| 1 | Assessment within Applied/Professional Ethics: Teachers and students need to have a well-founded confidence in their assessment methods. Assessment should be objective, consistent, transparent and appropriate to the needs of the subject area. This paper will consider assessment within applied and professional ethics learning and teaching, to determine whether this subject area raises particular concerns and challenges. | |
| 2 | Summary of Benchmark Statements: This summary contains an abstract of the current benchmarked requirements for ethics learning and teaching within Higher Education, as defined by The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. It concentrates on overt references to ethics and moral considerations, but also includes references to common themes within professional ethics such as informed consent, empathy and respect for others. | |
| 3 | Confidentiality: Within the context of professional ethics, observing the principle of confidentiality means keeping information given by or about an individual in the course of a professional relationship secure and secret from others. This confidentiality is seen as central to the maintenance of trust between professional and service-user. | |
| 4 | Consent: In general, the same principles apply to consent in research and clinical practice although different forms of consent apply in different situations. However, consent should always be (i) freely given and (ii) fully informed | |
| 5 | Approaches to Ethics in Higher Education: Teaching Ethics across the Curriculum | |
| 6 | Some Key Websites: A list of key on-line sources for the teaching of ethics | |
| 7 | On-line case studies: Some links to case studies on Bioethics, Business ethics, clinical ethics, engineering, pastoral ethics, social work, military ethics and general ethical studies. |
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| 8 | Contextualised Scenarios or Case Studies are working examples of applied ethical problems used in teaching to highlight relevant ethical principles which are (i) Defined in relation to stated learning and teaching objectives (ii) Of proven effectiveness in meeting those learning and teaching objectives and (iii) Drawn from a wide range of disciplines but presented so as to facilitate translation into other subject areas. | |
| 9 | Useful texts: In the teaching of ethics | |
| The ETHICS project case studies | ||
These are working examples of applied ethical problems used in teaching to highlight relevant ethical principles. They are all:
Click on the links below to view the individual case studies available: |
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| I | Advanced Statements Contextualised Scenario - Lindsey Dow This case has been developed for common learning for nurses and medical students and uses reflection and problem solving to enable students to explore ethical and legal issues concerning advanced statements, withholding and withdrawing treatment. |
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| II | Asbestos Contextualised Scenario - Nick Johnson This scenario is intended for use with second or third year undergraduate law students. It is appropriate to any module or course that includes the study of lawyers? roles and responsibilities and may be particularly well suited to a clinical module or professional ethics class. It exemplifies the problems of advising a client where the client's instruction or preferred course of action may conflict with the legitimate interests of third parties, the wider society or the solicitor's own moral stance. This case study is based on a scenario developed as part of the Professional Conduct course on the Legal Practice Course (LPC) at the Oxford Institute of Legal Practice. |
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| III | Beginning of Life Contextualised Scenario - Janet Holt This case concerns Diane Blood who requested to use her dead husband's sperm to conceive a child- offering the opportunity to look at consent, rights, advocacy & moral vs legal judgments. |
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| IV | Best Interests Contextualised Scenario - Jennifer Jackson This scenario examines some of the ethical issues that may arise concerning parental proxy decision making regarding surgery on children. It uses two cases, each of which raises issues concerning children's competence to be involved in decisions; the notions of best interests and best health interests; how interests are related to wishes and welfare the role of parents in assessing best interests and parental rights in deciding for their children. |
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| V | Burglar Contextualised Scenario - Nick Johnson This scenario is intended for use with second or third year undergraduate law students. It is appropriate to any module or course that includes the study of lawyers? roles and responsibilities and may be particularly well suited to a clinical module or professional ethics class. It exemplifies the problems of advising a client where the client's instruction or preferred course of action may conflict with the legitimate interests of third parties, the wider society or the solicitor's own moral stance. This case study is based on a scenario developed as part of the Professional Conduct course on the Legal Practice Course (LPC) at the Oxford Institute of Legal Practice. |
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| VI | Conjoined Twins Contextualised Scenario - Jan Wood-Harper In 2000, the case of conjoined twins, Jodie and Mary, provoked a unique and widely publicised debate, involving not only the medical team and the parents, but also lawyers, religious leaders and ethicists, as to whether or not surgery to separate them should proceed. Complex legal and moral issues focussed on parental rights in relation to welfare of children, duties of medical professionals, the sanctity and value of human life, and the rights and interests of the twins. |
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| VII | Defective Cot Contextualised Scenario - Nick Johnson This scenario is intended for use with second or third year undergraduate law students. It is appropriate to any module or course that includes the study of lawyers? roles and responsibilities and may be particularly well suited to a clinical module or professional ethics class. It exemplifies the problems of advising a client where the client's instruction or preferred course of action may conflict with the legitimate interests of third parties, the wider society or the solicitor's own moral stance. |
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| VIII | Diane Pretty Contextualised Scenario - N. Athanassoulis This scenario examines some of the ethical issues surrounding euthanasia. It compares a case in which a patient requests the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment (artificial ventilation) with a case in which the patient requested assistance in the termination of her own life. Both cases concern euthanasia in mentally competent patients. |
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| IX | Dothiepin Contextualised Scenario - Bryan Vernon This scenario gives medical students a chance to think about a patient who is refusing treatment when there is a serious risk of death. The woman, a patient with MS, has been found after attempting suicide and brought to the hospital by her husband where she refuses treatment. Her wish to die can be understood, but her competence may be compromised. Having considered defensible reasons for treating and not treating, students have to decide which course they would follow. |
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| X | Edward Bilton Contextualised Scenario - Lindsey Dow This case has been developed for common learning for nurses and medical students and uses reflection and problem solving to enable students to explore ethical and legal issues concerning advanced statements, withholding and withdrawing treatment. Main ethical issue: the legal, ethical and clinical issues surrounding a young persons advanced statement that he did not want to be kept alive in the face of severe disability. |
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| XI | Ethical Research Contextualised Scenario - Alison Wearden On week one, students have a 2 hour introductory session, in a mixed lecture/discussion format, on research ethics and ethical theories (primarily distinguishing deontological and teleological theories) and ethical codes (with particular emphasis on the BPS ethical guidelines). Students are then given an anonymised version of a real-life research protocol and ethics application. The following week, in group discussion, they 1) identify the ethical dilemmas involved in the study from the viewpoint of the two theoretical perspectives taught in the previous week, and 2) consider how the application might be dealt with by an ethics committee operating to BPS guidelines. |
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| XII | Gamete Donation Contextualised Scenario - John Bryant This is a series of four mini case studies that may be used as discussion starters. The topics range from embryo selection to use of natural resources. |
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| XIII | Genetics Contextualised Scenario - Jan Deckers The case uses an imaginary couple, Katie and Mark, who experience a range of medical problems involving the need to make difficult decisions about genetics. The students are invited to identify the ethical issues involved, and stimulated to work through the options that are available. Ethical justification is required to choose from the variety of courses of action that are available to Katie and Mark. |
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| XIV | Hydration and Nutrition Contextualised Scenario - Bristol University, UWE and North Bristol NHS Trust This case has been developed for common learning for nurses and medical students and uses reflection and problem solving to enable students to explore ethical and legal issues concerning hydration and nutrition in severe illness. |
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| XV | Myotonic Dystrophy Contextualised Scenario - John Bryant The case study deals with the ethical dilemmas that arise following a positive diagnosis of myotonic dystrophy and asks in particular who should have access to the genetic information that relates to a specific individual. The question is asked in relation to family members, employer and insurance companies. It also raises questions about the genetic testing of children. |
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| XVI | Parent Contextualised Scenario - Nick Johnson This scenario is intended for use with second or third year undergraduate law students. It is appropriate to any module or course that includes the study of lawyers? roles and responsibilities and may be particularly well suited to a clinical module or professional ethics class. It exemplifies the problems of advising a client where the client's instruction or preferred course of action may conflict with the legitimate interests of third parties, the wider society or the solicitor's own moral stance. |
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| XVII | Renal Transplant in Cats Contextualised Scenario - Carol Gray The morality of using healthy cats as donors for renal transplant surgery is considered. This case is complicated by the circumstances of the recipient cat's owner. The ethical dilemma of carrying out transplant surgery in animals is explored from three perspectives - that of the transplant surgeon, the general practitioner and the recipient animal's owner. The involvement of an ethics committee widens the scope of the discussion. |
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| XVIII | Thalassaemia Contextualised Scenario - John Bryant This case study presents the problems faced by a young couple who discover that they are both carriers of a serious genetic condition. In particular it looks at the dilemmas to be dealt with in relation to starting a family and impact of their genetic carrier status on reproductive decisions. |
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| XIX | Withholding and Withdrawing Treatment Contextualised Scenario - Lindsey Dow This case has been developed for common learning for nurses and medical students and uses reflection and problem solving to enable students to explore ethical and legal issues concerning advanced statements, withholding and withdrawing treatment. |
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Further Reading A selection of further reading for students of ethics |
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