Ethical Philosophy in ‘E-Learning’

Education is the determining factor for decision making, influencing the standard of human living and enables to act morally in all areas of life including technology. The relationship of education, technology and ethics is a complex one, demanding significant level of rationality, awareness and regulatory mechanisms. E-Learning is described as online delivery of information, communication, education, and training. Pedagogical theories and the applications of information technology demands attention for ethical issues, as Privacy, Intellectual Property and Copyrights, Network Security, Monitoring, Netiquettes, jeopardize the delivery authenticity of the E-learning systems. Besides, learner’s ethical use is conditioned by self discipline, independence, self-motivation, breaches of computer ethics, and misrepresentation of learning material. Moreover divergences of legal and cultural perspectives across the globe add complexity to learning contents. Although E-Learning has provided the learner with all the freedom to access and manage information, it has also created new issues around ethical learning practices, personal integrity and accountability. This paper will discuss these issues in an E-Learning environment highlighting the scope of E-learning across the globe