One of UA&P’s noteworthy CAS subjects is “Ethics of the Person”. The objective of this design pattern is help students know themselves better and apply what they’ve learned to their own lives.
Details
Professor: Sir Dean Mejos
Subject: Ethics of the Person
Intended Learning Outcome: To have the students know themselves better, and thus be able to better apply the concepts they learn in class to their own lives. Some ILOs from the Syllabus:
- “To support instances of reasoning and personal acting that are aligned to ethical principles, leading to refinement in behavior and human flourishing.”
- “To propose / take concrete steps to live excellently as a human person.”
Feedback and Comments:
- The students appreciated how he would really reply to their answers and comment on them as well! This made their learning deeper and made them love Ethics all the more.
- While face-to-face discussions are possible, professors may want to consider doing this online so that students have enough time to reflect and articulate their thoughts. This also gives the professor enough time to reply to each student’s submission.
- These self-assessment and personal reflection activities helped them understand themselves better and helped them understand how they could apply Ethics in their everyday lives.
- This type of activity also works well with subjects that touch on psychology, personal development, and leadership. You can explore different types of tests that students can take for free online, or get in contact with CSA to see what they have available.
- It is advisable for the professor to “read the room” before trying this activity – since it is available on a public forum (such as the Canvas discussion board), where all students can view it, try to observe class dynamics for a few weeks before going for more personal reflections.
“It was super memorable because there was this one time he asked us to reflect on the cardinal virtues and asked us which ones we want to improve and develop on. My answer to the question showed I was really struggling and pushing myself very hard to a point that my mental health was suffering, and his response to that was to really take care of myself. It hit me hard because he is literally the first person in my life to tell me this. I remember I really cried because he also elaborated that it takes courage for me to also love myself and take care of my whole well-being.”
– Student
U.N.I.T.A.S. Design Principles demonstrated in this design pattern:
| U.N.I.T.A.S. Design Principles | Application |
| Understands the learner | This activity seeks to better understand the personalities and lives of the students, in order to help both the student and the professor. |
| Nurtures student well-being | Done right, this encourages students to share their personal thoughts, insights, and worries, in a safe space. This is especially true if the professor is very hands on with giving advice. “Sir Mejos explained at the beginning of the course that he wants us to be good people. Not only does this nurture our well being as individuals and professionals, but it’s also very encouraging to hear.” |
| Inspires curiosity and self-development | Many students are interested in learning more about themselves, and being able to reflect in a more guided way better helps their self-development. |
| Thoughtfully done | Questions need to be well thought out so that students are pushed us to think critically and honestly. |
| Achieves learning goals | Since Ethics is all about the person and “knowing thyself”, this activity certainly helps achieve the learning goals. This is also true for similar subjects. |
