Ethics Across the Curriculum

Moral Development in Theory and Practice: Tips for the Instructor

Outline of Power Point Slide Show

LtCol Bill Rhodes & Capt Bill Casebeer
Department of Philosophy


Preview
Moral Development--Your role as an instructor
Developmental Objectives--Desired outcomes
The Case Method--Surfacing problems and solutions
Demonstration Case
The Air Force Core Values--Tools for "framing and resolving"
Empirical Results--Kohlberg on moral development


Moral Development--Your Role
Ethical concerns are pervasive . . . life is interdisciplinary--education should be too
Your experience qualifies you to raise and discuss ethical concerns (judgment counts)
Subject matter knowledge includes embedded nature of moral concerns
Ethics education is not a "block" of instruction . . . a lifelong project
"Teachable moments": weave ethical concerns into your classroom as a natural part of your discussion


The Developmental Objective
Your goal: encourage the unreflective to reconsider their position and encourage the relativistic to see that some answers are better than others


The Developmental Spectrum


The Developmental Context
Some answers are simply incorrect
Some answers are better than others (standards versus ideals)
Cognitive development is more about skill than content
No requirement for an "approved solution" to difficult problems--focus on process


Standards and Ideals


Case Method: Getting a Problem
Should arise naturally in discipline
Choose "genuinely felt" problem
Appeal to operational experience


Case Method: Mechanics
Case discussions can vary in length (2 min--2 hrs)
Pre-planned and spontaneous
Pre-planned:
Handout often useful
Germane to the day's material
Bona fide cases best--avoid contrived cases
Spontaneous:
Targets of opportunity: take advantage of them
Can involve cadet wing issues (beginning of class)


Example case: "The Disturbing Response"


Case Method: Hints & Tips
Do:
Guide the discussion
Look for cases with divergent goods
Grant that reasonable people can disagree
Encourage cadets to voice the concerns of their conscience
Think about your own career--introspect
Don't:
Use stillborn cases
Use cases with obvious/easy answer--challenge the cadets so as to promote development
"Show your hand" too early (if at all)
Breed either relativism or unreflective dogmatism


Air Force Core Values: Useful Tools
An important tool for framing and resolving ill-defined problems
Integrity first, service before self, excellence in all we do: parallels virtue theory, deontology, utilitarianism (usual approaches to moral theory)
Use to organize, analyze, and define minimum standards as well as the ideal


Kohlberg on Development: "Invariant & Sequential"


Empirical Results
Neo-Kohlbergian approach . . . schema that guide moral reasoning--the methods discussed today aid moral development
Small group guided discussion via the case method improves moral reasoning
Teacher support for higher levels boosts development (50% vice 10% . . . Kohlberg)
Moral reasoning and moral action are statistically related (delinquents vs. non-delinquents, Milgram-style concerns about conformity--Blasi)

Review
Moral Development--Your role as an instructor
Developmental Objectives--Desired outcomes
The Case Method--Surfacing problems and solutions
Demonstration Case
The Air Force Core Values--Tools for "framing and resolving"
Empirical Results
Questions?