We can teach the ethics but learning good manners is a lifetime proces
Personality can influence in a positive or negative way the student’s future professional performance.
We can teach the ethics but learning good manners is a lifetime process.
In the medical field we have many laws and ethical rules.
The students can learn how to apply the ethics and laws correctly but they do not learn how to behave when they communicate with clients and coworkers. The ending result is a communication with the right words or legal procedures but the wrong attitude, body language, or oral expression. This behavior can create serious consequences for their career. Companies invest a lot of time in the management of these types of problems since they can be significantly negative for the economy of their business, teamwork, and clients.
Do you have a simple or basic way to assess these types of situations in class?
As I teach legal courses, I do try and bring ethics into my lectures. Often, when we break into small groups, I will add an ethics component into the discussion. Ethical issues are very important issues and should be included in lectures and discussion with students as they undoubtedly will face ethical dilemmas in the future.
Hi William, That is an interesting point. Perhaps the best we can hope for is that in teaching Ethics, students can see the benefit to society and ultimately to themselves.
Susan Polick
Carlos, you're singing my song. I teach Ethics courses but steadfastly refuse to list "improving students' ethics" as a learning objective. I can teach them only what the dead European philosophers have written and how to apply those principles in an orderly process, such as Bok's Model. I know no way of convincing them that ethical behavior is desirable; even if I thought I could teach this, how could such an outcome be assessed? I've seen an exam question that asks, "If you found a $20 bill, would you try to locate the rightful owner?" What's the correct answer--to lie and say Yes, or to tell the truth and say No? Ethics can and should be modeled by ALL instructors, but I don't know how "ethical-ness" can be taught or tested.
I completely agree, and well-put. In my current course considering research, ethical evaluation is a facet of the research process I cover with students. It can be difficult, at times, to help them define the line between building upon published research and infringing upon it.
Your comment regarding TV's tendency to condone breaching ethical boundaries is dead-on, especially in terms of 'experimental' procedures.
This particular module will help me guide students in throughtful evaluation of human-based research and Institutional Review Board approvals, in addition to weighing the ethical issues involved in research risks with the benefist of the research itself.
Not only in the medical field but this is also becoming a very important topic in the computer field with topics such as piracy, copyright infringement, etc.
We have a class dedicated to areas such as ethics and Information Technology. The cases aren't easy, ethics involves tough decisions and at times it does boil down to "What are YOU going to do?"
We go through the laws involved, but as in the case of hacking it is tough. Especially when Hollywood, seems to glamorize it as a means necessary to an end (look at the popular TV crime shows).
Hi Shawn, Thanks for your post to the forum. We use practice "elevator speeches" where students have one minute to talk about themselves to a volunteer staff or faculty member before receiving feedback and moving quicly to the next volunteer to do it again. But, I agree good manners are something that should be learned at an earlier age. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I think presentations is probably the best way, or interview type situations.
I find a lot of students don't understand why it is important to be able to interact well with others.. even if they aren't happy with them. Group Projects help train them and prepare them.. but they can also be nightmares.
Hi Carlos- Thanks for addressing a very important issue - learning to communicate in the work-place is essential! My advice to incorporate these skills into your classes is to set up activities that will push them to learn these skills. Classroom debates, presentations, Group activities, are all good startting points!Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
