Case-Based Ethics Instruction: The Influence of Contextual and Individual Factors in Case Content on Ethical Decision-Making

Document Type

Article

Department or Administrative Unit

Management

Publication Date

11-10-2012

Abstract

Cases have been employed across multiple disciplines, including ethics education, as effective pedagogical tools. However, the benefit of case-based learning in the ethics domain varies across cases, suggesting that not all cases are equal in terms of pedagogical value. Indeed, case content appears to influence the extent to which cases promote learning and transfer. Consistent with this argument, the current study explored the influences of contextual and personal factors embedded in case content on ethical decision-making. Cases were manipulated to include a clear description of the social context and the goals of the characters involved. Results indicated that social context, specifically the description of an autonomy-supportive environment, facilitated execution of sense-making processes and resulted in greater decision ethicality. Implications for designing optimal cases and case-based training programs are discussed.

Comments

This article was originally published in Science and Engineering Ethics. The full-text article from the publisher can be found here.

Due to copyright restrictions, this article is not available for free download through ScholarWorks @ CWU.

Journal

Science and Engineering Ethics

Rights

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2012

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