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A1M1 COS2615 S1 2025
School of Computing Technologies
COSC2615 Advanced Professional Development
Assignment 1 Milestone 1: Written research report
Assessment Type: REPORT
WORD LIMIT: 2000 words (+/- 10%)
excluding references and bibliography
Due Date: 2359H 11.59 pm AEST
Sunday 20th April 2025
Weighting: 15%
Overview:
You are asked to write a report on the ethical dilemma surrounding ONE of the following
scenarios:
Scenario 1. Apple Air Tags, stalking, and domestic violence.
One in four people who purchase tracking devices in New South Wales have a history of
domestic violence, a new state Crime Commission report suggests.
The study, released on Tuesday, says there has been a “sharp rise” in the use of trackers in
recent years, including among organised crime networks to “monitor, locate and ultimately
attack their rivals”. The commission analysed more than 5,500 tracking devices sold in 2023
to more than 3,000 customers. One in four had a history of domestic violence, while a further
126 were apprehended violence order defendants at the time the items were purchased. The
commission, which investigates serious criminal activity and has the power to confiscate items,
noted many customers purchased a device in the days after an AVO (Apprehended Violence
Order) had been enforced. “Tracking and other surveillance devices are frequently used by
perpetrators of domestic and family violence to stalk, harass, intimidate and monitor victims,
sometimes leading to violent outcomes,” the report states. “One in four known individuals who
purchased tracking devices since the beginning of 2023 have a history of domestic violence.”
The report calls for tighter controls on tracking devices and recommends their use be factored
into bail and AVO conditions to protect victims. Some private investigators and specialist spy
stores were selling the surveillance equipment to DV (Domestic Violence) offenders by
marketing the fact their products could be used to monitor intimate partners, the commission
found. The (NSW Crime) commission recommended the government restrict the sale and use
of devices without built-in anti-stalking measures.
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A1M1 COS2615 S1 2025
Source: The Guardian
Scenario 2. Australian News on Facebook is Dead
Meta has refused to enter into new deals with Australian media publishers for the use of their
content on Facebook, leading to fears it may again implement a ban on news content
appearing on the platform. But an analysis of Facebook data suggests engagement with posts
from news organisations is already at an all-time low, as memes fill the space. Meta has
argued that news makes up just 3% of what people engage with on its services. An analysis
by Guardian Australia has determined that this appears to be by design, with Meta turning off
the tap for news in the past few years.
A study carried out in 2021 by researchers from the University of Technology Sydney and
RMIT looked at the amount of engagement with Facebook posts by Australian news
organisations over time. It showed a decline in engagement between 2015 and November
2020, as well as a decline in traffic from Facebook to news websites. Guardian Australia has
updated this analysis, which shows that engagement with posts from Australian media is now
at an all-time low, with the exception of the brief period in February 2021 when Facebook
blocked news posts in Australia. In a separate analysis, Guardian Australia categorised the
top posts relevant to Australia on Facebook by total interaction, comparing the period of the
news ban with the week preceding it, as well as the same period in 2015 before any algorithmic
changes that deprioritised news in home feeds. This analysis suggests that when news is
removed from the platform in Australian feeds it is replaced by more of the same content that
was otherwise in the top 100 – namely memes and posts from content creators.
Source: The Guardian
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A1M1 COS2615 S1 2025
Instructions:
You are expected to select one of the questions above, define the underlying ethical dilemma,
research these ethical issues, identify the stakeholders involved and recommend at least two
possible solutions with considerations of their affect on the Australian IT industry. You are
expected to carry your research work about the identified topic and produce a formal report.
This assignment requires you to engage in issues about Ethics, Cyberethics and Critical
Thinking that are covered in this course.
Assessment criteria
This assessment will measure your ability to:
• Introduce and explain the dilemma as an ethical issue that arises in the IT industry
(4%)
• Conceptualise, summarise and synthesise how the major ethical theories interact with
concepts of business and marketing organisation and practices (4%)
• Explain and apply methods available to resolve the impacts of ethical issues relevant
to the IT industry (4%)
• Apply research and referencing guidelines clearly and consistently (2%)
• Communicate meaning clearly and consistently through the use of sentence structure
and grammar (1%).
Course learning outcomes
This assessment is relevant to the following course learning outcomes:
• CLO1 Recognise the need for computing ethics in the Information Technology (IT)
industry and the complexities involved in computer ethical issues, and use the
available legal tools to safeguard a developer's interests when developing /
publishing / marketing software.
• CLO2 Discuss, explain and apply concepts of business organisation, business
practices, system acquisition, marketing principles and the major ethical theories.
• CLO3 Discuss, explain and apply ethical, social media, political, economic, legal, and
marketing issues relevant to the IT industry; and methods available to resolve these
issues including the legalities involved in starting a computer (software) company.
• CLO4 Discuss, analyse and evaluate computing practice case studies, prepare
SWOT analyses, and create detailed marketing plans using the proper language of
the field in bPoa tg he
written and oral presentations.
• CLO6 Demonstrate self-directed learning and more specifically the role of life-long
learning for the longevity and progression of your career in IT.
Assessment details
Research subject
You are asked to write a report on one of the questions above either Apple Air
Tags or Australian News on Facebook. In this report you will need to include
the following important aspects:
• Define and explain the key issue - avoid injecting your personal bias when
describing the issue
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A1M1 COS2615 S1 2025
• Detail who is likely being impacted by these concerns (a list of stakeholders
invested in the issue must be included).
• What is the key ethical dilemma in the problem, and are there other ethical issues
as well?
• What are some possible ramifications of the ethical issues?
• Explain your proposed solutions (at least two) and discuss the expected associated
outcomes.
Discovering a relevant and good topic is part of the assignment. It needs to be
done by considering the multiple topics available to you. Choose one according
to your interests.
Structure your report
When writing a report, the intention is to present the findings made after carrying out research
about a particular subject. It is to present investigation results in an area of interest as well as
to demonstrate the ability to analyse information. In order to address the identified problems
or improve the current state of affairs, reports often make recommendations for actions or
changes. It is highly recommended that you visit RMIT University’s guidelines on report writing
website before starting to write the report.
The report is expected to be highly structured, using the following titled and numbered sections:
1. Introduction: Give an overview of the topic and give the reader an idea of what the
paper contains and how it is structured. It is not intended to replicate the analysis, nor
necessarily list out proposed solutions.
2. Background Analysis: Use the following framework to perform an analysis and write
the results as coherent paragraph structured for a formal report.
a) List the known relevant facts.
b) Identify the stakeholders.
c) Discuss the duties and obligations of each of the stakeholders involved.
d) Identify ethical values and social impacts.
Legal Recourse Available in Australia: If someone suffers adversely as a result of the use
of technology within your chosen topic, what legal recourse is available in Australia? Consider
questions such as:
1. Who is legally responsible for the negative consequences and why?
2. Who is obligated to ensure no harm can come to those who use this technology, or are
involved in this situation?
3. If there is no specific law to deal with the issue, what could be done?
Proposed Solutions: Think of at least two, and preferably more, possible solutions that may
help in solving the underlying issue. Explain your answer, e.g., why do you think these
solutions might work? Explain the expected consequences.
Case Study: Write a case study outlining a situation where the aggravated parties in your
scenario have suffered from the underlying ethical issues. Be creative here; come up with
names, situations and events that happen within the scenario. Apply your previously proposed
solutions and discuss where they may assist victims.
Conclusion: The conclusion should give a quick overview of the topics and findings as well
as the suggested solutions. It may also contain suggestions for future analysis.
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A1M1 COS2615 S1 2025
Bibliography
List all references used in your arguments.
Referencing is necessary for any claim in the report that is not considered to be common
knowledge.
You must use the IEEE Referencing
Appendix
A URL to a publicly available Google Drive shared folder (refer to the Referencing section)
Word count of your essay, excluding the Bibliography and Complimentary sections.
For more information about what is expected in each of these sections, refer to the RMIT’s
Report Writing Process. You will see that the template shared in the given link consist of
additional sections not listed above. You are not expected to provide the additional sections.
References
A minimum of 10 references must be cited in the article. It is not sufficient to simply add
a reference to the Bibliography section, that is, each reference must be cited at least
once in the body of your essay to be considered as a valid reference.
A minimum of 4 references must strictly be from peer-reviewed journal/conference
articles. The rest of references can be books, journal/conference articles,
reports/standards by reputable publishers/organisations. Other types of references are
not acceptable (e.g. random news websites/blogs, Wikipedia articles). The peer- reviewed articles must be written in bold font in the Bibliography section so that they can
be easily distinguished from the other sources. As well, a copy of the peer-reviewed
article or page must be taken and highlight the section which includes the referenced
text. This must be shared with your Tutor in a Google Drive folder which is linked in the
Appendix mentioned above in section 8
Referencing guidelines
Use IEEE referencing style for this assessment. If you are using secondary sources, include
these as a final slide in your PowerPoint deck.
You must acknowledge all the sources of information you have used in your assessments.
Refer to the RMIT Easy Cite referencing tool to see examples and tips on how to reference in
the appropriated style. You can also refer to the library referencing page for more tools such
as EndNote, referencing tutorials and referencing guides for printing.
Submission format
Use Microsoft Word or similar. The assessment will be submitted in Canvas as a file upload.
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A1M1 COS2615 S1 2025
Academic integrity and plagiarism
Academic integrity is about honest presentation of your academic work. It means
acknowledging the work of others while developing your own insights, knowledge and ideas.
You should take extreme care that you have:
• Acknowledged words, data, diagrams, models, frameworks and/or ideas of others you
have quoted (i.e. directly copied), summarized, paraphrased, discussed or mentioned
in your assessment through the appropriate referencing methods
• Provided a reference list of the publication details so your reader can locate the source
if necessary. This includes material taken from Internet sites
If you do not acknowledge the sources of your material, you may be accused of
plagiarism because you have passed off the work and ideas of another person
without appropriate referencing, as if they were your own.
RMIT University treats plagiarism as a very serious offence
constituting misconduct. Plagiarism covers a variety of inappropriate
behaviors, including:
• Using AI to generate ideas and content that are not your own.
• Failure to properly document a source.
• Copyright material from the internet or databases.
• Collusion between students.
For further information on our policies and procedures, please refer to the RMIT University’s
Academic Integrity website.
Assessment declaration
When you submit work electronically, you agree to the assessment declaration.
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A1M1 COS2615 S1 2025
Assessment Rubric
Criteria Ratings
Pts
HD D C P N DNS
Identify and
explain the
ethical
dilemma in
one of the
questions
above
The ethical issue
identified is
relevant and
applicable to the
IT industry.
The dilemma is
explained in
detail, including
all relevant
stakeholders
and impacts
The ethical issue
identified s relevant
and applicable to
the IT industry.
The dilemma is
explained with some
detail, including
most relevant
stakeholders and
impacts
The ethical issue
identified is mostly
relevant and applicable
to the IT industry but
some terms are not
defined.
The dilemma is explained
with some detail,
including some relevant
stakeholders and impacts
The ethical issue
identified has
some relevance
and applicability to
the IT industry.
The dilemma is
explained with few
details, including
some relevant
stakeholders and
impacts
The ethical issue identified
acks relevance and
applicability to the IT
industry.
The dilemma is explained
but without detail,
including some relevant
stakeholders and impacts
No report
submitted
4 pts 3 pts 2 pts 1.5 pts 1 pts 0 pts 4 pts
Conceptualise
and synthesise
how ethical
theories
interact with
the dilemma
of the case
study
The major
ethical theories
are
comprehensively
articulated, with
clear and
detailed
synthesis of
their interaction
with concepts of
business and
marketing
practices
The major ethical
theories are clearly
articulated, with
synthesis of their
interaction with
concepts of business
and marketing
practices
The major ethical
theories are mostly
articulated, with general
synthesis of their
interaction with concepts
of business and
marketing practices
The major ethical
theories are partly
articulated, with
synthesis of their
interaction with
concepts of
business and
marketing
practices
The major ethical theories
are poorly articulated, with
little or no synthesis of
their interaction with
concepts of business and
marketing practices
No report
submitted
4 pts 3 pts 2 pts 1.5 pts 1 pts 0 pts 4pts
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A1M1 COS2615 S1 2025
Explain and
apply methods
to resolve
ethical
impacts on
the affected
community
Application of
methods to resolve
ethical issues and
impacts was realistic
and relevant.
Application of
methods to resolve
ethical issues and
impacts was mainly
realistic and relevant.
Application of
methods to resolve
ethical issues and
impacts was mostly
realistic and
relevant but with
some gaps.
Application of
methods to resolve
ethical issues and
impacts was
relevant in part.
Application of
methods to resolve
ethical issues and
impacts was absent
or incomplete.
No report
submitted
Explanation of
methods was
detailed,
comprehensive and
convincing
Explanation of
methods lacked some
detail or convincing
argument
Explanation of
methods lacked
detail
Explanation of
methods was
general with some
detail lacking
Explanation of
methods was
incomplete
4 pts 3 pts 2 pts 1.5 pts 1 pts 0 pts 4pts
Research and
referencing
Integrates research and
ideas from relevant and
appropriate sources.
Integrates research
from relevant and
appropriate sources
Generally integrates
relevant theory from
a number of mostly
appropriate sources
Integrates relevant theory
from a number of mostly
appropriate sources but
with occasional irrelevant
information
Fails to use relevant
theory / or number
of sources indicates
lack of research
No report
submitted
Consistently clear, well-
integrated evidence
using accurate
paraphrasing and
summary.
Clear, evidence using
accurate
paraphrasing and
summary
Paraphrases
adequately to avoid
plagiarism
Generally paraphrases
adequately to avoid
plagiarism
Does not paraphrase
correctly
Accurate references,
appropriately
positioned
Uses mostly accurate
references,
appropriately
positioned
References generally
accurately positioned
References generally
accurately positioned
References
positioned
incorrectly or used
inaccurately
2 pts 1.5 pts 1 pts 1.5 pts 0.5 pts 0–0 pts 2pts
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A1M1 COS2615 S1 2025
Writing and
grammar
Consistently uses
correct grammar (verb
tenses, subject-verb
agreement, pronouns)
Communicates
meaning through use
of clear language.
Generally, uses correct
grammar (verb tenses,
subject-verb
agreement, pronouns.)
Incorrect use of
grammar (verb tenses,
subject-verb
agreement, pronouns)
No report
submitted
Consistent use of
appropriate
vocabulary and
sentence structure
enabling unambiguous
grasp of the meaning
Consistent use of
appropriate
vocabulary and
sentence structure
enabling
unambiguous grasp of
the meaning
Generally, uses
appropriate vocabulary
and sentence structure;
some lapses causing
lack of clarity
Vocabulary limited and
frequently
inappropriate; sentence
structure often
incorrect/does not
convey meaning
Correct punctuation
and spelling
Correct punctuation
and spelling
Adequate punctuation
and spelling; some
lapses
Inadequate
punctuation and/or
spelling
Communicates
meaning through use
of clear and
unambiguous language
Consistent use of
correct grammar
(verb tenses, subject- verb agreement,
pronouns etc.)
Generally,
communicates clearly;
some instances of
incorrect use of
language
Language fails to
communicate meaning
clearly
1 pts 0.5 pts 0.5 pts 0 pts 0 pts 1pts
Total: 15 pts
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