under a Free Software Foundation licence and software approved by the Open Source Initiative.

Question: Explain the difference between Free Software Foundation and Open Source Initiative licences and how they may affect the charity's choice.

Structured answer:

• Explain that both allow access to source code and modification.
• State that FSF focuses on user freedoms: use, study, modify, and share software.
• State that OSI focuses on practical open development and source code availability.
• Note that some FSF licences are copyleft, meaning derived work must also remain under the same licence.
• Explain that OSI-approved licences may be more permissive, depending on the licence terms.
• Apply to the charity: lower cost, flexibility, community support, but must check licence obligations.

Application: The charity may prefer open source software if it needs to avoid high licence fees and wants to customise the package.

Model answer: Free Software Foundation licences and Open Source Initiative licences both let users access and often modify source code, but they emphasise different ideas. FSF licences focus on freedom for the user to run, study, change, and redistribute software. OSI licences focus more on making source code available and encouraging collaborative development. Some FSF licences require derivative works to remain under the same licence, which can affect how the charity shares any changes. The charity may choose open source software to reduce costs and customise the system, but it must read the licence carefully to make sure it can use and redistribute the software in the way it needs.

Relevant example: GNU GPL is commonly associated with the FSF and requires shared freedom for modified versions.

Why it scores high marks: It compares the two licence types and links the features to a realistic organisational decision.

Scenario: A gaming company offers a new app as shareware with limited features, while a rival company sells a fully licensed commercial version.

Question: Compare shareware and commercial software and explain how each model affects users and developers.

Structured answer:

• Define shareware as software distributed free for trial or with limited features, with payment required for full use.
• Define commercial software as software sold under a paid licence, often with restricted copying and use.
• Explain benefits of shareware: try before buy, wider adoption, useful for marketing.
• Explain drawbacks of shareware: limited features, time restrictions, possible upselling.
• Explain benefits of commercial software: usually full support, regular updates, clear licence terms.
• Explain drawbacks: higher cost, limited redistribution, can reduce access for some users.

Application: A student may choose shareware to test an app before paying, while a company may choose commercial software for guaranteed support.

Model answer: Shareware is a software distribution model where users can try the software for free, often with limited features or for a limited time, before paying for the full version. Commercial software is sold for profit and usually requires a paid licence for legal use. Shareware benefits users because they can test whether the software is suitable before buying, and it helps developers attract more users. Commercial software may offer better support, maintenance, and reliability, but it costs more. For developers, shareware can increase market reach, while commercial software provides direct revenue through licence sales.

Relevant example: A trial photo-editing app that disables saving after 30 days is shareware.

Why it scores high marks: It defines both terms, compares them, and includes effects on both users and developers.

Scenario: A company uses AI to shortlist job applicants. The system was trained on past hiring data, and some staff worry it may reject qualified candidates unfairly.

Question: Explain the ethical issues and social impacts of using AI in recruitment.

Structured answer:

• State that AI can automate decisions and process large numbers of applications quickly.
• Explain the risk of bias if the training data reflects unfair past decisions.
• Discuss lack of transparency if applicants cannot understand why they were rejected.
• Explain social impacts: unfair discrimination, reduced trust, possible exclusion of groups.
• Mention benefits: faster screening, reduced workload, consistent initial filtering.
• Conclude that AI should support, not replace, human decision-making and should be monitored.

Application: If the historical data favoured one group, the AI may continue that bias and reject good candidates from other groups.

Model answer: AI in recruitment raises ethical concerns because it may reproduce bias found in the training data. If the company trained the system on past hiring decisions that were unfair, the AI could continue rejecting suitable applicants from certain groups. This is socially damaging because it can increase discrimination and reduce trust in the hiring process. There is also a problem of transparency because applicants may not know why they were rejected. However, AI can be useful for processing large numbers of applications quickly and consistently. The ethical approach is to use AI as a support tool, check it for bias, and keep human oversight in final decisions.

Relevant example: An AI system that rejects all applicants from a certain school because of biased historical data.

Why it scores high marks: It evaluates both benefits and harms and shows understanding of bias and transparency.

Scenario: A supermarket introduces AI-powered checkout systems and reduces the number of human cashiers.

Question: Discuss the economic impacts of AI in this situation, including advantages and disadvantages.

Structured answer:

• Explain that AI can reduce labour costs and increase efficiency.
• State that fewer staff may be needed, reducing wages and long-term operating costs.
• Explain potential disadvantages: job losses, retraining costs, public backlash.
• Describe possible business benefits: faster checkout, fewer queues, 24-hour operation.
• Describe wider economic effects: changes in employment patterns, demand for technical staff.
• Conclude that economic gains may come with social costs and require transition planning.

Application: The supermarket may save money on staff, but some employees may need retraining or may lose their jobs.

Model answer: AI checkout systems can reduce costs for the supermarket because fewer human cashiers are needed and machines can operate with less downtime. This may improve efficiency, reduce queues, and allow the business to serve more customers. However, the economic impact is not entirely positive. Some workers may lose their jobs, which can reduce household income and create pressure for retraining or redundancy payments. The business may also face costs to install, maintain, and upgrade the AI systems. Overall, AI may improve productivity and profits, but it can also disrupt employment patterns and create economic hardship for some workers.

Relevant example: Self-service kiosks replacing several checkout workers in a large retailer.

Why it scores high marks: It includes balanced discussion, clear cause and effect, and context-specific economic evaluation.

Scenario: A company runs a large AI model in a data centre to predict customer demand and automate stock ordering.

Question: Explain the environmental impacts of using AI and evaluate whether the benefits justify the costs.

Structured answer:

• Explain that AI training and processing require large amounts of electricity.
• State that data centres may produce significant carbon emissions depending on their energy source.
• Mention cooling requirements and heat output as environmental concerns.
• Explain possible environmental benefits: better stock prediction, reduced waste, fewer unnecessary deliveries.
• Evaluate that environmental cost may be justified if AI reduces waste and improves efficiency.
• Conclude that sustainability depends on model size, energy source, and business purpose.

Application: If AI reduces over-ordering, the company may waste less food and reduce transport emissions.

Model answer: AI systems can have a significant environmental impact because training and running large models uses substantial computing power, which consumes electricity and generates heat. Data centres may also need cooling systems, increasing energy demand further. If the electricity comes from fossil fuels, the carbon footprint can be high. However, AI may also reduce environmental harm by improving demand forecasting, lowering waste, and reducing unnecessary deliveries. In this case, the benefits may justify the costs if the system is used efficiently and powered by greener energy. The environmental impact should therefore be weighed against the operational savings and waste reduction.

Relevant example: AI-driven stock control in supermarkets reducing spoiled food by predicting demand more accurately.

Why it scores high marks: It evaluates both environmental harm and environmental benefit rather than describing only one side.

Scenario: A designer uses an AI image generator to create artwork for a website. The AI was trained on millions of images collected from the internet, and the designer wants to sell the output commercially.

Question: Discuss the ethical, legal, and ownership issues involved, including software licences and copyright.

Structured answer:

• Explain that ownership of AI-generated output may be unclear and may depend on platform terms and local law.
• State that training data may have included copyrighted images, raising copyright concerns.
• Discuss ethical issues: using others work without permission, lack of transparency, possible unfair competition.
• Explain that the designer must check the AI service licence and whether commercial use is allowed.
• Compare licence models: commercial software may restrict use, while open source or free software may allow more freedom but still have conditions.
• Conclude that the designer should verify copyright status, licence terms, and attribution requirements before selling the work.

Application: If the AI tool only allows non-commercial use, selling the artwork would breach the licence terms.

Model answer: This situation raises several ownership and ethical issues. The designer may not automatically own the AI-generated image because ownership can depend on the terms of the AI platform and the law in that country. There may also be copyright concerns if the model was trained on copyrighted images without permission from the original creators. Ethically, using output from a system trained on other people's work can be controversial if it replaces human creativity or exploits copyrighted material. The designer must check the software licence carefully to confirm whether commercial use is allowed. If the terms forbid commercial use, selling the image would be a licence violation. Good practice is to use only permitted tools, respect copyright, and be transparent about AI use.

Relevant example: A business using an AI logo generator must confirm the output can be used in paid branding work.

Why it scores high marks: It combines ownership, copyright, licensing, and ethics in a realistic AI context and requires evaluative judgement.