You're a summer intern at EduTech Solutions, working on a student learning analytics platform used by high schools to track academic progress. As an intern, you're eager to make a good impression and potentially receive a full-time offer. During your second month, you discover several concerning issues while working on a feature update.

What You've Discovered: The analytics algorithm incorrectly flags students from certain zip codes as "at-risk" at higher rates Your code review reveals that student browsing history (including personal social media) is being collected without explicit consent The system stores students' family income data that's being used to predict academic outcomes A bug in your code accidentally exposed 200 students' private messages for 3 days before you caught it Your mentor says: "Don't worry about it - high school data isn't as sensitive as medical records" Your Situation: Your supervisor praises your "efficiency" in implementing features quickly Other interns seem focused on completing tasks without questioning data practices You need a strong recommendation for your senior year job search Stakeholder Context: 15,000 high school students across 12 schools will use this system daily Teachers rely on the analytics to identify students needing academic support Parents expect their children's educational data to be protected School administrators use the data for resource allocation and policy decisions Which ethical principle is most violated by the zip code bias in the analytics algorithm?

Question

You're a summer intern at EduTech Solutions, working on a student learning analytics platform used by high schools to track academic progress. As an intern, you're eager to make a good impression and potentially receive a full-time offer. During your second month, you discover several concerning issues while working on a feature update. 
 
 What You've Discovered: The analytics algorithm incorrectly flags students from certain zip codes as "at-risk" at higher rates Your code review reveals that student browsing history (including personal social media) is being collected without explicit consent The system stores students' family income data that's being used to predict academic outcomes A bug in your code accidentally exposed 200 students' private messages for 3 days before you caught it Your mentor says: "Don't worry about it - high school data isn't as sensitive as medical records" Your Situation: Your supervisor praises your "efficiency" in implementing features quickly Other interns seem focused on completing tasks without questioning data practices You need a strong recommendation for your senior year job search Stakeholder Context: 15,000 high school students across 12 schools will use this system daily Teachers rely on the analytics to identify students needing academic support Parents expect their children's educational data to be protected School administrators use the data for resource allocation and policy decisions Which ethical principle is most violated by the zip code bias in the analytics algorithm?

Answer

Beneficence:  Technology should benefit student learning and development

Answer

Justice:  Ensure fair treatment regardless of socioeconomic background

Answer

Non-maleficence: Avoid harm from biased predictions and stereotyping

Answer

Autonomy:  Students should have control over their educational data

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