Almost without exception national qualification frameworks and/or programme standards require ethics and professionalism to be among the intended learning outcomes. Indeed, evidence of its teaching and attainment are expected. Assessors often are conflicted when it comes to making judgements about its effectiveness. It can strictly be a technical exercise i.e. how does the curriculum provide education in and exposure to ethical considerations, and its pedagogical effectiveness.
I recall several years ago when dialoguing with an business ethics teacher as part of an accreditation exercise. The passionate teacher did not mind the students copying the recommended text. In fact, the teacher too had one. The university did not explicitly bar such practices in campus. in fact, it was quite a rampant practice. Illegality is not the place for ethics. Ethics occupies a space where laws is absent Should this consideration affect the judgement on the effectiveness of the ethics teaching? The panel of assessors eventually resolved to raise a concern about the lack of a conducive environment to teach ethics in the campus.
Be that as it may, can teaching ethics be effective if the providers generally are not perceived to be ethical? Can ethics be nurtured if the campus practices exhibit serious ethical concerns? Can a provider's illiberal policies be antithetical to proper teaching of ethics? Can students be expected to develop social consciousness when the provider seems to cold, crass and calculating? To what extent teaching ethics in an institutional environment which pays little heed to these preaching in everyday dealings render the whole exercise and aspirations moot?
These are some of the questions faced by assessors. Do they stick to their remit and examine the content, the delivery and the outcomes in making their judgement or do they ask broader questions about the immediate institutional environment? Would they risks criticism if they take a systems view of the matter? Can and should the classroom be viewed in isolation from the campus and the behavior of the providers?
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