Improving professionalism in first year computer science students

Abstract

Professionalism is a philosophy or a notional standard by which a person can be judged or can aspire to be perceived in their approach and behaviour in the context of professional practice. Far from being a tangible object, which one can see, hear or touch, it is a philosophically and socially constructed ideal.i We argue that professionalism is essential in computing to protect the public as computing is ubiquitous and reaches into every sphere in society. Teaching professionalism is always a challenge. It is acknowledged that there is no agreed definition of what constitutes a professional in any profession, despite the concept being around for centuries.