| Unit name | Addressing Controversial Issues in Education |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EDUCM0036 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Ingram |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Education |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
People disagree fundamentally on the purposes and aims of education, whether formal or informal, public or private.
There are many issues in education that are controversial because they embody major conflicts of values, ideologies and interests. Controversial issues in education are regularly discussed in the media, in our daily lives and in educational institutions. It is difficult to discuss such issues calmly and dispassionately, without accusations of bias. Some controversial issues relate directly to professional practices, others to the lives of citizens.
This unit introduces a series of normative ethical frameworks to discuss and evaluate different approaches to controversial issues in education. For example, situation ethics, Kantian ethics, virtue ethics, utilitarianism. The development of dialogues and discussions in a community of enquiry will help people to address controversial issues in education, including in their own practice, with increased insight and confidence.
No prior knowledge of ethics is required and frameworks can be developed within any education sector, curriculum subject or area, so this unit is suitable for anyone with an interest in education, broadly conceived – including practitioners and researchers. The course will be responsive to the personal and professional interests of the enrolled students. Examples of student-generated themes include the importance of social media, distinctive cultural approaches to education, such as Confucianism, private and public education, Creationism in the science classroom.
The aims of the unit are:
Upon successful completion of this unit students will demonstrate:
The teaching strategy will employ three broad approaches, where appropriate, with the aims of contextualising as well as theorising issues of central importance, the development of student autonomy, and the individualisation of study and support. These are:
Face to Face Teaching
Examples here include large and small group teaching methods, including presentations from staff and experienced professionals, debates, case study analyses, student presentations and practical workshops.
ELearning
ELearning approaches will be used to facilitate individualised study and support within the broad parameters of the units and programme. These will include: on-line discussion (with individuals and groups, online supervision and peer mentoring, guidance and feedback. Critical use of Web resources will be encouraged.
Collaboration
The use of collaborative working practices (synchronous, asynchronous, face-to-face and virtual) will be encouraged and facilitated.
Summative assessment:
Production of teaching and learning materials to incorporate an ethical discussion into a teaching scheme. The materials will be accompanied by 4 000 word (or equivalent) written assignment introducing its theoretical context and reporting on its development, implementation and evaluation.
Or
Production of an essay to critically explore issues about the use of ethical framework in a controversial issue, reflecting on the implications for education. To total 4000 words or equivalent.
Both options cover ILOs 1-7
