{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,2]],"date-time":"2025-08-02T18:02:25Z","timestamp":1754157745813,"version":"3.41.2"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2013,2,22]],"date-time":"2013-02-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1361491200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2013,2,22]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Purpose<\/jats:title><jats:p>The purpose of this paper is to analyze written reflections of final year computing students taking a professionalism module that covered the social, legal, professional and ethical aspects of computing. Society's dependence on computers makes it essential that computing students, whose future work may involve the analysis, storage and security of private data, are capable of identifying ethical issues and of making reflective moral judgements. The capacity to make moral judgements has been linked to an ability to reflect, so the aim of this research was twofold, to investigate students' familiarity with the concepts the module covered and their reflective ability.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title><jats:p>The research takes the form of an exploratory case study with qualitative data from written reflections examined using NVivo and word cloud analysis.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Findings<\/jats:title><jats:p>The students found it difficult to write reflectively and the majority of their reflections were either descriptive writing or descriptive reflection which considered events from one perspective. Awareness of the topics covered by the module appeared to be low prior to taking the module.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Research limitations\/implications<\/jats:title><jats:p>This research identifies the need to develop students' reflective skills and professional awareness in order to enhance their professional performance.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Practical implications<\/jats:title><jats:p>Reflective writing and concepts such as profession and ethics need to be included throughout computing degrees, not just in a final year module. As students are strategic learners these topics also need to be covered in enough depth at each level so they are assessed and treated seriously by students.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Social implications<\/jats:title><jats:p>Given the ubiquitous nature of computers and society's high level of dependence on them it is essential that students' moral reasoning skills are developed throughout their course, so on graduation they are capable of ethical thinking and can make reflective moral judgements.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title><jats:p>No other qualitative research was found which covered this area and no research was found which raised these issues.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/14779961311304130","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2013,2,15]],"date-time":"2013-02-15T07:07:18Z","timestamp":1360912038000},"page":"19-30","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Student reflections on the value of a professionalism module"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Lynda","family":"Holland","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b1","unstructured":"Argyris, M. and Sch\u00f6n, D. (1974), Theory in Practice: Increasing Professional Effectiveness, Jossey\u2010Bass, San Francisco, CA."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b2","unstructured":"Biggs, J. (1999), Teaching for Quality Learning at University, Open University Press, London."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Brint, S. (1994), In an Age of Experts: The Changing Role of Professionals in Politics and Public Life, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.","DOI":"10.1515\/9780691214535"},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b4","unstructured":"Burgess Committee (2007), Beyond the Honours Degree Classification, Universities UK, London, available at: www.universitiesuk.ac.uk\/Publications\/Documents\/Burgess_final.pdf (accessed 8 August 2011)."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b5","unstructured":"Chalk, P. and Hardbattle, D. (2007), \u201cDoes reflective writing in PDP improve science and engineering students learning?\u201d, Investigations in University Teaching and Learning, Vol. 4 No. 2, pp. 33\u201041."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Cidell, J. (2010), \u201cContent clouds as exploratory qualitative data analysis\u201d, AREA, Vol. 42, pp. 514\u201023.","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1475-4762.2010.00952.x"},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b7","unstructured":"Dearing, R. (1997), Higher Education in the Learning Society: The Report of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education, DfES, London."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b8","unstructured":"Dewey, J. (1938), Experience and Education, Macmillan, New York, NY."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Dudley\u2010Sponagle, A. and Lidtke, D. (2002), \u201cPreparing to teach ethics in a computer science curriculum\u201d, Proceedings of the International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS'02), pp. 121\u20105.","DOI":"10.1109\/ISTAS.2002.1013806"},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b10","unstructured":"Entwistle, N. (1981), Styles of Learning and Teaching: An Integrated Outline of Educational Psychology for Students, Teachers and Lecturers, Wiley, Chichester."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Entwistle, N. and Walker, P. (2002), \u201cStrategic alertness and expanded awareness within sophisticated conceptions of teaching\u201d, in Hativa, N. and Goodyear, P. (Eds), Teacher Thinking, Beliefs and Knowledge in Higher Education, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, pp. 15\u201039.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-94-010-0593-7_2"},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ford, G. and Gibbs, N. (1996), \u201cA mature profession of software engineering\u201d, Technical Report CMU\/SEI\u201096\u2010TR\u2010004 ESC\u2010TR\u201096\u2010004, Software Engineering Institute: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.","DOI":"10.21236\/ADA307889"},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b13","unstructured":"Gardner, H. (1983), Frames of Mind, Basic Books, New York, NY."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b14","unstructured":"Goleman, D. (1995), Working with Emotional Intelligence, Bantam Books, New York, NY."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gottron, T. (2009), \u201cDocument word clouds: visualising web documents as tag clouds to aid users in relevance decisions\u201d, Research and Advanced Technology for Digital Libraries Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol. 5714, pp. 94\u2010105.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-642-04346-8_11"},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Green, J. (2002), \u201cHow and where does moral judgement work?\u201d, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Vol. 6 No. 12, pp. 517\u201023.","DOI":"10.1016\/S1364-6613(02)02011-9"},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b17","unstructured":"Gustafson, K. and Bennett, W. (1999), \u201cIssues and difficulties in promoting learner reflection: results from a three\u2010year study\u201d, available at: http:\/\/it.coe.uga.edu\/\u223ckgustafs\/document\/promoting.html (accessed 12 June 2010)."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b18","unstructured":"Harvey, L. and Knight, P. (1996), Transforming Higher Education, SRHE and Open University Press, Buckingham."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hatton, N. and Smith, D. (1995), \u201cReflection in teacher education \u2013 toward definition and implementation\u201d, Teaching and Teacher Education, Vol. 11 No. 1, pp. 33\u201049.","DOI":"10.1016\/0742-051X(94)00012-U"},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b20","unstructured":"Hauser, M. (2006), Moral Minds: How Nature Designed Our Universal Sense of Right and Wrong, Harper Collins, London."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b21","unstructured":"Hinett, K. (2002), Developing Reflective Practice in Legal Education, UKCLE, University of Warwick, Coventry."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b22","unstructured":"Holland, L. (2009), \u201cThe development of professional services in nineteenth century towns: a case study of the county town of Stafford\u201d, D.Soc.Sci. thesis, Leicester University, Leicester."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"King, P. and Mayhew, M. (2002), \u201cMoral judgement development in higher education: insights from the defining issues test\u201d, Journal of Moral Education, Vol. 31 No. 3, pp. 247\u201070.","DOI":"10.1080\/0305724022000008106"},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b25","unstructured":"Kolb, D. (1984), Experiential Learning Experience as a Source of Learning and Development, Prentice\u2010Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b26","unstructured":"Litzenger, T., Christman, J., Lau, A., Tuana, N. and Wise, J. (2003), \u201cLearning and teaching ethics in engineering\u201d, Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition, available at: www.vanderbilt.edu\/CenterforEthics\/Descriptions\u2010More%20Info\/ASEE2003\u20101416_Final_LearningTeachingEthics.pdf (accessed 1 August 2012)."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b27","unstructured":"Locke, K. (2001), Grounded Theory in Management Research, Sage, London."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b28","unstructured":"McNaught, C. and Lam, P. (2010), \u201cUsing Wordle as a supplementary research tool\u201d, The Qualitative Report, Vol. 15 No. 3, pp. 630\u201043, available at: www.nova.edu\/ssss\/QR\/QR15\u20103\/mcnaught.pdf (accessed 23 July)."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b29","unstructured":"Moon, J. (1999), Reflection in Learning and Professional Development: Theory and Practice, Kogan Page, London."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b31","unstructured":"Pavalko, R. (1988), Sociology of Occupations and Professions, 2nd ed., F.E. Peacock Publishers, Itasca, IL."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b30","unstructured":"Payne, W. (1986), \u201cA study of emotion: developing emotional intelligence, self integration, relating to fear, pain and desire\u201d, Dissertation Abstracts International, Vol. 47, p. 203A (University Microfilms No. AAC 8605928)."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Pendergast, D. (2010), \u201cConnecting with Millennials: using tag clouds to build a folksonomy from key home economics documents\u201d, Family & Consumer Sciences Research Journal, Vol. 38, pp. 289\u2010302.","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1552-3934.2009.00019.x"},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b32","unstructured":"Piaget, J. (1969), The Moral Judgment of the Child, Kegan Paul, London."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b34","unstructured":"Quality Assurance Agency (2001), \u201cPersonal development planning: guidance for institutional policy and practice in higher education\u201d, available at: www.qaa.ac.uk\/academicinfrastructure\/progressfiles\/guidelines\/pdp\/default.asp (accessed 2 August 2011)."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b36","unstructured":"Ramsden, A. and Bate, A. (2008), Using Word Clouds in Teaching and Learning, University of Bath, Bath, available at: http:\/\/opus.bath.ac.uk\/474\/1\/using%2520word%2520clouds%2520in%2520teaching%2520and%2520learning.pdf (accessed 18 December 2009)."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b35","unstructured":"Ramsden, P. (1992), Learning to Teach in Higher Education, Routledge, London."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rest, J., Thoma, S. and Edwards, L. (1997), \u201cDesigning and validating a measure of moral judgement: stage preference and stage consistency approaches\u201d, Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol. 89, pp. 5\u201028.","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-0663.89.1.5"},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Salovey, P. and Mayer, J. (1990), \u201cEmotional intelligence\u201d, Imagination, Cognition, and Personality, Vol. 9, pp. 185\u2010211, available at: www.unh.edu\/emotional_intelligence\/EIAssets\/EmotionalIntelligenceProper\/EI1990%20Emotional%20Intelligence.pdf (accessed 12 August 2011).","DOI":"10.2190\/DUGG-P24E-52WK-6CDG"},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b39","unstructured":"Sampford, C. and Ransome, W. (2010), Ethics and Socially Responsible Investment: A Philosophical Approach, Ashgate, London."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b42","unstructured":"Sch\u00f6n, D.A. (1973), Beyond the Stable State: Public and Private Learning in a Changing Society, Penguin, Harmondsworth."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b43","unstructured":"(The) Scottish Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education (1997), Report of the Scottish Committee (aka \u201cThe Garrick Report\u201d), available at: www.leeds.ac.uk\/educol\/ncihe\/scottish.htm."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b40","unstructured":"Stamper, C. (1996), \u201cFostering reflective thinking through computer mediated journaling\u201d, unpublished doctoral dissertation, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b41","unstructured":"Strauss, A. and Corbin, J. (1990), Basics of Qualitative Research, Sage, London."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b44","unstructured":"Tittle, P. (2012), \u201cWhy teaching business ethics can be difficult\u201d, IEET, available at: http:\/\/ieet.org\/index.php\/IEET\/more\/tittle20121222 (accessed 12 August 2012)."},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Vygotsky, L. (1962), Thought and Language, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.","DOI":"10.1037\/11193-000"},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_b46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wilensky, H. (1964), \u201cThe professionalization of everyone?\u201d, American Journal of Sociology, Vol. LXX, September, pp. 137\u201058.","DOI":"10.1086\/223790"},{"key":"key2022031620015358300_frd1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kohlberg, L. (1973), \u201cThe claim to moral adequacy of a highest stage of moral judgment\u201d, Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 70 No. 18, pp. 630\u201046.","DOI":"10.2307\/2025030"}],"container-title":["Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/www.emeraldinsight.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1108\/14779961311304130","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/14779961311304130\/full\/xml","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/14779961311304130\/full\/html","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,25]],"date-time":"2025-07-25T00:13:21Z","timestamp":1753402401000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/www.emerald.com\/jices\/article\/11\/1\/19-30\/222769"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2013,2,22]]},"references-count":46,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2013,2,22]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1108\/14779961311304130"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1108\/14779961311304130","relation":{},"ISSN":["1477-996X"],"issn-type":[{"type":"print","value":"1477-996X"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2013,2,22]]}}}