Suzy jagger
Roehampton University, School of Business, Faculty Member
How can we improve business ethics education for the twenty first century? This study evaluates the effectiveness of a visual case exercise in the form of a 3D immersive game given to undergraduate students at two UK Universities as part... more
How can we improve business ethics education for the twenty first century? This study evaluates the effectiveness of a visual case exercise in the form of a 3D immersive game given to undergraduate students at two UK Universities as part of a mandatory business ethics module. We propose that due to evolving learning styles, the immersive nature of interactive games lends itself as a vehicle to make the learning of ethics more ‘concrete’ and ‘personal’ and therefore more engaging. To achieve this, we designed and built an immersive 3D simulation game in the style of a visual case. The effectiveness of the game was evaluated using a mixed methods approach measuring recognised and adapted constructs from the technology acceptance model. Results demonstrate that students found the game beneficial to their learning of ethics with the development of knowledge and skills applicable to the real world and that they engaged with the process due to game elements. Findings demonstrate the potential for the development of simulated games to teach ethics at all levels and modes of delivery and the contribution of this type of visual case model as a pedagogic method.
The software development was part of a matched funding project between the University of Roehampton, the UK Higher Education Academy, and a European NGO, ORT France, and involved the design of a pedagogic framework and accompanying web-based interactive 3D animated game to support and develop ethical decision-making skills and moral sensitivity set within a professional business context.
The software development was part of a matched funding project between the University of Roehampton, the UK Higher Education Academy, and a European NGO, ORT France, and involved the design of a pedagogic framework and accompanying web-based interactive 3D animated game to support and develop ethical decision-making skills and moral sensitivity set within a professional business context.
Research Interests:
A key goal for a professional ethics teacher is to help students improve their moral reasoning within the context of their profession, with the ultimate aim of developing a commitment to the values of their future profession. Using Rest's... more
A key goal for a professional ethics teacher is to help students improve their moral reasoning within the context of their profession, with the ultimate aim of developing a commitment to the values of their future profession. Using Rest's Four Component Model as a framework, this study examines the relationship between the first two components of moral sensitivity and moral judgment. The study utilises two scores from the same cohort of computing undergraduates: a score for ethical sensitivity using a devised dilemma analysis; and a score for change in moral judgment resulting from an educational intervention, using the Defining Issues Test (DIT). Although average DIT scores showed no significant improvement in moral judgment, this study found that levels of ethical sensitivity had a significant impact on the development of moral judgment. The paper provides evidence that ethical sensitivity appears to play a key role in the development of moral judgment. Therefore an initial key objective critical to any ethics course should be to raise student levels of ethical sensitivity as a necessary foundation for development of moral judgment. The paper also highlights the wide range of levels of ethical sensitivity measured within one cohort and suggests targeted learning support should be provided to students who score in the lower part of the scale to raise their levels of moral sensitivity early in the course. Email s.jagger@roehampton.ac.uk for author version.
Research Interests:
The immediacy and anonymity of information access has added a new dimension to the idea of ‘being ethical’. How can ethics educators deal with the challenge of new technology? This study examines the concepts of moral sensitivity and... more
The immediacy and anonymity of information access has added a new dimension to the idea of ‘being ethical’. How can ethics educators deal with the challenge of new technology? This study examines the concepts of moral sensitivity and empathy and sees the development of these concepts as key to moral education. Conclusions are that class debates improved levels of moral sensitivity, which, in some cases, were instrumental in bringing about attitudinal and behavioural change. Such an approach to ethics education should tend to foster integrity, which addresses many of the special challenges of being ethical in the information age. Please email Suzy for author version of paper.
Research Interests:
"""A commonly used teaching method to promote student engagement is the classroom debate. This study evaluates how affective characteristics, as defined in Bloom’s taxonomy, were stimulated during debates that took place on a professional... more
"""A commonly used teaching method to promote student engagement is the classroom debate. This study evaluates how affective characteristics, as defined in Bloom’s taxonomy, were stimulated during debates that took place on a professional ethics module for first year computing undergraduates. The debates led to lively interactive group discussions with a high level of student engagement and participation. Data was
collected from observations of affective characteristics during each debate. Results support the view that debating the ethics of familiar topics trigger affective characteristics and are beneficial in developing levels of student engagement, critical
analysis, flexibility of thinking and motivation to learn. In relation to teaching professional ethics, stimulation of the affective domain plays an integral part in developing ethical sensitivity – an important component for moral development. The
paper supports the inclusion of teaching strategies, which stimulate both the cognitive and affective domains to ensure a holistic approach to teaching value-based content."""
collected from observations of affective characteristics during each debate. Results support the view that debating the ethics of familiar topics trigger affective characteristics and are beneficial in developing levels of student engagement, critical
analysis, flexibility of thinking and motivation to learn. In relation to teaching professional ethics, stimulation of the affective domain plays an integral part in developing ethical sensitivity – an important component for moral development. The
paper supports the inclusion of teaching strategies, which stimulate both the cognitive and affective domains to ensure a holistic approach to teaching value-based content."""
Research Interests:
"Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine whether, when teaching professional ethics, the educational interventions have any effect on improving students' moral decisions. One method often used to measure change is the... more
"Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine whether, when teaching professional ethics, the educational interventions have any effect on improving students' moral decisions. One method often used to measure change is the well-established defining issues test – an American test based on Kohlberg's stage theory.
Design/methodology/approach – Using this test, two before-and-after studies were carried out on cross-cultural cohorts of first year computing undergraduates which both received the same lectures, debates and moral-decision-making exercises.
Findings – One study showed a significant increase in moral judgment whilst the other showed a decrease (although not significant). Both studies indicated mean scores far below the American averages.
Research limitations/implications – As both studies involved relatively small sample sizes, the results are indicative rather than conclusive. However, they bring to light issues associated with the test, in both American and non-American research, indicating that lower than average mean scores could be due to cross-cultural and situational variations.
Practical implications – The paper questions the premise of stage theory as a method for measurement within a cross-cultural context; and the usefulness of measuring one component of moral development (moral judgment) in isolation.
Originality/value – The paper proposes that tests based on more discipline-specific skills, rather than stage theory, would be of greater use in evaluating student levels of moral development."
Email Suzy for author version.
Design/methodology/approach – Using this test, two before-and-after studies were carried out on cross-cultural cohorts of first year computing undergraduates which both received the same lectures, debates and moral-decision-making exercises.
Findings – One study showed a significant increase in moral judgment whilst the other showed a decrease (although not significant). Both studies indicated mean scores far below the American averages.
Research limitations/implications – As both studies involved relatively small sample sizes, the results are indicative rather than conclusive. However, they bring to light issues associated with the test, in both American and non-American research, indicating that lower than average mean scores could be due to cross-cultural and situational variations.
Practical implications – The paper questions the premise of stage theory as a method for measurement within a cross-cultural context; and the usefulness of measuring one component of moral development (moral judgment) in isolation.
Originality/value – The paper proposes that tests based on more discipline-specific skills, rather than stage theory, would be of greater use in evaluating student levels of moral development."
Email Suzy for author version.
Research Interests:
Purpose – The purpose of this research paper is to examine the early stages of a research project aimed at evaluating the pedagogic effectiveness of a teaching module in computing ethics. Design/methodology/approach – Scores of students'... more
Purpose – The purpose of this research paper is to examine the early stages of a research project aimed at evaluating the pedagogic effectiveness of a teaching module in computing ethics.
Design/methodology/approach – Scores of students' cognitive capabilities to make moral judgements were measured before and after they had taken the module by means of the “Defining Issues Test” (DIT). This is a standard test of students' capability to make moral judgement based on the work of Lawrence Kohlberg. Interviews were then used to help understand the results of the test.
Findings – Results revealed low mean scores of post-conventional (P Score) thinking skills and wide variation in overall scores of capability for moral judgement. Interviews with the students about the course and the test revealed the importance of understanding students' beliefs about the importance of ethics in interpreting the results.
Research limitations/implications – Difficulties in matching “before and after” results for each subject limited the sample size in what was an early step in the overall research project.
Practical implications – The results point towards the importance of addressing students' own understanding of the importance of ethics when teaching computing ethics.
Originality/value – The paper reveals some of the limitations of tests of capabilities for moral judgement which rely on strongly individualistic notions of ethics. It enables a new appreciation to be made of the strengths and weaknesses of assessing student moral development in higher education in terms of cognitive factors.
Design/methodology/approach – Scores of students' cognitive capabilities to make moral judgements were measured before and after they had taken the module by means of the “Defining Issues Test” (DIT). This is a standard test of students' capability to make moral judgement based on the work of Lawrence Kohlberg. Interviews were then used to help understand the results of the test.
Findings – Results revealed low mean scores of post-conventional (P Score) thinking skills and wide variation in overall scores of capability for moral judgement. Interviews with the students about the course and the test revealed the importance of understanding students' beliefs about the importance of ethics in interpreting the results.
Research limitations/implications – Difficulties in matching “before and after” results for each subject limited the sample size in what was an early step in the overall research project.
Practical implications – The results point towards the importance of addressing students' own understanding of the importance of ethics when teaching computing ethics.
Originality/value – The paper reveals some of the limitations of tests of capabilities for moral judgement which rely on strongly individualistic notions of ethics. It enables a new appreciation to be made of the strengths and weaknesses of assessing student moral development in higher education in terms of cognitive factors.