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The ethics slam is all about clear thinking, reasonable discussion and nimble observation about the many ways ethics is embedded in our lives. In the Slam, students respond to a selected Big Ethical Question as best–and as ethically as they can. Students choose a question and then are given three to five minutes to deliver their opinion and response to the chosen question. Their response to the question should be clear and systematic, with identification of ethical dimensions of the question, awareness of different viewpoints, and a normative ethical argument for their position on the question.

The purpose of research papers in the Ethics and Values course is to both help satisfy our CLO’s for the class, but also to teach the students important critical thinking skills, essential research skills, and writing skills. Reflection papers are also important, given one objective of the course is to invite students to clarify their own values, become more understanding of other values, and to create a stronger foundation and greater character strength upon which they can build their lives.

The purpose of group work in an ethics course is to teach students how to collaborative and cooperate with others in solving a problem or completing a task. Group work can reinforce skills learned through thought experiments, case studies, and role playing exercises. However, if not properly structured, group work can be very frustrating for students. You need to clearly give them the “what” “why” and “how” of the group assignment. Explain the assignment and set expectations of how the group will work together. Be sure to monitor the group’s progress by having aspects of the project due along the way. That’s very important to prevent group implosion; namely, require tasks towards completing the assignment be due at regular intervals between the group assignment and final presentation. The culmination of the group assignment can be an oral presentation, a written report, a research paper, or all of them combined.

The purpose of class discussions is to increase the students’ interest and engagement in the course material. Classroom discussions help students stay focused and will increase their preparedness when they know they’ll be called on to participate. Another benefit of discussions is they give you immediate feedback on the students’ comprehension as well as insight into their communication and reasoning skills.

Ethical role-playing is another activity to encourage students to apply the ethical reasoning and decision-making processes they are learning in class to concrete ethical situations or practical problems. Students demonstrate mastery of ethical reasoning and understanding of the various ethical theories by applying them to ethical challenges in a fun role-play with other students, which also allows them to develop and practice interpersonal and communication skills. In fact any thought experiment or case study can be turned into a role play where students might more easily uncover their hidden assumptions, implicit biases, and harmful stereotypes, while increasing empathy for others.

Thought experiments are hypothetical situations that test our intuitions in ways that challenge us to examine the adequacy of our habitual beliefs. Thought experiments can help reveal inconsistencies and a lack of clarity in our thinking by triggering counter examples and by raising questions in new and creative ways. They also force us out of our comfort zone and allow us to explore possibilities we may have previously rejected. They can also be an effective way to introduce a topic or philosopher. All in all, thought experiments are a great way to stimulate classroom discussions.

The purpose of case studies is to give students an opportunity to apply the theoretical and practical tools they are learning in their ethics courses. The wise use of case studies is also a powerful tool to teach and practice logic and reasoning skills in the context of moral decisionmaking. When done thoughtfully, case studies can help students increase their empathy for others and even uncover their own unexamined assumptions, implicit biases, and harmful stereotypes.

Thought experiments are hypothetical situations that test our intuitions in ways that challenge us to examine the adequacy of our habitual beliefs. Thought experiments can help reveal inconsistencies and a lack of clarity in our thinking by triggering counter examples and by raising questions in new and creative ways. They also force us out of our comfort zone and allow us to explore possibilities we may have previously rejected. They can also be an effective way to introduce a topic or philosopher. All in all, thought experiments are a great way to stimulate classroom discussions.

Ethical role-playing is another activity to encourage students to apply the ethical reasoning and decision-making processes they are learning in class to concrete ethical situations or practical problems. Click here to learn more about how to use-role playing to explore ethical issues.

The Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE) host an intercollegiate ethics bowl competition. Click here to visit their site which has case studies as well as resources for those competing and judging.