Teaching about good work by preparing well: Designing online resources for ethics educators

Abstract

Instruction in ethics (e.g., recognizing the presence of common ethical problems, developing skills in ethical reasoning, and improving familiarity with intermediate concepts such as informed consent and confidentiality) forms a foundation for SEE. This skill-building emphasis prepares students to confront ethical decisions in their careers with disciplined thought and action. Through this coursework, students discover that ethics is more than how one feels about a situation, and ideally, more than simple interpersonal accountability. The case method highlighted by Chuck Huff and William Frey in Moral Pedagogy and Practical Ethics, can ,indeed, be a fruitful way to stimulate dialogue and to encourage student sensitivity to various perspectives. The exercises surrounding a given case can help students internalize the complexity associated with defining ethical behavior and can drive home the message to students in science and engineering that ethics is their issue. Ethical questions are not something to be left to a staff ethicist or to be considered as an afterthought. Ethical concerns are at the core of their work today and will continue to be throughout their careers. The guided discussions associated with case studies can promote a sense of community among students. The diversity within a classroom provides a range of opinions, and the discussions about cases – sometimes quite passionate – can transform views in memorable, experiential ways. In this process, the students are learning the ethical expectations of their field. It is this vital sense of contact with professional and Teaching About Good Work by Preparing Well: Designing Online Resources for Ethics Educators Commentary on “Moral Pedagogy and Practical Ethics” (Huff & Frey)