Development of teaching materials for information ethics covering the positive and negative aspects of mobile phones
Abstract: As informatization grows throughout the country, the percentage of school children with ‘K-tai’ (mobile phones) in Japan is rising. This rise has led to children causing considerable problems. However, the information ethics teaching material that has hitherto been used in Japan consists mainly of ‘blackout models,’ which threaten the children by showing them some sort of terrifying example of what their behavior may lead to. Whilst such materials can help to suppress problematic behavior, research has shown that it also dampens their will to use information in a positive manner. A different teaching materials model has therefore become necessary, and after various considerations it was considered that a ‘pendulum model’ would be worthwhile. NTT DoCoMo Inc., and the NIME joined forces to create ethics teaching materials reflecting both the positive and negative aspects of the subject. We learned that the enthusiasm of the children using the new teaching materials is not dampened by them.
Presider: Rody Klein, University of Paris 8