Originally published Dec. 11, 2015
By Daniel Perez
UTEP Communications
Misbehavior by college students at a national level set in motion an effort in Texas to incorporate ethics modules into entry-level college classes. Those modules, launched softly during the fall 2015 semester, were developed at The University of Texas at El Paso.
Members of UTEP’s Creative Studios, a branch of Academic Technologies, and a cadre of faculty and staff spent a year developing the custom-made text, videos, interactive graphics and musical score for the modules that were created for the Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB).
The commission was concerned about the increase in incidents ranging from plagiarism and other forms of academic cheating to episodes of binge drinking and physical and sexual assaults on college campuses. Commission members considered the discretions as failures of personal ethics. They believed the best way to alter behavior was to promote ethics through education and reinforce that message at every level, starting with the core curriculum for college freshmen and sophomores.
The commission contacted the THECB in 2012 with its vision of promoting ethical judgment in higher education. The group’s goal dovetailed nicely with the board’s efforts to add social and personal responsibility to its core curriculum at the university level. As instructors modified their courses, many looked for interesting ways to involve ethics into their classes. Enter UTEP’s professional development modules.
“The goal is to provide a framework and better understanding of ethics so people can make more informed choices,” said Steve Varela, associate director of Academic Technologies and leader of Creative Studios. He said several production team members expressed how their participation had affected their ethical perspectives. “The point is for the students to reflect on how they make their decision and base it on the greater good.”
The Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission, in collaboration with the THECB, selected the UTEP team in August 2014 because it was impressed with Varela’s project proposal and the team’s comprehensive portfolio of technological methods to enhance reading comprehension, data analysis and nurse training.
Charles T. Sadnick, commission director, said the group wanted an “engaging, accurate and cutting edge” vehicle to instill the basic sense of right and wrong among students, and the UTEP team developed modules beyond what the commission envisioned. He believes the modules will have a powerful impact on Texans as instructors use the lessons in their classrooms.
The modules are available to faculty in all subjects at all levels across the state. Instructors may use the modules as a whole or in parts, and integrate them into their curriculum at their discretion. The modules’ videos may be found at ethics.utep.edu and the digital interactions may be downloaded through the Apple Store or Google Play.
Allen Michie, program director of the THECB’s Academic Quality and Workforce Division, praised the module content for being accessible beyond the normal courses where one would expect to discuss ethics. He said the suggested classroom assignments, recommended readings and critical thinking prompts are practical for any course, from arts to sciences.
“Most importantly, these modules will contribute toward a greater sense of personal responsibility among Texas students that they will hopefully carry with them long after graduation,” said Michie, who was the THECB’s liaison to the project.
Varela presented the modules, which can be found on the commission and THECB websites, at the Immersive Education Initiative Conference in Paris, France, in September. The reaction was positive and earned plenty of kudos for UTEP and Creative Studios for the modules’ creativity, design and implementation. He promoted their use at a Dec. 4 workshop for the Entering Student Program, which helps first-year or transfer students make academic and social connections at UTEP.
Dorothy Ward, Ph.D., director of the Entering Student Program, said the goal of her courses is to enhance a student’s critical thinking skills, and the modules benefit the program. She called them informative, effective and easy to follow.
“We have a responsibility as educators to develop (students’) ethical reasoning and teach accountability as it applies to college and life in general,” she said.
The THECB modules may be found here and the Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission modules maybe a found here.