Abstract

Most organizations apply a systems development methodology when designing and developing information systems (IS). The most common methodology is the system development life cycle (SDLC) (Valacich and George, 2020). Typically, pedagogy around systems analysis and design also includes a discussion on ethics. Some authors include mini cases in their textbook to cover ethical situations (Rosenblatt, 2013; Tilly and Rosenblatt, 2014). Other texts focus strictly on the fundamentals of SA&D and instructors have to cull ethics curriculum from other sources. What isn’t commonly found in SA&D textbooks is material covering diversity, equity, and inclusion in each stage of the SDLC. While extant literature exists in the realm of software development and education, Wijeratne et al., (2022) suggest that little has been studied regarding the embedding of DEI topics within the teachings of the design and development process or stages. We have taken into consideration the Inclusive Engineering Framework; however, it is applied at the beginning of the design stage rather than spanning the SDLC (Bonfield, 2020). Additionally, we examined the SEBoK but found that the mapping does not delineate between diversity, equity, and inclusion specifically for each stage of the SDLC (Harding & Squires, n.d.). As a step in bridging the gap, we have initiated a study to explore DEI in the SDLC and how it can be intentionally incorporated into IS education. The purpose of this work is twofold: (1) prepare instructors to help improve student understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the SDLC, and (2) have a DEI ripple effect through IS design as students with this training advance in their careers. To specifically address SA&D curriculum we propose considering each of the DEI concepts separately for the individuals stages of the SDLC. To the authors’ knowledge this is the first attempt at the development of such a framework through exploration.

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