Presenting Ethical Issues in the Classroom

Identify an ethical issue and ask students to debate it in class. Or, suggest the topic to the Debate Team. (Contact Tim O’Donnell at todonnell@umw.edu )

Identify a news item dealing with an ethical issue in your field. Present it to the class, or assign case study presentations.

Many films deal with ethical issues in law, business, medicine, and so on. (For example, “Twilight of the Golds,” “Wall Street,” “The Insider,” and “Casualties of War.”) Show these films in class, or assign out-of-class viewing and follow-up with in-class discussions.

Create an “Ethical Barometer” by designating one side of the room as “completely ethical” and the other side as “completely unethical.” Then read a brief scenario and ask students to stand wherever they think appropriate within the resulting continuum. Ask them to justify their position. Encourage them to convince their peers to move within the continuum.

Feel free to contact this office to discuss your challenges and your program ideas!