GENERAL EDUCATION ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW FORM
ETHICS AND HUMAN VALUES (GROUP VIII, E) 5/15
Please attach/ submit additional documents as needed to fully complete each section of the
form.
COURSE INFORMATION
Department: Philosophy
PHL 110
Course Number:
Course Title: Introduction to Ethics
Type of Request:
Rationale:
New
One-time Only
X Renew*
Change
Remove
The intent of the course is to teach the standard versions of contemporary ethics and so to equip
students with ethical literacy—the ability to recognize the origin and context of ethical arguments and
the ability to convey one’s ethical convictions with clarity and circumspection.
*If course has not changed since the last review and is taught by the same tenure-track faculty member,
you may skip sections III-V.
JUSTIFICATION FOR COURSE LEVEL
Normally, general education courses will not carry pre-requisites, will carry at least 3 credits, and will be
numbered at the 100-200 level. If the course has more than one pre-requisite, carries fewer than three
credits, or is upper division (numbered at the 300 level or above ), provide rationale for exception(s).
Not applicable.
II. ENDORSEMENT / APPROVALS
* Instructor: Matthew Strohl
Signature
_______________________ Date____________
Phone / Email: x2026 / matthew.strohl@umontana.edu
Program Chair: Paul Muench
Signature
_______________________ Date____________
Dean:
Signature
_______________________ Date____________
*Form must be completed by the instructor who will be teaching the course. If the instructor of the
course changes before the next review, the new instructor must be provided with a copy of the form prior
to teaching the course.
III. DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE
General Education courses must be introductory and foundational within the offering department or
within the General Education Group. They must emphasize breadth, context, and connectedness; and
relate course content to students’ future lives: See Preamble
No changes since last renewal.
IV. CRITERIA
BRIEFLY EXPLAIN HOW THIS COURSE MEETS THE CRITERIA FOR THE GROUP.
1.
Courses focus on one or more of the specific traditions of ethical thought (either Western or nonWestern), on basic ethical topics such as justice or the good life as seen through the lens of one or
more traditions of ethical thought, or on a professional practice within a particular tradition of ethical
thought.
No changes since last renewal.
2.
Courses provide a rigorous analysis of the basic concepts and forms of reasoning which define the
traditions, the ethical topics, or the professional practices that are being studied.
No changes since last renewal.
V. STUDENT LEARNING GOALS
BRIEFLY EXPLAIN HOW THIS COURSE WILL MEET THE APPLICABLE LEARNING GOALS.
1.
Correctly apply the basic concepts and forms of reasoning from the tradition or professional practice
they studied to ethical issues that arise within those traditions or practices.
No changes since last renewal.
2.
Analyze and critically evaluate the basic concepts and forms of reasoning from the tradition or
professional practice they studied
No changes since last renewal.
VI. ASSESSMENT
A. HOW ARE THE LEARNING GOALS ABOVE MEASURED ? Describe the measurement(s) used, such
as a rubric or specific test questions that directly measure the General Education learning goals. Please
attach or provide a web link to the rubric, test questions, or other measurements used.
Please see attached Assessment Report.
A General Education Assessment Report will be due on a four-year rotating cycle. You will be notified in
advance of the due date. This will serve to fulfill the University’s accreditation requirements to assess
general education and will provide an opportunity to connect with your colleagues across campus and
share teaching strategies. Items VI.B- D will be helpful in compiling the report.
B. ACHIEVEMENT TARGETS
[This section is optional. Achievement targets can be reported if they have been established.]
Describe the desirable level of performance for your students, and the percentage of students you
expected to achieve this:
Achievement targets have not been established.
C. ASSESSMENT FINDINGS
[This section is optional. Assessment findings can be reported if they are available.]
What were the results/findings, and what is your interpretation/analysis of the data? (Please be
detailed, using specific numbers/percentages when possible. Qualitative discussion of themes provided in
student feedback can also be reported. Do NOT use course grades or overall scores on a test/essay. The
most useful data indicates where students’ performance was stronger and where it was weaker. Feel free
to attach charts/tables if desired.)
Assessment findings are not available.
D. ASSESSMENT FEEDBACK
Given your students’ performance the last time the course was offered, how will you modify the course to
enhance learning? You can also address how the course could be improved, and what changes in the
course content or pedagogy you plan to make, based upon on the findings. Please include a timeframe for
the changes.
No changes are anticipated at this time.
A General Education Assessment Report will be due on a four-year rotating cycle. You will be notified in
advance of the due date. This will serve to fulfill the University’s accreditation requirements to assess
general education and will provide an opportunity to connect with your colleagues across campus and
share teaching strategies.
VII. SYLLABUS AND SUBMISSION
Please submit syllabus in a separate file with the completed and signed form to the Faculty Senate Office,
UH 221. The learning goals for the Ethics Group must be included on the syllabus. An electronic copy of
the original signed form is acceptable.
See attached.
Philosophy 110: Introduction to Ethics
Professor Matthew Strohl
Office: LA 147
Office hours: TR 11-12am
Email: matthew.strohl@mso.umt.edu
TA email:
Chris Humm: chris.humm@umontana.edu; Daniel Congdon:
daniel.congdon@umconnect.umt.edu; Nic Redig: nicholas.redig@umontana.edu
Course description:
This course is a broad introduction to moral philosophy. We will cover topics in metaethics, normative
ethics, and applied ethics. Readings will be drawn from both historical and contemporary sources.
Required textbook:
Ethics: History, Theory, and Contemporary Issues, 5th edition, ed. Steven M. Cahn and Peter Markie,
Oxford University Press 2009
Student Learning Goals:
This course teaches ethical literacy and will enable you to
(1) explicate the norms and values that in fact govern your behavior,
(2) clarify these norms and make them consist with one another,
(3) set your norms and values in the context of the standard theories of ethics so you can
understand your own norms more deeply and circumspectly or change your norms to make
them support your aspirations more effectively.
As a result, you will acquire a twofold competence:
(1) The cognitive competence of recognizing a moral position or argument for what it is along
with the standard strengths and weaknesses of such a position or argument.
(2) The expressive competence of being able to talk about your own moral convictions in a
calm, confident, and circumspect way.
Grading and exams:
There will be two in-class short answer exams and a final exam. The first 2 exams will each be worth 30%
of your grade. The final exam will be worth 40%. It will be cumulative but will emphasize material from
the last part of the course.
It is a massive pain to give make-up exams for a class this large. Please be considerate to us and do your
best to take the exams when they are scheduled. Unless you receive permission from me at least two
weeks in advance, make-up exams will be given only in the case of a legitimate emergency.
Documentation of your excuse is required in order to make up an exam. Exams not taken, for any reason,
will receive a zero. If you have a problem, contact me as soon as you know you have a problem!
A note about attendance and etiquette:
We will not be keeping track of lecture attendance, because it would be a giant hassle and
because we’d like to treat you like adults. The class meets at 8:10AM. I know it’s going to be
hard for some of you to drag yourselves out of bed in time. It’s not optimal for me, believe me,
but someone’s got to teach at 8:10, and this time it’s me. You made a choice to register for this
class, you are responsible for showing up. If you don’t show up consistently you are going to
have a very hard time passing the exams. It would be a very good idea to make a friend or two
in the class so you can get notes on the rare occasion that you miss class. You may ask your TA
for notes A TOTAL OF THREE TIMES AT MOST, unless there are mitigating circumstances, in
which case I would consider giving your TA permission to give you notes more often. Please
come talk with me if you have a problem.
Please do not text during class. Please do not mess with your phone during class. I do not
want to see your phone during class! Is that clear enough?? I get the sense sometimes that
students feel like they become invisible when they’re in a class this large and I can’t see them
texting. False. I can see it. I don’t lecture from notes. I speak extemporaneously, and that
takes a lot of focus. When I see someone messing with their phone, it distracts me. Sometimes
I completely lose my train of thought and it throws me off my game. Perhaps I’m too sensitive
to such things, but in any case, it’s real. So I’m asking you nicely to please keep your phone out
of sight for the 80 minutes you’re in my class. I know some of you are going to do it anyways,
and I’m already annoyed. I will call you out in an embarrassing manner if necessary.
Also, don’t have conversations with each other while I am speaking. Even if you are sitting in
the back.
I prefer that you not use a laptop in class, but if you really need one to take notes, please don’t
sit right in the front.
Academic misconduct:
You are strictly held to the University of Montana Student Conduct Code
(http://www.umt.edu.SA). The in-class exams are closed-note: you may not consult anything
but your own mind in order to answer questions on the exam. You may not use cell-phones, or
any electronic devices to aid you, nor fellow students, nor fellow students' answers on exams,
etc. You will receive no credit for any exam that you cheat on. Your conduct will also be
reported to the Dean.
Special needs:
Students with disabilities will receive reasonable modifications in this course. Please speak with
me after class or during my office hours if you need to make special arrangements. Your
responsibilities are to request them from me with sufficient advance notice, and to be prepared
to provide verification of disability and its impact from Disability Services. If you are going to
take the final at DSS, please schedule it well in advance, as the time slots fill up quickly. Please
speak with me after class or during my office hours if you need to make special
arrangements. For more information, visit the Disability Services for Students website at
www.umt.edu/dss/
Readings:
1/28 Hi, I’m Matt, here’s your syllabus, see you Thursday.
1/30 Plato, Republic, Book II, 357a-369c
2/4 Plato, Republic, Book IV
2/6 cont.
2/11 Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book 1
2/13 cont.
2/18 Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book 2
2/20 cont.
2/25 Hobbes, Leviathon, Chapters XIII-XIV
2/27 Feinberg, “Psychological Egoism”
3/4 FIRST EXAM
3/6 Bentham, An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
3/11 Mill, Utilitarianism II
3/13 Mill, Utilitariansim III
3/18 Williams, “A Critique of Utilitarianism”
3/20 Kant, Groundwork I
3/25 cont.
3/27 Kant, Groundwork II (Warning: extremely difficult)
4/1-4/3 SPRING BREAK
4/8 cont.
4/10 cont.
4/15 SECOND EXAM
4/17 Rawls, A Theory of Justice, 3, 4, 11, 24, 40
4/22 Singer, “Famine, Affluence, and Morality”
4/24 Thomson, “A Defense of Abortion”
4/29 Tooley, “Abortion and Infanticide”
5/1 English, “Abortion and the Concept of a Person”
5/6 Feiberg, “Abortion”
5/8 REVEW
Final exam: 8-10am, Wednesday, May 14th in Urey Lecture Hall
Assessment report for PHL110.01 Introduction to Ethics
Course description
This course is an introduction to the major approaches to the study of ethics in the Western tradition.
Classical texts from the history of philosophy as well as some of the most influential texts from the last
30 years will be examined. Our objectives are to get a sense of the major approaches to ethics, but
most importantly learn how to critically evaluate the quality of moral arguments, even those whose
conclusions we might agree with.
Course learning goals
Upon completion of an Ethical and Human Values course, students will be able to:
1. correctly apply the basic concepts and forms of reasoning from the tradition or
professional practice they studied to ethical issues that arise within those traditions or
practices;
2. analyze and critically evaluate the basic concepts and forms of reasoning from the
tradition or professional practice they studied.
These course goals are identical to the general education goals for ethics.
Method of assessment
The Association of American Colleges and Universities has developed a rubric for assessing ethical
reasoning abilities. The rubric has two different areas of assessment that correspond to the two
learning goals associated with Ethical and Human Values courses at the University of Montana.
Application of ethical concepts (learning goal 1):
Capstone 4: Student can independently apply ethical perspectives/ concepts to an ethical question,
accurately, and is able to consider full implications of the application.
Milestone 3: Student can independently (to a new example) apply ethical perspectives/ concepts to an
ethical question, accurately, but does not consider the specific implications of the application.
Milestone 2: Student can apply ethical
perspectives/ concepts to an ethical question, independently
(to a new example) and the application is inaccurate.
Benchmark 1: Student can apply ethical
perspectives/ concepts to an ethical question with support
(using examples, in a class, in a group, or a fixed-choice setting) but is unable to apply ethical
perspectives/ concepts independently (to a new example).
Evaluation of ethical concepts (learning goal 2):
Capstone 4: Student states a position and can state the objections to, assumptions and implications of
and can reasonably defend against the objections to, assumptions and implications of different ethical
perspectives/ concepts, and the student's defense is adequate and effective.
Milestone 3: Student states a position and can state the objections to, assumptions and implications of,
and respond to the objections to, assumptions and implications of different ethical perspectives/
concepts, but the student's response is inadequate.
Milestone 2: Student states a position and can state the objections to, assumptions and implications of
different ethical perspectives/ concepts but does not respond to them (and ultimately objections,
assumptions, and implications are compartmentalized by student and do not affect student's position.)
Benchmark 1: Student states a position but cannot state the objections to and assumptions and
limitations of the different perspectives/concepts.
Over the course of two exams, each of the different areas of assessment were probed twice. Only data
from students that completed all exams were included in the findings.
Findings and assessment of findings
First Assessment of learning goal 1:
5/46 scored below the benchmark, 4/46 scored at milestone 1, 4/46 scored at milestone 2, 20/46
scored at milestone 3, and 13/46 scored at the capstone level.
Second Assessment of learning goal 1:
5/46 scored below the benchmark, 6/46 scored at milestone 1, 6/46 scored at milestone 2, 18/46
scored at milestone 3, and 11/46 scored at the capstone level.
First Assessment of learning goal 2:
3/46 scored below the benchmark, 2/46 scored at milestone 1, 4/46 scored at milestone 2, 16/46
scored at milestone 3, and 21/46 scored at the capstone level.
Second Assessment of learning goal 2:
1/46 scored below the benchmark, 6/46 scored at milestone 1, 7/46 scored at milestone 2, 16/46
scored at milestone 3, and 16/46 scored at the capstone level.
The first assessment of learning goal 1 and the first and second assessments of learning goal 2 occurred
on the third exam of the semester. The second assessment of learning goal 1 occurred on the final
exam. Surprisingly, the first and second assessment of learning goal 2, which occurred on the same
exam, revealed more variation than the first and second assessments of learning goal 1, which
occurred on different exams. There are two reasonable explanations for these results. Either there is
variation present in the method of assessment, or students encountered more difficulty on one of the
tasks than another.
Action steps
This initial data will be used to measure future achievements in meeting the general education learning
goals. Increasing the number of students performing at the capstone level is a priority. In future
courses, the benchmarks will be communicated to students, and they will be told that their grades will
reflect how well they meet those benchmarks. Additionally, this initial assessment will provide
examples that illustrate what it takes to achieve certain benchmarks. In future courses, an example of
performance at each benchmark will be provided to students. More clearly communicating
expectations to students should increase their performance.