The Role of Learning Theory in Building Effective College Ethics Curricula

Abstract

This theoretical paper provides a framework for developing a college ethics curriculum that emphasizes the development of moral reasoning skills and behaviors. The framework draws heavily from successful efforts in the fields of moral development and learning theory applied to teaching complex problem solving skills. Best practices addressed in this paper include balancing theory and practice, teaching cross-contextually, practicing metacognition, targeting improved decision making skills in curriculum and assessment, addressing independent components of the decision making process, scaffolding moral decision making, and integrating skill development and curricular language throughout the program. ______________________________________________________________________________ uilding moral habits is critical for realizing moral courage in moments of crisis. People are most likely to fall back upon their habits when they are in crisis. They need well practiced and comfortable behaviors to see them through. Even when thoughtful deliberation leads to a more moral solution to the dilemma before them, people often fail to traverse the judgment-action gap with their own moral reasoning intact. Crisis situations bring a wide range of social, cultural and cognitive obstacles to bear on a person's ego integrity and it is in those times that their moral behaviors are most influential in revealing character. As college educators teaching ethics and moral reasoning, we are tasked to teach students how to navigate crisis, deep cognitive dissonance, and moral dilemmas. Yet we often operate in environs that are by their nature free of the real life obstacles we are training students to face. We teach about ethical frameworks and try to develop the reasoning skills of students, but we are left with little more than a hope that they will learn the moral habits they need when the moment of moral crisis comes. Therefore, an effective college ethics curriculum should allow students opportunities to practice moral behaviors, hone reasoning skills, gain a deep understanding of moral theory, and develop the ability to transfer these skills and habits across diverse contexts when they leave college. As we went through the process of designing a new ethics curriculum at the University of Arkansas (referred to in this paper as the Arkansas Program) we looked first to research in moral development and ethics curricula and then to studies that explain how complex behaviors and reasoning skills are most effectively taught. Our goal was to develop an understanding of how college students learn the range of skills that lead to more effective moral decision making. It was critical that the new curriculum not merely replicate existing examples of best practice in the field, but rather that each component of the curriculum was built from a research based foundation of how college students learn. The goal was not only that students graduate with a better understanding of ethical issues, but that they also experience the intellectual and emotional e...

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