Ethics Education for Graduate Programs in Geographic Information Science and Technology Presentation at the 17 th Annual Meeting of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics San Antonio, Texas Matthew W. Keefer, Ph.D. University of Missouri – St Louis, St Louis, MO USA

Instructional Design and Assessment Issues for Ethics Instruction Principles of Instructional Design for PBL Two types of assessment Challenges for both types of assessment Principles of Instructional Design for PBL Two types of assessment Challenges for both types of assessment

Principles of Instructional Design for PBL Anchor curriculum within contexts that include authentic problems, interviews, and case examples Design learning environment that provide opportunities for collaborative learning and discussion (e.g., distributed expertise) Challenge students to assess revise and reflect on their own thinking Connect learning outcomes to relevant problems that require ‘authentic’ performances that demonstrate knowledge. Anchor curriculum within contexts that include authentic problems, interviews, and case examples Design learning environment that provide opportunities for collaborative learning and discussion (e.g., distributed expertise) Challenge students to assess revise and reflect on their own thinking Connect learning outcomes to relevant problems that require ‘authentic’ performances that demonstrate knowledge.

Two General Types of Assessment Assessment of Ethical Outcomes Summative E.g., IQ Tests Achievement E.g., Kohlberg D.I.T., RCR General Norm Referenced Ext Validity Curriculum-based Assessment Formative & Summative Performance Assess., Portfolio, General PBL Ethics Cases, Case-Analysis, Ethics Problem-solving Contextual tied to Curriculum Goals

Kohlberg MJI & Rest & D.I.T. (Cog Dev’t Structural, pen & pencil questionnaire) Domain theory (Turiel, Nucci) Carol Gilligan (Hermeneutic) Case-based Approaches (e.g., casuist) Psychological Approaches to Study of Ethical Reasoning

Making a Norm-Referenced Assessment Pilot instrument using a large variety of items (with face validity) on appropriate population Obtain external validity measure Choose only those items that empirically differentiate students on relevant criterion Pilot instrument using a large variety of items (with face validity) on appropriate population Obtain external validity measure Choose only those items that empirically differentiate students on relevant criterion

Challenges for Assessments of Ethical Outcomes Ensuring a match between measurements and project goals (e.g., DIT, moral justification in program of practical ethics) Trade offs between rigorous construct validity and the “cost” of ecological validity Use of external assessment the problem of “teaching to the test” problem Ensuring a match between measurements and project goals (e.g., DIT, moral justification in program of practical ethics) Trade offs between rigorous construct validity and the “cost” of ecological validity Use of external assessment the problem of “teaching to the test” problem

Challenges for Designing Curriculum-based assessments Designing assessments to connect to specific curriculum and instruction - the general problem of ‘trade-offs’ Designing assessments that allow for diversity in responses (solutions with multiple steps not one unique answer) Making expectations clear, providing opportunity for feedback that challenges students’ thinking Developing resources e.g., exemplars that could serve as standards of high or noteworthy performance (e.g.,commentaries, analyses & reflections on exemplars, etc) Making assessment results clear to students and providing opportunity for revision and improvement Involving students in assessment process Designing assessments to connect to specific curriculum and instruction - the general problem of ‘trade-offs’ Designing assessments that allow for diversity in responses (solutions with multiple steps not one unique answer) Making expectations clear, providing opportunity for feedback that challenges students’ thinking Developing resources e.g., exemplars that could serve as standards of high or noteworthy performance (e.g.,commentaries, analyses & reflections on exemplars, etc) Making assessment results clear to students and providing opportunity for revision and improvement Involving students in assessment process

Some Advantages Ethical maturity more likely perceived as intrinsic to professional role (less likely perceived as a special aptitude) Resources for ethical decision making are available Expectations for ethical behavior are clear or more apparent Expectations and resources support understanding of students’ as moral agents (not simply moral justifiers) Responses to ethical problems perceived as diverse Students are involved in assessment and critique of their ethical learning Same principles that apply to teacher learning apply to student learning Ethical maturity more likely perceived as intrinsic to professional role (less likely perceived as a special aptitude) Resources for ethical decision making are available Expectations for ethical behavior are clear or more apparent Expectations and resources support understanding of students’ as moral agents (not simply moral justifiers) Responses to ethical problems perceived as diverse Students are involved in assessment and critique of their ethical learning Same principles that apply to teacher learning apply to student learning

Nine Elements of Proficiency in Ethical Reasoning in Practical Contexts Can students identify various types of morally relevant considerations (e.g., harms and benefits, responsibilities, obligations, virtuous and vicious motives, behavior and character, moral standing, and trustworthiness)? Can students identify and use appropriate specialized knowledge to situate the problem in the larger context of the professional domain or identify the ambiguities in the problem situation that make it difficult to classify? Can students reason based on these considerations (e.g., make hypothetical inferences, etc.)? Can students attend to and use both specialized professional and ethical knowledge in fashioning responses to ethical challenges? Can students identify various types of morally relevant considerations (e.g., harms and benefits, responsibilities, obligations, virtuous and vicious motives, behavior and character, moral standing, and trustworthiness)? Can students identify and use appropriate specialized knowledge to situate the problem in the larger context of the professional domain or identify the ambiguities in the problem situation that make it difficult to classify? Can students reason based on these considerations (e.g., make hypothetical inferences, etc.)? Can students attend to and use both specialized professional and ethical knowledge in fashioning responses to ethical challenges?

Nine Elements of Proficiency in Ethical Reasoning in Practical Contexts Can students consider and generate alternative solutions that might mitigate or circumvent some of the moral conflicts that may arise in the situation? Can students identify some of the moral ambiguities or moral costs in the case? Can students recognize different realities that may underlie the apparent problem that would require quite different resolutions? Can students consider the long-term moral implications (for trust, for character development, as well as for consequences of their resolutions)? Can students show understanding of the "situated," or social, nature of ethical conflicts and the "distributed" character of moral responsibility? Can students consider and generate alternative solutions that might mitigate or circumvent some of the moral conflicts that may arise in the situation? Can students identify some of the moral ambiguities or moral costs in the case? Can students recognize different realities that may underlie the apparent problem that would require quite different resolutions? Can students consider the long-term moral implications (for trust, for character development, as well as for consequences of their resolutions)? Can students show understanding of the "situated," or social, nature of ethical conflicts and the "distributed" character of moral responsibility?