Exploring the Efficacy of Online Synchronous Debate as a Tool for Teaching Ethics

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Exploring the Efficacy of Online Synchronous Debate as a Tool for Teaching Ethics
Language: English
Authors: Lai Chun Wong, May Lee Low
Source: Athens Journal of Education. 2025 12(2):357-368.
Availability: Athens Institute for Education & Research. 8 Valaoritou Street, Kolonaki, Athens 10671, Greece. e-mail: education@atiner.gr; Web site: https://www.athensjournals.gr/aje
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 12
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Ethical Instruction, Debate, Synchronous Communication, Electronic Learning, Undergraduate Students, Instructional Effectiveness, Critical Thinking, Web Based Instruction, College Instruction
ISSN: 2407-9898
2241-7958
Abstract: Ethical dilemmas are multifaceted and complex, comprising a diverse set of viewpoints, values, beliefs, and attitudes. They rarely have a purely right or wrong answer. Not everyone will have the same answer to an ethical dilemma. Hence, teaching ethics is about helping students build critical thinking skills so that they can consider contradictory viewpoints to come out with the best course of action in the face of conflicting choices. Post pandemic, online teaching is now a norm. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of online debate in teaching ethics. Using Kialo Edu's free argument mapping and debate web tools in a synchronous online workshop, we conducted an undergraduate Ethics and Laboratory Safety module, where the students engaged in collaborative and real-time debates on an ethical statement. Feedback was collected through an anonymous online survey to evaluate the impact on student learning. The results showed a positive impact on their learning experience. This study highlights the potential of online synchronous debate in promoting active student participation and critical thinking in ethical dilemmas.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1469872
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:Ethical dilemmas are multifaceted and complex, comprising a diverse set of viewpoints, values, beliefs, and attitudes. They rarely have a purely right or wrong answer. Not everyone will have the same answer to an ethical dilemma. Hence, teaching ethics is about helping students build critical thinking skills so that they can consider contradictory viewpoints to come out with the best course of action in the face of conflicting choices. Post pandemic, online teaching is now a norm. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of online debate in teaching ethics. Using Kialo Edu's free argument mapping and debate web tools in a synchronous online workshop, we conducted an undergraduate Ethics and Laboratory Safety module, where the students engaged in collaborative and real-time debates on an ethical statement. Feedback was collected through an anonymous online survey to evaluate the impact on student learning. The results showed a positive impact on their learning experience. This study highlights the potential of online synchronous debate in promoting active student participation and critical thinking in ethical dilemmas.
ISSN:2407-9898
2241-7958