The High-Tech Humanist: Multimedia Computing
in a Senior Applied Ethics Seminar
William J. McKinney
Improved computer technology presents philosophers
with the means to enhance their applied ethics classes by providing the
opportunity to explore myriad practical and conceptual problems heretofore
impossible in the traditional classroom. This paper examines some of the
potential, and some of the problems, inherent in using computerized techniques
in Southeast Missouri State University's Environmental Ethics class. It
concludes that when a full battery of interactive and asynchronous techniques
is combined into a traditionally Socratic environment that the essentially
dialectic nature of the humanities is preserved, while simultaneously incorporating
powerful new teaching and learning styles which are vital in applied ethics.
Environmental Ethics is that strangest of philosophical disciplines. On
the one hand, it is steeped in traditional ethical theory. No course is
complete without its requisite nod to the "big names" in Western
ethical theory. In a Kantian mode, we ask, "What is our obligation
with respect to the non-human natural world?" and, in a more modern
vein, do non-humans have rights in any coherent sense, that is, do we have
obligations to them, and them to us? For that matter, we may ask if future
generations, both human and non-, deserve moral consideration. Do our future
great-grandchildren have some sort of moral claim on us right now? Of course,
we can also ask, in a more utilitarian sense, if the consequences of action
X are more or less beneficial, and whether or not animals and forests count
in the grand scheme of moral calculation. Many questions in environmental
ethics are, however, of a less traditional, but nonetheless theoretical,
ilk. Are the fundamental assumptions of modernism inherently anti-ecological?
Are women socialized to be more ecologically friendly than men?
While these, and surely many, many more, theoretical questions form the
foundation of environmental ethics and philosophy, they are surely not the
end of the matter, for as an applied ethical discipline, environmental ethics
must also ask questions such as, "Is it wrong to burn the rainforests,
and if so, why?," "If a company obeys all environmental regulations,
is it then, by default, `doing the right thing'?" and, ultimately,
"How should I conduct myself in the context of the broader environment?"
The challenge which faces environmental ethics instructors is precisely
how to make such a class accessible to a wide range of students, while simultaneously
maintaining both theoretical rigor and practical relevance. No longer can
humanities instructors be content to simply offer courses for their majors
and the handful of other interested students. External pressures demanding
programmatic accountability dictate that departments regularly demonstrate
their centrality to institutional mission and core curricula. Applied ethics
classes are natural draws for philosophy departments, in that they offer
the opportunity to explore foundational theory, while offering content that
is timely and relevant, a sure attraction to students caught up in the new
"consumer culture" that is contemporary higher education. I maintain
that computer-assisted techniques offer a means of preserving what is most
central to the humanities -- the Socratic method, while simultaneously providing
a means of extending its reach into the vocationalized culture of contemporary
academe. There are myriad applications for computer-assisted instructional
techniques in the humanities. The traditional dialectical approach of the
humanities may be preserved, even enhanced by such techniques. The technology-enhanced
nature of my environmental ethics class stands as one example.
2.0 The class: UI429 "Environmental Ethics"
It is important to remember that technologically assisted instructional
techniques must be driven by the objectives of the course or course unit.
Too often, instructors get caught up in the "bells and whistles"
and "whiz-bangs" of the available technology and, as a result,
forget that there is good, basic course material that may not be enhanced
by the presence of computer-assisted techniques. Thus, when I first had
the idea of incorporate multimedia approaches into environmental ethics,
I took a long hard look at precisely what I promised would be accomplished
in the class. Below is the course approval documentation required of all
upper-level interdisciplinary courses at Southeast Missouri State University.
PROPOSED COURSE SYLLABUS
UNIVERSITY STUDIES PROGRAM
Southeast Missouri State University
Department: Philosophy and Religion
Title of course: Environmental Ethics
I. Catalog Description of and Credit Hours of Course: Comprehensive study
of the ethical, social, scientific and cultural problems associated with
the use and abuse of natural resources. Three (3) credit hours.
II. Interdisciplinary Nature of Course: In analyzing the ethical problems
of environmental issues, this course will draw on material from the categories
of:
Logical Systems: statistical, inductive and deductive reasoning used by
scientists, engineers, ethicists and activists in constructing arguments
defining and addressing environmental problems
Physical and Living Systems: analysis of case studies detailing environmental
problems from the standpoint of environmental science and ecology
Social, Economic and Political Systems: environmental problems are, in general,
social problems, and consequently, economic and political problems, and
those environmental problems brought about by human intervention in nature
are usually the result of social, political, economic and/or cultural forces
Literary Expression: from the Bible to Silent Spring, the non-human environment
has always been the subject of literary interpretation; since these interpretations
are a part of our culture, they must be examined in tandem with the scientific
and ethical issues
The broad base of this course meets the interdisciplinary course requirement,
and thus the course should receive a 400-level designation.
III. Prerequisites: Completion of the University Studies Core Curriculum
IV. Purposes or Objectives of the Course:
1. To understand the basics of ethical theory, and how these can be applied
to environmental problems. (Objectives: 2, 7)
2. To familiarize the student with the basic motivations underlying the
development of the sub-discipline of environmental ethics. (Objectives:
2, 4, 7, 8)
3. To investigate the various models proposed to account for ethical behavior
within an ecological context. (Objectives: 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9)
4. To allow the student the opportunity to explore various multi-cultural
perspectives on environmental issues. (Objectives: 1, 2, 4, 5, 9)
5. To investigate the scientific and technical details of the ecological
problems which give rise to environmental ethics disputes. (Objectives:
1, 2, 6, 9)
6. To encourage scholarly research on, and analysis of, the issues and problems
addressed in the course. (Objectives: 1, 2, 3, 7)
V. Expectations of Students:
1. To attend class regularly.
2. To be prepared to participate in class discussions based on sets of homework
questions.
3. To be prepared to hand in the answer to one homework question per week.
4. To read the assigned texts and articles.
5. To complete preliminary independent research culminating in a proposal
for a final position paper.
6. To complete the mid-term and final exams (take home).
7. To undertake an independent research project, of appropriate scholarly
quality, culminating in a position paper taking a position, pro or con,
on one of several environmental issues.
8. To present a summary of the position paper for class round table discussion.
VI. Course Outline
Unit I: Primer in Ethical Theory
Week 1: Introduction, Ethical Relativism, Egoism
Week 2: Utilitarianism, Altruism, Kant and Rawls
Unit II: Primer in Environmental Ethics
Week 3: Historical Roots of Environmental Ethics
Week 4: Contemporary Catalyst: Ecological Problems of the 1970's
Unit III: The Science of Ecology and the Ethics of Interconnection
Week 5: The Science of Ecology
Week 6: Environmental Ethics in an Interconnected World
Week 7: Environmental Problems in an Interconnected World -- to include
a selection from the following case studies:
Global Warming
Food and Water Quality and Quantity
Ozone Depletion
Rain Forest Degradation
Acid Precipitation
Unit IV: Readings in Environmental Ethics
Week 8: The Rights of Future Generations
Week 9: Models and Scientific Method in Environmental Ethics
Week 10: Cost-Benefit Ratios: Examining Benefit and Harm in Environmental
Ethics
Week 11: The Ethics of Industrial and Population Growth on a Global Scale
Unit V: New Frontiers in Environmental Ethics
Week 12: European and North American Perspectives
Week 13: Latin American, African and Middle Eastern Perspectives
Week 14: Asian Perspectives and the Growth of Eco-Feminism
Week 15: Position Paper Presentations
Text Books and Assignments:
Upstream/Downstream (Temple Univ. Press, 1990), Chapters 1-8
Ethics of Environment and Development (Univ. of Arizona Press, 1990), Chapters
1-21
One Earth, One Future (National Academy of Sciences, 1990), Chapters 1-7,
8-11
Handouts and select reserve readings, including:
Feinberg, J. Reason and Responsibility (Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1989)
pp. 462-573
Grove, R. "Origins of Western Environmentalism," Scientific American,
July 1992, pp. 42-47.
White, L. "The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis," in Mitcham,
C. and Mackey, R., eds., Philosophy and Technology (New York: The Free Press,
1969) pp. 259-265.
Zimmerman, O.T. and Lavine, I. DDT: Killer of Killers (Dover: Industrial
Research Service, 1946).
Carson, R. Silent Spring (Fawcett, 1962), select chapters.
VII. Basis of Student Evaluation
Participation in class discussion and completion of weekly homework: 25%
Mid term take home exam: 25%
Environmental Position Paper and Proposal: 25%
Final Exam: 25%
VIII. Justification for Inclusion in University Studies Program:
1. Demonstrate the ability to locate and gather information
Emphasis: Considerable
Course Content: This objective is addressed tangentially by the course content
inasmuch as the location and identification of relevant evidence and data
is essential to environmental science, as is the determination of what,
precisely, "relevant data" means.
Teaching Strategies: Lectures and class discussions will be used to help
to identify potential sources of information for the student position papers
and paper proposal assignments.
Student Assignments: Class assignments -- the position paper, paper proposal
and presentation, as well as homework/discussion questions -- will require
the student to gather information to support their arguments from a variety
of sources, both in and outside, of their required class reading. For example,
in a class discussion on the problems of trans-border pollution (e.g. acid
precipitation), the student may wish to look to studies sponsored by the
governments of the United States and Canada, as well as those funded by
American coal interests and utilities, in order to gain an appreciation
of the difficulty in gathering authoritative ecological data, and thus an
understanding of the problems of developing environmental ethical norms.
Student Evaluations: Evaluation of the quality of class discussion,,position
paper and presentation, will in part be based upon the identification, and
use, of quality scholarly sources from a variety of disciplines.
2. Demonstrate capabilities for critical thinking, reasoning and analyzing
Emphasis: Significant
Course Content: This objective is addressed specifically in the course content.
The discipline of environmental ethics is concerned with the critical analysis
of environmental problems, and the development of normative standards for
proper actions within the environment. As such, the students will be using
all manner of reasoning skills, from the deductive structure of arguments
in their class presentations and position papers, to analysis of deductive,
inductive and probabilistic methods used in ethical arguments, scientific
arguments (such as risk assessment) and the arguments of their peers in
class discussions.
Teaching Strategies: Weekly class discussions, initiated by sets of homework
questions, will encourage the student to examine ecological problems and
their proposed ethical and technological solutions, in a critical manner.
It will be the stated purpose of such discussions to engage the entire class
in a lively dialectic, which it is hoped will carry through into the lectures.
Such activities will foster the development of sound argumentative techniques,
from the construction and criticism of arguments, to the proper uses of
supporting evidence.
Student Assignments: Class assignments -- the position paper, paper proposal
and presentation, as well as homework/discussion questions -- will require
the student to analyze and critique a variety of arguments, ethical as well
as scientific, put forth by the assigned authors, the instructor and, most
importantly, their peers. Such a Socratic approach of argument and counter-argument
will only reinforce the practical value of meta-level studies such as ethics.
Student Evaluations: Evaluation of the quality of class discussion,,position
paper and presentation, will based primarily upon the structure and quality
of the reasoning employed in the construction of arguments and criticisms.
3. Demonstrate effective communication skills
Emphasis: Significant
Course Content: The communication between various groups involved in environmental
disputes will be addressed tangentially insofar as the course content is
concerned.
Teaching Strategies: Effective communication is essential in arguing for
or against certain ethical norms. One of the main purposes of class discussion
in this class is the development of effective verbal and written communication
skills. Students will be evaluated, in part, based upon how effectively
they communicate their arguments in class discussion, on the exams, and
in the assigned position paper.
Student Assignments: Students will be encouraged, and ultimately expected,
to communicate their ideas in a clear and concise fashion. It is for this
reason that the position paper assignment contains a mandatory proposal
assignment. The proposal will force the student to present preliminary
arguments for the value of their particular project and the feasibility
of their position on the issue (e.g., Thesis: Acid precipitation should
be eliminated because of our ethical responsibility to the wildlife in affected
areas.). In this way, they can begin to hone their communication skills
early in the semester, learn from constructive criticism, and present a
more clear and concise argument by semester's end in the actual position
paper and class presentation. In addition, weekly class discussions will
present a regular opportunity to practice the art of effective communication
of complex ideas in a short time period. Such a process forces the student
to focus on relevant specifics, the most difficult of all scholarly research
skills.
Student Evaluations: Clarity and precision will be evaluated and amount
to a significant fraction grades on all student assignments, written and
oral.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of human experiences and the ability to
relate them to the present
Emphasis: Significant
Course Content: One of the primary goals of this course is to put forth
the argument that an understanding of the ethical problems which arise and
have arisen with human intervention in the non-human environment is essential
to understanding our role as residents of the planet earth as human beings,
and as part of a larger, interconnected, ecosystem. Environmental problems
have a long history, yet environmental ethics is a relatively new discipline.
This course will attempt to find out why this is the case. Finally, the
anthropocentrism which is often noted as a significant factor in environmental
problems, particularly in the West, has a long history of its own, and thus
ethical norms which seek to regulate human behavior in the environment must
look to the social, cultural and intellectual history of this, and other
related concepts.
Teaching Strategies: The lectures and discussions will stress philosophical
concepts, augmented with the historical context which surrounds past and
present environmental problems. The discipline of environmental ethics arose
in a particular context, and this course will be sensitive to that context.
Student Assignments: Class assignments -- the position paper, paper proposal
and presentation, as well as homework/discussion questions -- will require
the student to gather information to support their arguments from a variety
of sources, many of which will no doubt be historical in nature. Environmental
problems develop through time, and a consciousness of the ethical issues
which surround these problems develops in that same milieu.
Student Evaluations: Clearly, any evaluation of student work must take into
account the student's sensitivity to historical issues
5. Demonstrate an understanding of various cultures and their interrelationships
Emphasis: Significant
Course Content: Questions of environmental ethics arise in an understanding
of the interconnected nature of cultures. More than one third of this course
is devoted to an understanding of how different cultures view their relationship
with, and their place in, the environment, and how that world view affects
their determination of good and bad behavior in, and toward, the environment.
This world view is affected by a variety of factors, including religion,
economic structure, geography, and as some would argue, gender and race.
No class in environmental ethics is complete without a thorough examination
of these matters.
Teaching Strategies: In addition to the lectures, weekly class discussions
will be used to allow the students to engage in role playing situations,
encountering ethical dilemmas in the environment from a variety of perspectives.
For example, the issue of rain forest depletion looks very different from
the perspective of a millionaire rock star seeking to ban the farming of
deforested lands, and that of a Brazilian farmer trying to support a family
on that very soil. Such strategies are extremely effective in getting the
student to realize the effect of "world view" on the formation
of philosophical, and in this class, ethical, norms.
Student Assignments: Class assignments -- the position paper, paper proposal
and presentation, as well as homework/discussion questions -- will be expected
to show a critical sensitivity to cross- cultural issues. By "critical"
I mean an evaluation of the cross-cultural implications of various ethical
norms, not because it is often deemed to be fashionable, but because these
implications must, as all other implications of ethical norms, be examined
in the light of the critical reflection and scrutiny of any student of applied
ethics. Pandering to intellectual fashion should not be tolerated, nor should
elitist chauvinism of any kind.
Student Evaluations: Evaluation of the quality of class discussion, position
paper and presentation, will based partially upon the cross-cultural implications
of the assignment only insofar as there are cross-cultural implications.
6. Demonstrate the ability to integrate the breadth and diversity of knowledge
and experience
Emphasis: Significant
Course Content: By its very nature, environmental ethics is an interdisciplinary
study. In order to formulate standards of ethical behavior in the environment,
historical, scientific, technical, theological, economic and, of course,
philosophical, knowledge must be integrated. The delicate nature of this
philosophical task is what makes the study of environmental ethics so essential
to the contemporary curriculum. The aim of this course is to examine the
kinds of ethical norms which emerge from such an amalgam of knowledge.
Teaching Strategies: Lectures and discussion will stress, and above all
encourage, the integration of diverse knowledge. It will also be important
to examine the process of integration itself, for such meta-level questions
must be addressed in philosophical discussions at this level.
Student Assignments: Students will be encouraged, and ultimately expected,
to draw from and eventually synthesize information from the range of disciplines
mentioned above, and to justify their synthesis.
Student Evaluations: As part of the student's written and oral work, the
quality of interdisciplinary integration will contribute to all grades in
this class.
7. Demonstrate the to make informed, intelligent value decisions
Emphasis: Significant
Course Content: This course addresses the very question of what it means
to make informed and intelligent value decisions. Such decisions will be
addressed on the applied level (e.g., "Is it ethical to burn PCB wastes
in sparsely populated areas.") and on the meta-level (e.g., "Do
we who live today have an ethical obligation to future generations? For
that matter, what is an ethical obligation?").
Teaching Strategies: Class discussions, and to a lesser extent the lectures,
will be used to emphasize the nature and importance of informed value decisions.
It is essential in a course of this nature to walk a fine line between discouraging
the formation of value judgements based solely on intuition and possibly
alienating the students by pointing out flaws in their intuitive arguments.
Class discussion should never be used for a "TV talk show-type"
opinion forum, where any one opinion is as good as any other. The discussions
should be used to encourage the critical analysis of our ethical intuitions.
It is in this way that we can build informed value judgements.
Student Assignments: Class assignments -- the position paper, paper proposal
and presentation, as well as homework/discussion questions -- will require
the student to gather information to support their arguments for or against
certain value decisions, and thus address this objective directly.
Student Evaluations: Everyone is entitled to their ethical opinions, but
all opinions will be graded on the extent to which they are well-supported
arguments, that is, informed and intelligent value judgements.
8. Demonstrate the ability to make informed, sensitive aesthetic judgements
Emphasis: Some
Course Content: This objective is addressed tangentially. It is often noted
that a goal of environmental ethics is the regulation of behavior in the
environment so that its beauty may be preserved. It is also noted, quite
to the contrary, that it is this grafting of human values (i.e., beauty)
onto nature which often leads to environmental problems. The ability to
make such aesthetic judgements will not be stressed, but their role in environmental
ethics will be addressed.
Teaching Strategies: This issue will be addressed as needed in lectures
and discussions.
Student Assignments: Unless a student chooses to examine aesthetics and
ethics in the environment as a specific topic, aesthetics will be addressed
only tangentially in student assignments.
Student Evaluations: Students will not be evaluated on the basis of this
objective unless their position paper topic deals specifically with issues
of an aesthetic nature.
9. Demonstrate the ability to function responsibly in one's natural, social
and political environment
Emphasis: Significant
Course Content: This course addresses the very question of what it means
to act responsibly by addressing the meta-question, "To what extent
am I responsible for the present and future consequences of my actions,
with respect to the environment?." Human actions affect the environment,
and since the human beings also depend upon the environment for their survival,
such ethical decisions often have social, political and economic consequences.
Teaching Strategies: Lectures and discussions will focus on the ethical
question of what it really means to act responsibly in the environment.
Student Assignments: The position paper will address this aim directly.
Students will have to take an ethical stand on a particular environmental
issue -- the incineration of PCB wastes, use of nuclear power, etc. The
question put to them is essentially, "What constitutes responsible
behavior in your case?" Do we incinerate PCB wastes, and if not, what
do we do with them? What are the ethical dimensions of this behavior? Finally,
they must answer the question, "When you speak of responsibility, to
whom and what are you responsible?" Does ethical responsibility in
the environment extend to every living creature, future generation, all
human beings? If so, why? This aim lies at the heart of any ethics class,
and is especially important that the student assignments reflect that in
this class.
Student Evaluations: This is really the heart of the content of student
work in this class. Evaluations will be based on the quality of their arguments
justifying the norms by which "responsibility" is defined. In
short, students will be evaluated on the extent to which they understand
the consequences, natural social and political, of ethical decisions.
IX. Background: The instructor for this course should have a strong background
in philosophy and an understanding of the complexities of environmental
issues from scientific or technical, and socio-economic perspectives. Experience
in either ethics or environmental science/technology is desirable.
X. Class Size: Since this class will function at optimal pedagogical efficiency
by combining discussion and "open" lectures, the maximum class
size should be 25.
Upper-level interdisciplinary classes are expected to integrate material
from two or more of the "Perspectives" of the University Studies
curriculum (see Section II). It became apparent to me that interactive multimedia,
with its ability to represent connections between broadly diverse subject
areas, would be an ideal tool to achieve the goals of this class. In addition,
I faced the problem that, in spite of my attempts to limit the class size
to less than 25 that there are presently not enough senior seminars to satisfy
the demands of the student population, resulting in enrollments more often
at 35 or higher. This is clearly not the optimal size for a seminar. Asynchronous
techniques such as campus computer Bulletin Boards (called "conferences"
on our campus) were initiated in order to facilitate interaction between
students outside of class, thus carrying on a detail;ed kind of discussion
of philosophical and scientific issues which, due to the unwieldy logistics
of the class size, would be impossible otherwise. In the sections that follow,
each computer-assisted technique serves the objectives of the class as described
above, keeping in mind that course content always drives computer application,
not vice versa.
In a culture where more and more college student are of the non-traditional
variety, i.e. non-residential, part-time, adult learners, etc., instructors
must become the ones who adapt in classroom situations, not the students.
In an October 1995 study, a Drexel University reported that asynchronous
teaching and learning techniques offered a viable solution to many of the
problems faced in contemporary humanities seminars. They list the following
as conclusions:
1. Students assume ownership of the discussion and are willing to interact
with each other and question each other, participating in the online discussion
3-6 times per week;
2. Students were more willing to initiate their own studies (e.g. term paper
topics) when discussing them with their peers online;
3. The relative anonymity of electronic communication allowed often shy
students to "speak up," becoming, as it were, full participants
in the class discussion. (Andriole, et al., 1995)
The passages below are but two examples taken from the online discussion
from a recent version of my environmental ethics class.
Figure 1: The menu for "conf envethic," Fall 1996
MUSIC/SP Conferencing Facility. Subject: Discussion of environmental ethics
Show option: ALL (F5 flips option between NEW and ALL)
S Topic Last Changed Description
- -------- ---------------- ---------------------------------------------------
_ INTRO 1996/11/06 14:58 Welcome to Envethic
_ THEORY 1996/09/10 22:06 Discussion of various ethical theories
_ LOVCANAL 1996/09/10 22:07 Discussion of the Love Canal incident
_ GLOBWARM 1996/11/07 14:05 Global warming
_ WORLDVIE 1996/11/06 14:33 Discussion of western and ecological world views
_ SUSTDEV 1996/11/05 21:50 Discussion of sustainable development
_ ECOFEM 1996/11/04 14:09 Discussion of ecofeminism
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|---> Selection options: V: View A: Append
Figure 2: Sample postings to "conf envethic"
"In Chapter 6, Sustainable Development and Deep Ecology, of the Engel
& Engel book, it talked about humans and their misuse of the land.
Am I understanding correctly that it shows humans as somewhat
narrow-minded, in reference to "The Population Factor" at the
bottom
of page 91? It says that we have the priority over other inhabitants
of Earth and that nature is only necessary if it can somehow benefit
us. Do the authors mean humanity in general or the richer nations,
because on page 93, it says that a "simple conclusion is that
sustainable development of populations is a subject of importance in
every country, and the greatest responsibility rests with the richest."
Just curious as to what someone else might have gotten out of it..."
"I would like to dirrect this comment to XXXXXXXXXX, who commented
on the chapter from the Engel & Engel book. I believe the author is
in
fact referrring to all human beings as being suppressive and not just
rich nations. The author is saying that non-humans are only useful
forhuman consumption. I would not venture as far as saying he agrees
withthis belief. The author instead is explaining the views that
society has lived by historically. I would also like to comment on the
use of the word "carring capacity." I think it is interesting
to see how
society has defined this term. Society uses' the term to mean the amount
of people the environment can support with out distrucing. In fact this
term should include non-humans as well. The exact carrying capactity depends
on both humans and non-humans."
Generally speaking, most students have neither the time nor expertise to
formulate such detailed discussion while in class. This is not a derogatory
remark in any way; rather, it is a simple statement of fact with respect
to anyone's ability to digest new and difficult material and then comment
upon it.
In order to maintain the quality of the online discussion and in order to
keep it "on topic," it is essential for the instructor to act
as an online mentor. This means that the instructor does not actively participate
in the online discussion, but rather posts the occasional provocative question
to maintain the relevance of the discussion, acting, as it were, as the
"invisible hand." Based upon the quality of the online discussions
I have followed, and the subsequent translation of that discussion into
term papers and exams, I must concur with the conclusion of the Drexel study.
"Based on this study, it appears that the model of the mentored-seminar,
an educational model that dates back to Socrates and Plato, has enormous
flexibility and educational integrity in its online form." (Andriole,
et al., p. 105)
4.0 Off-the-shelf multimedia and the 1992 Rio Summit
A casual glance at the course description above reveals the centrality of
the interplay between scientific and policy-related issues in this class.
I have incorporated an interactive policy simulation called "Balance
of the Planet" (Copyright 1990, Chris Crawford) in an attempt to simulate
the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit. This commercially available game is
unique in that it allows the user to alter any of the hundreds of algebraic
equations which determine the outcome. For example, when students are faced
with the problem of starvation, they are faced with a set of interrelated
parameters such as the overall world population and the value of an individual's
life. The students quickly arrive at the realization that "Balance
of the Planet" is a model, no different, in principle, from any other
scientific theory in that, qua model, it reflects the biases of the model
builder. In this sense, the classroom exercise becomes an exercise in valuing,
as students are faced with scientific parameters which must be estimated,
and moral parameters which on the service do not lend themselves to qualitative
analysis but, within the confines of a computer model, must be given numerical
representation. Discussion of these issues is essentially dialectical, with
the computer sitting in the background. The simulation aids the dialectical
process, rather than replacing it. The figures below offer some glimpses
of "Balance of the Planet."
Figure 3: Balance of the Planet
_
Figure 4: Balance of the Planet Results Screen
Figure 5: Causes and Effects of Starvation in Balance of the Planet
Figure 6: Formula Manipulation in Balance of the Planet
Each student is assigned a constituency to represent in a parliamentary
role playing exercise pitting the interests of non-governmental organizations
such as Greenpeace with governments such as Russia and Germany and industrial
interests. IN this way, the classroom computer is more than a glorified
television set -- it facilitates the understanding that ecological issues
are multidimensional and complex (see, for example, Sterling, 1990).
5.0 Authorware and beyond
One of the consistently frustrating aspects of integrating computers into
any class is the overall lack of availability of university-level software
beyond business and science curricula. Macromedia's "Authorware"
line of authoring platforms offers instructors a simple, object-oriented
development platform. At the time of this writing, I am currently developing
a tutorial for environmental ethics with the academic version of Authorware
for Macintosh.
6.0 Conclusions
In order to be beneficial across the curriculum, applied ethics instructors
must create an interactive learning environment. Computer assisted techniques
can be useful in this sense. Allowing the students to alter parameters in
policy simulators makes such classes ideal for fostering critical thinking.
Thus, in spite of the obstacles which face contemporary humanities instructors,
it is possible to maintain the essentially Socratic nature of such classes
by adopting relatively simple computer-assisted approaches.