http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Articles/Education/Ethics A listing of the most recently indexed works about Articles and Education and Ethics in the field of technical communication. en-us Copyright (c) 2005-08 by the EServer. All rights reserved. tclib-editorial@eserver.org (TC Library Editorial Board) webmaster@eserver.org (Geoffrey Sauer) http://tc.eserver.org/images/newlogo.gif http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Articles/Education/Ethics http://tc.eserver.org/35002.html http://tc.eserver.org/35002.html Since 1992, Steven Katz's "The Ethic of Expediency" on the rhetoric of technical communication during the Holocaust has become a reference point for discussions of ethics. But how does his thesis compare to current understandings of the Holocaust? As this article describes, Katz was in step with the trend two decades ago to universalize the lessons of the genocide but his thesis presents key problems for Holocaust scholars today. Against his assertion that pure technological expediency was the ethos of Nazi Germany, current scholarship emphasizes the role of ideology. Does that invalidate his thesis? Katz's analysis of rhetoric and his universalizing application to the Holocaust are two claims that may be considered separately. Yet even if one does not agree that "expediency" is inherent in Western rhetoric, Katz has raised awareness that phronesis is socially constructed so that rhetoric can be unethically employed. Thus, rather than remain an uncritically accepted heuristic for technical communicators, "The Ethic of Expediency" can be a starting point for ongoing exploration into the ethical and rhetorical dimensions of the genre. http://tc.eserver.org/34060.html http://tc.eserver.org/34060.html In an age when students gravitate to online sources for research—and when tremendous amounts of both reputable and questionable information are available online—many have come to regard the Internet itself as a culprit in students' plagiarism. Some teachers go so far as to forbid students from researching online, in the mistaken assumption that if students are working from hard-copy sources only, the problem will disappear. We believe that an approach far different from either warnings and punishment or attempts to curtail online research is warranted. http://tc.eserver.org/31793.html http://tc.eserver.org/31793.html The public is continually bombarded with cases of wrongful practices in the work environment. As a result, the public has lost confidence in the ability of corporations and institutions of higher education to train individuals to behave in an ethical manner. Ethical practices in corporate America have resulted in institutions of higher education revisiting their ethical practices, which includes creating a learning environment where students develop the necessary skills to become ethical leaders and citizens. Many colleges and universities have adopted codes of ethics that emphasize core ethical principles and standards for their employees. http://tc.eserver.org/30854.html http://tc.eserver.org/30854.html This article provides details about a comprehensive assignment for teaching sales letters in a business communication course. During the past 5 years, this assignment has evolved, moving beyond one that focused almost exclusively on strategies for making the letter persuasive, and therefore effective, to an expanded form that devotes time and attention to the ethics and visual rhetoric of the letter. In addition to composing a sales letter, each student is required to write a detailed, thoughtful analysis of the ethics and visual appeal of his or her letter. http://tc.eserver.org/30163.html http://tc.eserver.org/30163.html Recent scandals in the business community have alerted professional writing teachers to the importance of highlighting ethics in the curriculum. From former experiences in teaching courses emphasizing ethics, the authors have adapted the curriculum to include a limited discussion of ethical approaches and terms and assigned group writing projects that consider the effects of business on the broader community. As a result of the integration of this ethical component into the entire course, students learn major ethical approaches; gain a vocabulary of ethical terms they can apply in the business world; interrogate the larger questions of business and its interactions with the local, national, and international community; and engage in the kind of dialectical discussions that require critical thinking. http://tc.eserver.org/30164.html http://tc.eserver.org/30164.html Critical thinking pedagogy offers a supportive environment for teaching ethics in the professional communication classroom. Four important aspects of critical thinking which particularly encourage ethical thought and behavior are identifying and questioning assumptions, seeking a multiplicity of voices and alternatives on a subject, making connections, and fostering active involvement. Focusing on these behaviors allows an ongoing incorporation of ethics into many different aspects of the classroom. http://tc.eserver.org/30162.html http://tc.eserver.org/30162.html Rather than acting on less examined beliefs, I am personally comfortable acting on ethics that have been burnished by repeated polishing from my colleagues, community, and profession. Let us use our professional conferences and journals to further that conversation. http://tc.eserver.org/29865.html http://tc.eserver.org/29865.html Freshman engineering students are bombarded with classes in chemistry, physics, math and other highly technical and demanding courses. This intense schedule leaves little time for learning other important subjects critical to future engineers such as ethics and professionalism. The College of Engineering and the Writing Program at the University of California Santa Barbara offer a unique sequence of courses that meet general education requirements while also addressing the development of ethics and professionalism in future engineers by using a combination of case studies, practical applications and readings. http://tc.eserver.org/26606.html http://tc.eserver.org/26606.html The Challenge of Plagiarism Control in Universities and Colleges discusses the complex issues involved with plagiarism such as defining the term and responding to the act of plagiarism. The paper also includes data detailing who is plagiarizing and why. Finally, the paper addresses university protocol and potential for uniformity in the tracking and response of universities and colleges. The perils of not finding a way to limit or eradicate plagiarism further endanger the authenticity of a college degree. http://tc.eserver.org/26605.html http://tc.eserver.org/26605.html What is the likelihood that our students will perform unethical behavior in the work environment? This study measures students’ intended behavior for four hypothetical unethical situations by investigating the following determinants: attitude toward the behavior (belief), subjective norm (pressure), perceived behavioral control, perceived personal outcome (benefit), and perceived social acceptance by others. Using the Fishbein model of planned behavior, belief was consistently the most powerful predictor of intent in all four situations. Perceived behavioral control, perceived personal outcome, and perceived social acceptance by others were moderately good predictors of intent. Subjective norm was the weakest predictor of intent. http://tc.eserver.org/26604.html http://tc.eserver.org/26604.html There has been a growing awareness of unethical practices being utilized by corporate CEOs, managers, and other members of upper management for gain of income or power. Advances in information technology have contributed significantly when making the public aware of wrong doings. Emerging from these real world cases are opportunities to prepare business communication students with transferable communication skills designed to circumvent technological mishaps and/or unethical practices. This paper will discuss how an assignment focusing on ethics and information technology can be used to help students develop their code of ethics regarding professional communication and behavioral practices. http://tc.eserver.org/26603.html http://tc.eserver.org/26603.html This paper introduces the Potter Box, a grounded and easy to use method of ethical decisionmaking. The rationale for this technique is seen in the current crisis in business ethics and education in ethical behavior. The Potter Box was developed by Dr. Ralph Potter, Harvard University theologian, grounded in the work of sociologist Talcott Parsons. This device has been used in assessing journalistic and public relations decisions, but can readily be used in the practice and criticism of business communication. The four portions of the Potter Box are explained in terms of eight explicit steps. A case study is presented for use in the classroom. http://tc.eserver.org/21827.html http://tc.eserver.org/21827.html International technical communication program developers may face globalization either with fear or exhilaration. Is globalization primarily an economic process that will bring unprecedented opportunity, prosperity, democracy, and health to everyone in the world? Or is it a process that will usurp the autonomy of national and local governments, colonize the cultural diversity of the world, lay waste to ecosystems, and gobble up the resources of the entire planet? http://tc.eserver.org/14289.html http://tc.eserver.org/14289.html Registered Professional Engineers (PEs) in most states have a continuing professional development requirement that specifies that in addition to taking a certain number of short courses in their area of technical competence each year, PEs must also take a professional ethics refresher course at least once every two years. Because the PEs in these ethics courses are forced to attend and because the subject matter is often perceived as legalistic, repetitive, and unnecessary, these courses tend to elicit less-than-enthusiastic responses from participants. Furthermore, since the duration of these courses (1 or 2 hours) is so short, it is difficult to give a meaningful treatment of the very broad field of ethics and also apply it to real-world ethical situations in the time frame allotted.