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Communicate Effectively about Ethical Challenges in Data-Driven Technologies

Jennifer Fischer, Megan Smith Branch, and Renée Cummings

Leading a data-driven organization necessitates effective communication to create a culture of ethical practice. Communication to stakeholders will guide an organization's strategy and potentially impact the future of work for that organization or entity. It is not enough to talk about ethical practices, you need to to relate their value to stakeholders. Building out strategies that are inclusive and relatable can build public trust and loyalty, and knowing how to plan for a crisis will reduce the harm to such trust and loyalty.

In this fourth course of the CertNexus Certified Ethical Emerging Technologist (CEET) professional certificate, learners will develop inclusive strategies to communicate business impacts to stakeholders, design communication strategies that mirror ethical principles and policies, and in case of an ethical crisis, be prepared to manage the crisis and the media to reduce business impact.

This course is the fourth of five courses within the Certified Ethical Emerging Technologist (CEET) professional certificate. The preceding courses are titled Promote the Ethical Use of Data-Driven Technologies, Turn Ethical Frameworks into Actionable Steps, and Detect and Mitigate Ethical Risks.

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What's inside

Syllabus

Communicate the Business Impacts of Ethical Risks to Diverse Stakeholders

The first module in this course begins by covering the ethical risks a data-driven organization faces, the impacts those risks have on the business, as well as strategies for communicating these ideas. Effective communication to a diverse array of stakeholders is crucial for maintaining their trust, as well as for fostering a culture of ethical business practices.

Design Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive External Communication Strategies

Now that you understand the importance of communicating ethical risks and their impacts, you'll be able to start designing more in-depth communication strategies for addressing those issues. These strategies will enable you to promote your ethical principles and activities to both internal and external stakeholders.

Manage a Crisis, Communicate Critical Messages, and Ensure Business Continuity

Ethical crises are inevitable, no matter how diligent you are in your ethical business practices. You need to plan for this eventuality by ensuring you have a robust and effective crisis management process in place. Communication is a critical portion of crisis management, as it ensures that stakeholders are kept informed of the facts and not led astray by misinformation.

Manage the Media During an Ethical Crisis

You've learned about general principles of crisis management, particularly how to maintain communications with internal stakeholders. But there's another, equally important entity that you need to communicate with during and after a crisis: the media. The media can often be the deciding factor in the continued success of your organization in the event of an ethical crisis.

Apply What You’ve Learned

You'll work on one or more projects in which you'll apply your knowledge of the material in this course to practical scenarios.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Taught by Megan Smith Branch, Renée Cummings, Jennifer Fischer, who are recognized for their work in professional ethical data transformation

Examines the relationship between ethical practices and stakeholder relations, which is essential for ethical business

Develops essential skills in navigating public relations in response to data ethics crises

Provides instruction in the execution of diverse stakeholder communication principles rooted in ethics

Explores the impact of ethical risks on business and how to mitigate those risks

Teaches learners how to manage ethical crises and communicate critical messages effectively

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Reviews summary

Positive ethics course

Learners say this ethics course is excellent and provides real-time examples, but some dislike the peer-graded assignments.

Students enjoy the lectures.

"Excellent information provided through the course"

"The instructor is very knowledgeable and provided key insights into real-time examples."

Students dislike the peer-graded assignments.

"Stop the peer-graded assignment stuff."

"One problem is waiting for others to submit their assignments so I can grade them."

"Then I am 'overdue' because there are no other assignments to grade."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Communicate Effectively about Ethical Challenges in Data-Driven Technologies with these activities:

Practice Writing Ethical Codes of Conduct

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Review the ethical principles you may already know and start drafting a basic code of conduct. This activity will help you recall and apply ethical principles when communicating with and relating to stakeholders.

Browse courses on Ethics

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Read through ethical codes of conduct from other companies and organizations.
Draft your own basic code of conduct based on the principles you know and values you hold.

Review research ethics

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By brushing up on the ethical principles and guidelines surrounding research, you can ensure that your communication strategies are aligned with best practices.

Browse courses on Research Ethics

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Read relevant codes of conduct and guidelines for your field of research.
Attend a workshop or online training on research ethics.
Discuss ethical considerations with your colleagues and supervisors.

Compile a resource list on ethical communication

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Having a curated list of resources on ethical communication will provide you with quick and easy access to information and best practices.

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Conduct an online search for articles, books, and other resources on ethical communication.
Review the resources and select the most relevant and informative ones.
Organize the resources into a list or document.
Share the resource list with your colleagues and stakeholders.

Six other activities

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Attend a workshop on stakeholder engagement

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Attending a workshop on stakeholder engagement will provide you with practical tools and techniques for effectively engaging with stakeholders.

Browse courses on Stakeholder Engagement

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Research and identify a workshop on stakeholder engagement that aligns with your learning goals.
Register for the workshop and attend all sessions.
Actively participate in discussions and exercises.
Take notes and document your learnings.
Apply the knowledge and skills you gained from the workshop to your work.

Read 'The Art of Communicating Science'

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This book provides insights into the challenges and techniques of communicating scientific information effectively.

View Simplified Signs: A Manual Sign-Communication... on Amazon

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Learn About Ethical Communication Strategies

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There are many different established ethical communication strategies you can apply to your work. Researching and learning about these strategies will help you more effectively communicate with stakeholders.

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Research different ethical communication strategies.
Identify the strategies that are most relevant to your work.
Develop a plan for implementing these strategies in your communication.

Develop a communication plan template

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Creating a template for your communication plans will help you streamline the process and ensure consistency in your messaging.

Browse courses on Communication Plan

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Identify the key components of a communication plan.
Create a draft template that includes these components.
Review and refine your template with feedback from colleagues.
Use your template to develop communication plans for future projects.

Practice writing clear and concise messages

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Regular practice in writing clear and concise messages will improve your ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders.

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Identify a specific audience and purpose for your message.
Write a draft message.
Review your message for clarity and conciseness.
Get feedback from a colleague or mentor.
Revise and finalize your message.

Participate in a mock crisis simulation

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Simulating a crisis situation will help you develop the skills and knowledge needed to manage an ethical crisis effectively.

Browse courses on Crisis Management

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Identify a potential crisis scenario that your organization could face.
Form a team with your colleagues to develop a crisis management plan.
Simulate the crisis scenario and practice implementing your plan.
Evaluate the results of the simulation and identify areas for improvement.

Career center

Learners who complete Communicate Effectively about Ethical Challenges in Data-Driven Technologies will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Ethical Hacker

Ethical Hackers use their knowledge of computer systems to find and exploit vulnerabilities. They work to identify and fix these vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors, and have a strong understanding of the ethical implications of their work. This course may be useful in helping you to develop the ethical principles and frameworks that you will need to adhere to as an Ethical Hacker, as well as risks that you should plan for.

See salaries and explore the career path for Ethical Hacker

Data Governance Specialist

Data Governance Specialists develop and implement policies and procedures for the management of data. They have a strong understanding of the ethical implications of using data, and work to ensure that data is used in a responsible and ethical manner.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Governance Specialist

Information Security Analyst

Information Security Analysts protect an organization's computer systems from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction. They have a strong understanding of the ethical implications of using data, and work to ensure that data is used in a responsible and ethical manner. This course may be useful in teaching you the ethical principles and strategies that you will need to use as an Information Security Analyst, as well as how to plan for and mitigate potential risks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Information Security Analyst

Security Analyst

Security Analysts plan, implement, and manage security measures to protect an organization's computer systems from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction. They have a strong understanding of the ethical implications of using data, and work to ensure that data is used in a responsible and ethical manner. This course may be useful in teaching you the ethical principles and strategies that you will need to apply as a Security Analyst, as well as how to anticipate and mitigate potential risks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Security Analyst

Privacy Analyst

Privacy Analysts develop and implement policies and procedures for the protection of personal information. They have a strong understanding of the ethical implications of using data, and work to ensure that data is used in a responsible and ethical manner. This course may be useful in teaching you the ethical principles and strategies that you will need to use in your role, as well as how to mitigate against possible risks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Privacy Analyst

Risk Analyst

Risk Analysts identify, assess, and mitigate risks to an organization. They have a strong understanding of the ethical implications of using data, and work to ensure that data is used in a responsible and ethical manner. This course may be useful in teaching you the ethical principles and strategies that you will need to employ in your work, as well as how to plan for and mitigate against potential risks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Risk Analyst

User Experience Designer

User Experience Designers design and develop user interfaces for websites and applications. They have a strong understanding of the ethical implications of using data, and work to ensure that user interfaces are designed in a responsible and ethical manner. This course may be useful in teaching you the ethical principles and strategies that you will need to adhere to as a User Experience Designer, as well as how to plan for and mitigate potential risks.

See salaries and explore the career path for User Experience Designer

Technical Writer

Technical Writers create documentation for technical products and services. They have a strong understanding of the ethical implications of using data, and work to ensure that documentation is accurate and ethical. This course may be useful in teaching you the ethical principles and strategies that you will need to adhere to as a Technical Writer, as well as how to plan for and mitigate potential risks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Writer

Software Engineer

Software Engineers design, develop, and implement computer software. They have a strong understanding of the ethical implications of using data, and work to ensure that software is developed in a responsible and ethical manner. This course may be useful in teaching you the ethical principles and strategies that you will need to adhere to as a Software Engineer, as well as how to plan for and mitigate potential risks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer

Data Analyst

Data Analysts use data to make informed decisions. They collect, clean, and analyze data, and use it to create reports and presentations that can be used to communicate insights to stakeholders. This course may be useful in teaching you the ethical principles and strategies that you will need to adhere to as a Data Analyst, as well as how to plan for potential risks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Web Developer

Web Developers design and develop websites. They have a strong understanding of the ethical implications of using data, and work to ensure that websites are developed in a responsible and ethical manner. This course may be useful in teaching you the ethical principles and strategies that you will need to adhere to as a Web Developer, as well as how to plan for and mitigate potential risks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Developer

Data Scientist

Data Scientists analyze data to extract insights that can be used to make informed decisions. They use a variety of statistical and machine learning techniques to find patterns and trends in data, and have a strong understanding of how to use data ethically. This course may be useful in teaching you the ethical principles and strategies that you will need to apply to your work as a Data Scientist, as well as how to mitigate against any potential risks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Scientist

Systems Analyst

Systems Analysts design, develop, and implement computer systems. They have a strong understanding of the ethical implications of using data, and work to ensure that systems are developed in a responsible and ethical manner. This course may be useful in teaching you the ethical principles and strategies that you will need to adhere to as a Systems Analyst, as well as how to plan for and mitigate potential risks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Systems Analyst

Business Analyst

Business Analysts work with stakeholders to define and document business requirements. They also analyze data to make informed decisions. This course may be useful in teaching you the ethical principles and strategies that you will need to adhere to as a Business Analyst, as well as how to plan for and mitigate potential risks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst

Chief Technology Officer

Chief Technology Officers are responsible for ensuring that an organization's IT systems are in alignment with the strategic goals of the organization. They oversee the development and implementation of IT systems, and have a strong understanding of the ethical implications of using newer technologies. This course may be useful in teaching you the ethical frameworks that you will need to navigate, as well as how to set ethical principles, turn them into action, and plan for potential ethical risks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Chief Technology Officer

Reading list

We've selected 12 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Communicate Effectively about Ethical Challenges in Data-Driven Technologies.

The Ethical Algorithm

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Provides a deep dive into the technical and social aspects of designing ethical algorithms. It explores fairness, accountability, and transparency in algorithmic decision-making, complementing the course's emphasis on ethical frameworks and risk mitigation.

The Ethical Algorithm: The Science of Socially...

Hardcover

(Español) El algoritmo ético. La ciencia del diseño de...

Kindle Edition

Data Ethics

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Serves as an introductory guide to data ethics, covering fundamental principles, case studies, and best practices. It provides a solid foundation for understanding the ethical implications of data-driven technologies, which is essential for effective communication.

Communicate Effectively about Ethical Challenges in Data-Driven Technologies

Two deals to help you save

What's inside

Syllabus

Good to know

Save this course

Reviews summary

Positive ethics course

Activities

Career center

Reading list

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