Implementing Professionalism

1
Implementing Professionalism

• Trevor Harding Cal Poly SLO
• October 4, 2007

2
Todays game plan

• Apologies
• Introductions
• The two cornerstones
• Defining professionalism
• Activities for promoting professionalism
• Wrap-up

3
The Two Cornerstones

• How do we view our role in promoting
  professionalism?
• Students as professionals in training
• Faculty as professional models
• What are the implications of these perspectives
  for
• Students
• Faculty
• Classrooms
• Higher Education

4
Students as Professionals in Training

• Are we training students to get a job in a
  profession, or to be professionals in a job?
• What are we doing today to prepare our students?
• Are we succeeding?
• Measures of success

5
One Measure of Success
Business Engineering Medicine Dentistry Teacher
Preparation
91 of business students (n60) cheated in
college 96 of engineering students (n597)
cheated in college
Physical Sciences Natural Sciences Social Sciences
Cheating
Philosophy Arts Languages Humanities
Career Orientation
6
Transfer of Unprofessional Behavior
7
Another Measure of Success
P-Score Estimates percentage of reasoning at
post-conventional level
Junior H.S.
Moral Philosophers
Average Adult
High School
College
15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60
Differences may be due to liberalism and gender
increase at higher educational levels.
8
Defining Professionalism

• Jot down your thoughts on what it takes to be a
  professional.
• Turn to your neighbor and share your thoughts.
• Lets create a master list.

9
Activities for Promoting Professionalism

• Creating a code of ethics for the classroom
• Instructor facilitated discussion of ethical
  dilemmas
• Connecting with the Profession
• Project-based learning Engaging students in
  real-time decision-making
• Service learning Altering students moral selves
• Modeling professional behavior

10
Creating a Classroom Code of Ethics

• Student work in teams to answer
• What is ethics?
• How do ethics and morals differ?
• What are the rights and responsibilities of
  students in the classroom? Of faculty?
• What are the vices and virtues of students? Of
  faculty?
• Can be used to introduce moral and ethical theory
• Sets tone of respectful, honest discussion
• Enhances students appreciation for codes of
  ethics

11
Moral Cognition and Professional Ethics
High Level, abstract moral cognition (Kohlbergs
Stages)
Provide rationale for making ethical-decisions
within a professional context
Concrete, specific prescriptions and prohibitions
12
Discussing ethical dilemmas

• Goal Promote ethical reasoning and the
  application of codes of ethics
• Instructor provides a profession specific ethical
  dilemma and asks students to resolve the dilemma
  by referring to the code of ethics.
• Various forms
• Individual readings followed by group discussion
• Group readings followed by facilitated
  discussion
• Online forum monitored by instructor

13
Connecting with the Profession

• Brainstorming issues facing the profession and
  researching how these issues are being addressed
  by professional societies
• Discussing the various roles of professional
  societies
• Attend professional meetings
• Write a letter to your legislator on a
  professional issue

• All require reflection on professional and
  personal gains

14
Project-based Learning (PjBL)

• Students are given a project to complete through
  which they must explore the content, develop
  relevant skills, and resolve complex dilemmas.
• Promotes teamwork, communication, life-long
  learning, and . . . ethical reasoning.

15
Service-Learning

• Students complete a project for a client either
  within the community or outside the community.
• Enhances professional skills
• Exposes students to social, political,
  environmental issues in a real setting
• Promotes students moral empathy and thus their
  ability to reason at the most principled levels.

16
The Second Cornerstone Faculty Models

• Are we discipline specific professionals or . . .
  
• Are we professional educators with a
  specialization in a particular discipline?
• The NSPE Fundamental Canons
• 2 Engineers shall perform services only in
  areas of their competence.
• What would it mean to be a professional educator?

17
Faculty as Models of Professionalism

• If we wish to be professional educators, how
  should we behave?
• Making a commitment to life-long learning
• Ethics and the art of being principled
• Mentoring and caring
• Mastering the knowledge

18
Wrap-Up

• Questions, Criticisms, Suggestions?

19
Extras
20
Aspects of the Moral Self
Carol Gilligan
Augusto Blasi
21
Development of Moral Cognition
Kohlberg (1984). Essays on Moral Development.
Vol. 2, The Psychology of Moral
Development. Rest, Narvaez, Bebeau Thoma
(1999). Postconventional Moral Thinking A
neo-Kohlbergian approach.
Increasingly complex means of conceptualizing
social organization
22
Moral Growth, Affect, and Identity
23
My Soap Box!

• The point is not to stop cheating, but rather to
  foster moral growth
• Cheating prevention consumes time and energy, and
  really only produces better cheaters.
• Ultimately reduces to an issue of authority