The Ethics of Teaching: A Casebook

by Keith-Spiegel; Patricia

• ISBN13: 9780805840629
• ISBN10: 0805840621
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-07-01
• Publisher: Psychology Pres

Summary

The Ethics of Teachingprovides a frank discussion of the most frequently encountered ethical dilemmas that can arise in educational settings, as well as tips on how to avoid these predicaments and how to deal with them when they do occur. The goal is to stimulate discussion and raise faculties' consciousness about ethical issues. Ethical dilemmas are presented as short, engaging case scenarios, most of which are based on actual situations, so as to furnish more realistic and interesting stimuli for individual reflection and group discussion. These scenarios offer the opportunity to consider the subtle complexities inherent in the social and psychological contexts in which educator-student interactions occur and the effects of those complexities on ethical decision making. Each case is followed by a detailed analysis and advice. The book's 195 cases are grouped into 22 chapters representing topics, such as the controversial classroom presentations and assignments, debatable testing and grading practices, problematic student-faculty interactions, dual-role relationships with students, collegial conflicts, managing very difficult students, and confidentiality dilemmas. The Ethics of Teaching: A Casebook, Second Edition: *focuses on commonly encountered ethical "gray areas" that have no clear solution; *includes questions to stimulate discussion of related ethical issues; *concludes with a chapter on prevention, peer mentoring, and intervention; and *serves as excellent "assigned reading" to stimulate group discussion in teaching workshops and faculty development programs. The first edition of this book evolved by collecting a variety of teaching situations that commonly occur in college and university settings. The authors then created responses to the situations and circulated both the cases and the responses to reviewers from a number of departments across the country. As a result, the vast majority of the cases are "discipline free." The second edition features many new cases to reflect recent trends and events related to academic ethics. Questions were added to stimulate discussion and to further elaborate the issues. The Ethics of Teaching: A Casebookis ideal for college and university faculty, graduate assistants, and administrators involved in workshops, graduate teaching assistant courses, and faculty development and new faculty orientation programs. As a result of the book's cross-disciplinary development, it will be beneficial to faculty from a broad spectrum of disciplines.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Introduction	xv
PART I: THE CLASSROOM AMBIANCE
Instructors' Classroom Policies	3	(11)
Discipline in the Classroom	3	(2)
Questions Unwelcome Here	5	(1)
Reactions to Remarks Made by Students in Class	5	(1)
Ready, Set, Go! Strict Class Start-Up Time	6	(2)
Double-Standard Absence Policy	8	(1)
Conflicts Between Academic Assignments and Other Campus Activities	9	(1)
Conflicts Between Academic Assignments and Student Employment	10	(1)
Excusing Students for Relationship-Related Matters	11	(1)
Changing the Course in Midstream	12	(2)
Student Deportment in the Classroom	14	(15)
Love Birds in Class	14	(1)
The Class Monopolist	15	(2)
The Student Who Discloses Too Much	17	(1)
Disruptive Students	18	(1)
Just a Pinch	19	(1)
Very Difficult Students: The Profane	20	(2)
Very Difficult Students: The Scary	22	(1)
Handling Students Who Are Cause for Concern	23	(1)
The Large and Talkative Class: How Far Can We Go?	24	(1)
Handling Prejudicial Statements Made by Students in Class	25	(4)
PART II: THE CLASSROOM LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Instructors' Presentation Style and Content	29	(21)
Irritable Instructors	29	(1)
Frequent Use of Profanity in Class	30	(2)
Oral Plagiarism	32	(1)
Criticism of Colleagues in Class	33	(1)
Little White Lies to Make a Point	34	(1)
Twisting Facts	35	(1)
Lecturing From the Textbook	36	(1)
Risky Class Presentations	37	(2)
Instructors' Personal Disclosures	39	(1)
Disparities in What students Are Being Taught	40	(1)
Teaching to Which Student Audience?	41	(1)
Course Descriptions Versus Actual Course Content	42	(1)
Why Are You Wasting My Time?	43	(1)
When Instructors Cut Classes	44	(1)
No-Show Instructors	45	(1)
Dress Code for Instructors?	46	(1)
Requiring the Use of Technology	47	(1)
Reluctance to Change With the Times	48	(2)
Required In-Class Learning Activities	50	(11)
Role Playing in Class	50	(1)
Films as Surrogate Teachers	51	(1)
Sensitive Visual Images	52	(2)
Animal Demonstrations	54	(1)
Unusual Classroom Demonstrations	55	(1)
Requiring Students to Disclose in Class	56	(5)
PART III: ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS
Testing and Other Academic Evaluations	61	(16)
``Weed-Out'' Exams	61	(1)
The Professional Note-Taker	62	(1)
Unannounced Evaluations	63	(2)
Play It Again, Sam: Reusing the Same Tests	65	(1)
Same Assignments Every Term	66	(1)
Harsh Make-Up Policies	67	(2)
Variable Make-Up Policies	69	(1)
Testing on Material Not Discussed in Class	70	(1)
The Resistor	71	(1)
Equivalent Tests for Nonequivalent Sections	72	(1)
Unusual Class Assignments	73	(2)
Requiring Personal Disclosures in Assignments	75	(1)
Reading Assignments: Amount and Cost	76	(1)
Grading Methods	77	(16)
One-Shot Grading	77	(1)
Term Project Format Versus Substance	78	(1)
Strict Curve Versus Easy Grading	79	(2)
Major/Nonmajor Grading Curves	81	(1)
Grading Essay Exams	82	(1)
Unfair Grading: Too Hard	83	(1)
Unfair Grading: Too Little Data	84	(1)
Grading Students Down for Attitudes	85	(2)
Grading Students Down for Unethical Acts	87	(1)
Use of the Incomplete Grade	88	(1)
Grading Group Projects	89	(2)
No Extra Credit	91	(1)
Plenty of Extra Credit	92	(1)
Feedback to Students	93	(5)
Written Feedback to Students	93	(1)
Oral Feedback to Students	94	(1)
Minimal Feedback to Students	95	(2)
Untimely Feedback to Students	97	(1)
Writing Reference Letters for Students	98	(11)
Biasing in the Service of Helpfulness	98	(2)
The Bomb Letter	100	(1)
Instructors' Hurt Feelings	101	(1)
Recommendation Letters and Previous Information	102	(2)
Recommendation Letters and Second-Hand Information	104	(1)
Reference Letters: To Whom Is One Loyal?	105	(1)
Sneaking a Peek at Reference Letters	106	(1)
The Demand to See Reference Letters	107	(2)
Biased Treatment of Students	109	(11)
Differential Evaluation of Students	109	(1)
Enhancing the Evaluation of Likeable Students	110	(1)
Choosing Favorites	111	(1)
Compensating for the Needs of Certain Students	112	(1)
Giving Breaks to Special Student Groups	113	(2)
Stifling Multicultural Perspectives	115	(1)
Use of Word Definition Assistance During Exams	116	(1)
Penalizing the Honest Student	117	(1)
Instructors With Bad Attitudes About Students	118	(2)
Academic Dishonesty	120	(15)
Impermissible Collaboration	120	(2)
Cheating or Not?	122	(1)
Protection Against Cheating Students	123	(2)
No Exit: Preventing Cheating	125	(1)
Handling Suspected Plagiarism	126	(1)
The Plagiarized Thesis	127	(2)
Cheating on Homework Assignments	129	(1)
Detecting Bogus Student Excuses	130	(5)
PART IV: OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
Availability to Students	135	(6)
Failing to Meet Office Hours	135	(1)
Inconvenient Office Hours	136	(1)
Refusing to Return Students' Messages	137	(1)
Rights of Working Students	138	(1)
Spending Fun Time With Students on Campus	139	(2)
Student-Faculty Interactions	141	(8)
Handling Prejudicial Statements Made by Students Outside Class	141	(1)
Attending Students' Social Events	142	(1)
Shared Interests After Hours	143	(1)
Students at Professional Meetings	144	(1)
Off-Campus Class Sessions	145	(4)
PART V: RELATIONSHIPS IN ACADEMIA
Multiple Role Relations and Conflicts of Interest	149	(13)
Look Who Showed Up in Class!	150	(1)
Friends Enrolled in Class	151	(1)
Lending Money to Students	151	(1)
Gifts From Students	152	(2)
Selling Goods to Students	154	(1)
Bartering Services With Students	155	(1)
Asking Favors of Students	156	(1)
Businesses That Could Involve Students	157	(1)
Instructor-Student Love Relationships	158	(1)
Dating Graduate Students	159	(2)
Hiring Students From Personal Funds for Nonacademic Jobs	161	(1)
Interprofessional Relations	162	(12)
Sour Grapevines	162	(1)
Warring Colleagues	163	(1)
Colleague Interference	164	(1)
Stuck Between a Colleague and a Student	165	(2)
Recommending Colleagues to Students	167	(1)
The Anonymous Charge	168	(1)
Knowledge of Poor Judgment Off-Campus	169	(1)
It's Not in My Job Description	169	(1)
When a Student Informs Us of a Colleague's Problem	170	(1)
More Biased Assumptions	171	(1)
Negative Comments About Another Specialty	172	(2)
Exploitation of Students	174	(9)
Taking Over a Student's Idea	174	(1)
Inappropriate Handling of Disappointments	175	(1)
Outside Tutoring for a Fee	176	(1)
Using One's Own Work as Required Reading	177	(1)
Royalties From ``Homemade'' Reading Collections	178	(1)
Letting Go Is Hard to Do	178	(1)
Selling Complimentary Books	179	(1)
Biased Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness	180	(2)
Textbook Adoption Choices	182	(1)
Discrimination	183	(7)
Out of Step	183	(1)
Infatuated Students	184	(2)
The ``Chilly Climate''	186	(1)
Stereotyped Departmental Expectations	187	(1)
Offending Colleagues' Sensibilities	188	(2)
Manipulative Students and Instructors	190	(9)
Helping an Irresponsible Student	190	(1)
Skipping the Final Exam	191	(2)
Too Many Chances?	193	(1)
The Unexpected Quid Pro Quo	194	(1)
Ingratiating Students	195	(2)
Playing to Student Evaluations	197	(2)
Supervising, Advising, and Collaboration With Students	199	(16)
Student Assistant Responsibilities	199	(1)
Student Assistant Access to Test Banks	200	(1)
Heavy Use of Student Assistants	201	(1)
Student Research Assistants	202	(2)
Classroom Students as Data Collectors	204	(1)
Authorship Order on Publications With Students	205	(1)
Excessive Mentoring	206	(2)
Misuse of Graduate Assistants	208	(1)
Promoting Uncertain Futures	209	(1)
Counseling Students on Nonacademic Matters	210	(1)
Sponsoring Controversial Student Projects	211	(4)
PART VI: RESPONSIBILITIES TO STUDENTS AND COLLEAGUES
Instructor Competency	215	(15)
Updating Lecture Notes	215	(1)
Oversticking to One's Guns	216	(2)
Physical Illness	218	(1)
Unprepared to Teach	219	(1)
Emotionally Distraught Instructors	220	(1)
Drinking on Company Time	221	(1)
Disorganized Lecture Presentations	222	(1)
Burned Out	222	(1)
Retreading to Teach New Subjects	223	(2)
Course Section Variability	225	(1)
Offering the Big Class, Regardless	226	(1)
Gaps in Survey Course Coverage	227	(1)
Remembering Students' Names	228	(2)
Confidentiality Issues	230	(11)
Lectures Based on Stories Students Tell Us	230	(1)
Gossip After Hours	231	(1)
Sharing Information Between Student Assistants and Instructors	232	(2)
Knowledge of a Student's Illegal Act	234	(1)
Instructors' Private Lives	235	(1)
Dispersing Papers	236	(1)
Publicizing Others' Private Information	237	(1)
Unintended Effects of Cooperative Programs	238	(1)
Unwanted Knowledge	239	(2)
Political and Public Statements	241	(12)
Politics in the Classroom	241	(2)
Religion in the Classroom	243	(2)
Hot Topics in the Classroom	245	(1)
Campus Political Organizations	246	(1)
Controversial Speakers	247	(1)
Political Display in the Office	248	(2)
Self-Presentation Off Campus	250	(1)
The Bully Pulpit	251	(2)
Responsibilities to the Institution	253	(7)
Royalty Producing Work	253	(2)
Using Institutional Resources Off Campus	255	(1)
Double-Dipping	256	(1)
Moonlighting	257	(1)
Using Institutional Resources During Leisure Time	258	(2)
Afterword: Prevention and Peer Intervention	260	(6)
References	266	(3)
Subject Index	269