Ethical, Social and Personal Development
School of Business- Marketing and Management Studies
http://www.algonquincollege.com/management/marketing/
Course Number:
GED 2235
Contribution to Program:
General Education -Core
Educators:
Gilles Ethier
ethierg@algonquincollege.com
Jennifer Houselander-McGrath
houselj@algonquincollege.com
Prepared by:
Ron Knowles
Applicable Program:
AAL:
4
Approval Date:
August 2007
Prerequisites:
None
Approved By:
Maryann Sullivan
Title: Acting Chair
Small and Medium Enterprise
Management
Course Hours:
Delivered:
45 Hrs.
Normative:
45 Hrs.
Corequisites:
None
Approved for Academic Year:
2007 - 2008
The Coordinator for SME Management is: Phil Jones jonesp@algonquincollege.com
Room # B444c Telephone # 727-4723 ext. 5433
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed to help students deal with the social challenges that may take
place in their personal, family, community and contemporary life. As such, this course
encourages students to explore social and ethical issues, think about their social
responsibilities, research various ethical models and develop their own ethical
framework(s) for resolving social and personal issues. It begins with an introduction to
the process and practice of critical thinking and creative problem solving. Next, students
are introduced to the concept that ethical thinking is inherent in all personal, social and
cultural situations. Students will be encouraged to research various ethical philosophies
and then apply differing ethical decision-making models to social and personal issues.
RELATIONSHIP TO PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES
This is a general education course that supports the
following theme area: Personal Understanding (4)
This course contributes to your program by
helping you to achieve the following
provincial Essential Employability Skills:
1. Respond to written, spoken, or visual
messages in a manner that ensures effective
communication. (T)
2. Apply a systematic approach to solve
problems. (T, A, CP)
3. Use a variety of critical thinking skills to
anticipate and solve problems. (T, A)
4. Evaluate her or his own thinking throughout
the steps and processes used in problem
solving and decision making. (T, A)
5. Analyze, evaluate and apply relevant
information from a variety of sources. (T, A)
6. Evaluate the validity of arguments based on
qualitative and quantitative information in
order to accept or challenge the findings of
others. (T, A)
7. Interact with others in groups or teams in
ways that contribute to effective working
relationships and the achievement of goals. (T)
COURSE CURRICULUM
Course Learning Requirements
Knowledge and Skills
When you have earned credit for this course
you will have demonstrated an ability to:
1. Explore and apply critical thinking concepts
to resolve personal, social issues and cultural
issues.
 define and put to practice the concept of critical
thinking
 identify the components of critical thinking
 recognize and debate logical fallacies
 debate current social and family issues using
critical thinking skills
 employ critical thinking techniques to improve
emotional and personal development
2. Identify, debate and put to practice creative
problem-solving techniques in day-to-day
living, cultural and social issues.
 demonstrate the concepts and theory of “breaking set”
and free association
 put to practice the basic principles and theory of
brainstorming
 adapt the concept of reframing to personal and social
issues
 apply the concepts of mentoring, networking and
visioning
3. Explore and debate historical and
contemporary ethical philosophies. Apply these
philosophies to current environmental, cultural
and social issues



3.

4. Discuss, debate and formulate social, and
personal decisions based on varying ethical and
decision-making models, theories and
frameworks.



1.
explore and critique the historical concepts of Darwin and
Spencer
assess and debate the pros and cons of
Machiavellianism and ethical relativism
resolve ethical and social issues using contemporary
ethical models such as the “Seven-Step Path to Better
Decisions”
integrate ethical philosophies within our current social
and cultural environment.
examine the need for and define the concepts of ethics
and social responsibility in a personal and social context
debate and apply historical and contemporary ethical
models to family, social and environmental issues
develop and discuss an ethical framework (s) for
making personal, family and social decisions.
Course Learning Requirements/Embedded Knowledge and Skills:
2.
Learning Resources:
Required Text: No required text
Resources:
Algonquin Resource Centre - Internet
Professor's extensive online course notes
Magazines and newspapers
Online resources
3.
Teaching/Learning Methods1:
During this course you are likely to experience:
 Lectures
 Group discussion
 Class debate
 Case study analysis
 Self-directed learning
 Online exercises and assignments
 Self-evaluation exercises and quizzes

Internet research
1. This is a hybrid course with one and half hours of online instruction and one
and half hours of in-class instruction per week. The onus is on all students to
continually complete their modules, exercises, and readings prior to class.
4.
Learning Activities and Assessment:
Samples of learning activities include:
 group debate, discussion and brainstorming
 online exercises
 case study analysis
 preparing and delivering presentations
5.
Evaluation/Earning Credit: (CLR’s)
Examination
Value
term test #1
term test #2
final (case study) examination
2 Case study assignments (2 x 10%)
class and group participation
TOTAL
15% (CLR 1,2)
20% (CLR 2,3)
25% (CLR1,2, 3,4)
20% (CLR1,2,3,4)
20% (CLR 1,2,3,4)
100%
Academic conduct:
Plagiarism and academic misconduct are serious offences. For further details concerning
academic conduct, please refer to the College policy in the Student Guide
Harassment/Discrimination/Violence:
Harassment, discrimination and violence will not be tolerated. Any form of harassment
(sexual, racial, gender- or disability-related), discrimination (direct or indirect), or
violence, whether towards a professor or amongst students, will not be tolerated on the
college premises. Action taken will start with a formal warning and proceed to the full
disciplinary actions as outlined in Algonquin College policy. For further information,
refer to the Student Instaguide or get a copy of the official policy statements from the
Student Association (Directive A8).
Evaluation of faculty:
It is Algonquin College's policy to give students the opportunity to complete a course
assessment survey in each course that they take which solicits their views regarding the
curriculum, the professor and the facilities."
6.
Prior Learning Assessment:

Portfolio approach
RELATED INFORMATION
1.
Consultation:
If a student is having difficulty with any part of this course, it is your responsibility to
seek help. Please do not hesitate to do so.
Gilles Ethier
Jennifer Houselander-McGrath
Office: WB 439x
Office: WB439x
2.
Students With Disabilities:
If you are a student with a disability please identify your needs to the professor and/or the
Centre for Students with Disabilities (CSD) so that support services can be arranged for
you. You can do this by making an appointment at the CSD, Room C142, Ext. 7683 or
arranging a personal interview with the professor to discuss your needs.
Students, it is your responsibility to retain course outlines for possible future use to
support applications for transfer of credit to other educational institutions.
3.
Student Academic Responsibilities:




attending classes regularly
maintaining a written record of all class work
knowing due dates for assignments and meeting these dates
handing in assignments that are the student's own work (The
College policy on plagiarism is stated in your Instaguide)
4.
Course Content and Schedule:
Week
Content
Source/Evaluation
Week 1
Welcome and introduction
Review course outline, expectations and evaluation
criteria
Hand out case studies #1 and #2
Blackboard
Handouts
Week 2
Review and discuss case studies #1 and #2
Ethics and social responsibility
Criteria for building an ethical decision making model
Discuss Assignment #1—due first class, week 5
Class notes
Participation—2 marks
Week 3
Critical thinking definitions and concepts
Problem solving technique—brainstorming, theory and
practice (case #1)
Hand out critical thinking pretest
Class notes
Online resources
Participation—2 marks
Week 4
Review answers to critical thinking pretest
Problem solving techniques—breaking set and free
association, theory and practice (case #2)
Ethical philosophies/models—Darwin, Spencer and
Adam Smith
Class notes
Online resources
Participation—2 marks
Week 5
Test/Assignment #1
Test #1 (Value: 15% of final
grade)
Assignment #1 (Value: 10% of
final grade)
Week 6
Hand back test/assignment #1
Discuss assignment #2—due first class, week 12
Problem solving technique—reframing, theory and
practice (case #3)
Ethical philosophies/models —the golden rule and
Machiavellianism
Class notes
Online resources
Participation—2 marks
Week 7
Problem solving technique—mentoring, theory and
practice (case #4)
Ethical philosophies/models —RIP and Blanchard-Peale
models
Class notes
Online resources
Participation—2 marks
Week 8
Ethical philosophies/models —Objectivism and
libertarianism
Problem solving technique—mentoring, theory and
practice (case #5)
Class notes
Online resources
Participation—2 marks
Week 9
Ethical philosophies/models —Utilitarianism and
situational model
Class notes
Online resources
Participation—2 marks
Test #2 (Value: 20% of final
grade)
Week 10 Test #2
Week 11 Return and discuss Test #2
Problem solving technique—networking, theory and
practice (case #6)
Ethical decision-making models—The seven-step path
to better decisions, Fitzpatrick 6-step model and
pragmatism
Class notes
Participation—2 marks
Week 12 Assignment #2 is due
Problem solving technique—visioning, theory and
practice (case #7)
Ethical decision-making models— Ethical relativism
Assignment #2 (Value: 10% of
final grade)
Participation—2 marks
Week 13 Return and discuss graded assignment #2
Social responsibility and social trends in business ethics
Participation—2 marks
Week 14 Test #3
Test #3 (Value: 25% of final
grade)
Week 15 Final exam week