University Module Series

Integrity and Ethics

#a5c1cf

Teaching Guide

for Lecturers Using the E4J University Modules on Integrity and Ethics

 

Executive summary

 

This Teaching Guide accompanies the series of 14 University Modules on Integrity and Ethics, which were developed by UNODC under its E4J initiative, and provides relevant background information and pedagogical guidance for lecturers who are using or interested in using the Modules in the classroom. Following a brief introduction to the E4J initiative and the Modules, the Teaching Guide includes four substantive sections. The first section offers pedagogical advice on relevant teaching methods that could be employed when delivering classes based on the Modules and explores some of the educational theories that underpin these methods. The section particularly discusses the following five core learning principles that have influenced the development of the Modules:

  1. The power of prior knowledge and experience:  An effective way to help students learn something new is to test it against what they already know.

  2. Varied and active engagement:  For students to gain a deep understanding of new knowledge, skills, or values, they must actively engage with it.

  3. The challenge of transfer:  Our best means of helping students to transfer knowledge, from inside the classroom contexts in which they first encounter it to outside the classroom, is to connect that knowledge to contexts that students encounter in their everyday lives.

  4. The social nature of learning:  Although we often think about learning as a solitary affair, the construction of new ideas and knowledge operates most effectively when students combine solitary study with opportunities for discussion and collaboration with one another.

  5. Becoming self-aware:  The more self-aware students are about their learning, the more they can monitor and improve their learning in any subject. As much as possible, we should seek out opportunities to invite students to identify what they understand or do not understand, or where they are strong and where they need improvement

The second section of the Teaching Guide discusses the importance of an ethical learning environment for effective ethics education. The section offers practical suggestions on how lecturers can foster such an environment, with a particular focus on what they can do within the context of the classroom. Thus, for example, the section suggests class activities through which the lecturer can engage the students in developing ethical ground rules for classroom behaviour. Such activities not only help to create a positive learning environment, but they also reinforce the values and messages of the Modules, thus providing another source of ethics education that enhances the impact of the Modules.

In its third section, the Teaching Guide provides summaries of each of the 14 Modules and their learning outcomes. These summaries offer a first glimpse into the content and approaches of the individual Modules as well as an overview of the entire module series. For ease of access, each summary is hyperlinked to the corresponding full Module.

Finally, the fourth section provides guidelines for integrating the Modules into the curricula. In particular, it offers advice on how to adapt the Modules to local and cultural contexts, incorporate them within existing courses, change their suggested timeframes, develop stand-alone courses from one or several Modules, and use the Modules in larger class settings. The section also proposes specific combinations of Modules that could be considered in different disciplines. 

The Teaching Guide furthermore includes an appendix with brief descriptions of all 71 exercises that are included in the Modules. The appendix indicates which of the five core learning principles discussed in the first section underpin each exercise. This can be especially useful for lecturers who are looking to enrich their existing courses by adding innovative and interactive class exercises.

 

Back to top