Making Ethics Click:Making Ethics Click:Using a Student Response System In Using a Student Response System In

a Humanities Discussion Coursea Humanities Discussion Course

byby

Mike Dorsher, Ph.D., assistant professorMike Dorsher, Ph.D., assistant professor

Department of Communication and JournalismDepartment of Communication and Journalism

University of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Presentation OutlinePresentation Outline Traditional uses of “clickers”Traditional uses of “clickers”

Taking attendanceTaking attendance Gathering demographic dataGathering demographic data Verifying lecture assimilationVerifying lecture assimilation In-class quizzesIn-class quizzes

New uses of clickers in discussion classesNew uses of clickers in discussion classes Quick surveysQuick surveys Decision treesDecision trees Augmenting students’ presentationsAugmenting students’ presentations

Grading classmates’ presentationsGrading classmates’ presentations

Results of previous SRS studiesResults of previous SRS studies 1996 Rutgers U. study, N = 851996 Rutgers U. study, N = 85

88% felt more “involved” with clickers88% felt more “involved” with clickers 67% said clickers help them see if they’re getting it67% said clickers help them see if they’re getting it

1997 Ball State U. study, N = 7401997 Ball State U. study, N = 740 42% liked clickers for taking attendance42% liked clickers for taking attendance 46% paid better attention in class with them46% paid better attention in class with them 85% liked clickers better than raising hands85% liked clickers better than raising hands

2005 University of Wisconsin System study, N = 1,5002005 University of Wisconsin System study, N = 1,500 78% agreed clickers made them more engaged78% agreed clickers made them more engaged 75% agreed they helped them see if they’re getting it75% agreed they helped them see if they’re getting it 67% agreed clickers helped them pay attention67% agreed clickers helped them pay attention

55% agreed clickers facilitate interaction among students55% agreed clickers facilitate interaction among students

Attendance; e.g.Attendance; e.g.How familiar are you with the Unabomber case?How familiar are you with the Unabomber case?

Not a

t all

I re

mem

ber it

, but

I’m

...

I re

mem

ber th

e Una.

..

I re

ad p

art o

f the

U...

I am

the

Unabom

ber

0% 0% 0%0%0%

1. Not at all

2. I remember it, but I’m fuzzy on the details

3. I remember the Unabomber’s name

4. I read part of the Unabomber Manifesto in The Post or The Times

5. I am the Unabomber

N = 108, mean = 2.72, st. dev. = 1.35

Demographic data; e.g.Demographic data; e.g.My most recent degree is in …My most recent degree is in …

0% 0% 0% 0%0%0%0%0%

1. Journalism/mass comm.

2. Other communications

3. Education

4. English

5. A social science

6. A natural science

7. Business

8. None of the above

N = 107, mean = 2.74, st. dev. = 1.22

Lecture assimilation; e.g.Lecture assimilation; e.g.Which was NOT a key question in this case:Which was NOT a key question in this case:

Shoul

d The

Post a

nd...

Shoul

d the

paper

s c.

..

Shoul

d they

repla

ce...

Shoul

d they

turn

ove

r...

0% 0%0%0%

1. Should The Post and Times negotiate with a terrorist?

2. Should the papers comply with the FBI request to print?

3. Should they replace news stories with the Manifesto?

4. Should they turn over the manuscript as evidence?

N = 106, mean = 2.54, st. dev. = 1.03

In-class quizzes; e.g.In-class quizzes; e.g.How How diddid the FBI catch the Unabomber? the FBI catch the Unabomber?

He

gave

himse

lf up

Som

eone

reco

gniz

ed...

His

moth

er re

ad th

e ...

His

bro

ther

read

the

...

0% 0%0%0%

1. He gave himself up

2. Someone recognized him from ‘America’s Most Wanted’

3. His mother read the Manifesto in the paper and turned him in

4. His brother read the Manifesto online and turned him in

N = 105, mean = 2.10, st. dev. = 0.86

Quick surveys; e.g.Quick surveys; e.g.As Post editor, which would you value most?As Post editor, which would you value most?

Uphol

ding

1st A

me.

..

Incr

ease

d read

ersh

ip

Mai

ntain

ing c

redi

bility

Poss

ibly

hel

ping

save

...

Info

rmin

g read

ers

Not a

cquie

scin

g to te

...

Poss

ibly

hel

ping

cap.

..

0% 0% 0% 0%0%0%0%

1. Upholding 1st Amendment independence from the govt.

2. Increased readership

3. Maintaining credibility

4. Possibly helping save lives

5. Informing readers

6. Not acquiescing to terrorists

7. Possibly helping capture a criminal

Quick surveys; e.g.Quick surveys; e.g.As The Post editor, whom do you most owe loyalty?As The Post editor, whom do you most owe loyalty?

The

terr

orist,

who’

s t..

.

Futu

re p

otentia

l vic

ti..

The

surv

ivin

g vi

ctim

s...

The

govern

men

t

Your r

eader

s/th

e pub

lic

Yours

elf &

oth

er jo

ur...

0% 0% 0%0%0%0%

1. The terrorist, who’s threatening you

2. Future potential victims of the terrorist

3. The surviving victims and families of dead victims

4. The government

5. Your readers/the public

6. Yourself & other journalists

Decision trees; e.g.Decision trees; e.g.With a top value of ____ and top loyalty of With a top value of ____ and top loyalty of

____, which ethicist would you follow:____, which ethicist would you follow:

John R

awls

: Pro

tect

t..

John S

tuar

t Mill

: The.

..

Aris

totle

: The

golde.

..

0% 0%0%

1. John Rawls: Protect the vulnerable; print the Manifesto

2. John Stuart Mill: The greatest good for the greatest number; don’t print it to uphold press independence

3. Aristotle: The golden mean would be to excerpt it in the paper and publish it all online

N = 108, mean = 3.69, st. dev. = 1.04

Augmenting students’ presentations; e.g.Augmenting students’ presentations; e.g.Under what circumstances should Carl’s Jr. run the Under what circumstances should Carl’s Jr. run the

sexy Paris Hilton BBQ burger commercial?sexy Paris Hilton BBQ burger commercial?

Nev

er, i

t’s in

poo

r tas

te

Only

afte

r consu

lting

...

Only

if th

e ad

info

rms.

..

No re

stric

tions

or c

on...

30%

15%15%

40%1. Never, it’s in poor taste

2. Only after consulting every franchisee

3. Only if the ad informs viewers that franchisees were not consulted

4. No restrictions or conditions at all

N = 50, mean = 2.62, st. dev. = 0.83

What grade would you give this speaker What grade would you give this speaker on her or his voice volume and pace, eye on her or his voice volume and pace, eye

contact and hand gestures?contact and hand gestures?

1.1. FF

2.2. DD

3.3. CC

4.4. BB

5.5. AA

Please grade him or her on use of PowerPoint Please grade him or her on use of PowerPoint (e.g., use of 7-7 rule, readability and violations (e.g., use of 7-7 rule, readability and violations

of the ‘Style Errors to Avoid’)of the ‘Style Errors to Avoid’)

1.1. FF

2.2. DD

3.3. CC

4.4. BB

5.5. AA

Grade how well he or she Grade how well he or she analyzedanalyzed the case (i.e., Was he or she the case (i.e., Was he or she pluralistic and persuasive?)pluralistic and persuasive?)

1.1. FF

2.2. DD

3.3. CC

4.4. BB

5.5. AA

Grade how well he or she taught you (i.e., Grade how well he or she taught you (i.e., How interesting was the dilemma, and how How interesting was the dilemma, and how

much did you learn from this analysis?)much did you learn from this analysis?)

1.1. FF

2.2. DD

3.3. CC

4.4. BB

5.5. AA

N = 54, mean = 2.15, st. dev. = 1.25

N = 107, mean = 2.53, st. dev. = 1.03

N = 104, mean = 3.25, st. dev. = 0.97

N = 108, mean = 3.25, st. dev. = 1.00

N = 106, mean = 3.08, st. dev. = 1.17

N = 51, st. dev. = 1.93

N = 106, mean = 1.94, st. dev. = 0.85