Promoting Peer Debate in Pursuit of Moral Reasoning Competencies Development: Spotlight on Educational Intervention Design

Research indicates that appropriately designed educational interventions may impact positively on moral reasoning competencies development (MRCD) as measured by a psychometric measure known as the Defining Issues Test (DIT). However, findings include that educational interventions intended to impact on MRCD do not consistently promote measurable pre-post development. This paper reviews the theoretical background to the use of educational interventions to impact on MRCD, and spotlights how underpinning Neo-Kohlbergian theory might inform the design of an intervention in order to optimise impact on MRCD. Findings indicate that peer debate - regarding ethical concepts in profession-specific dilemma scenarios, what action(s) might be taken and how ‘less than ideal’ action options might be justified - is essential. Five examples of an adapted format of ‘Neo-Kohlbergian’ profession-specific ‘intermediate concept measures’ (ICMs) are included and were integrated into a 16 week blended learning educational intervention in a manner that promoted repeated exposure to peer debate regarding dilemmas, and the educational intervention design was trialled in a study with 27 volunteer community pharmacists in Ireland. An overview of the design, development and delivery of the intervention is provided. The paper concludes with recommendations for further development of the ‘idea’. Conflict of Interest: None   Type: Idea Pape

A unique ecology of language and space: exploring the learning context and adult learners' perspectives of a church-based ESL program in the Southeast

The researcher conducted an in-depth descriptive study of a church-based ESL program, with ecological perspectives on language learning as the theoretical framework, and an embedded single case study as the research method. The study first examined the program as a whole by focusing on the role of the Christian religion in constructing a special educational space. It then investigated the perspectives of adult immigrant and international learners concerning their learning experiences. Finally, it explored how these adult students' learning experiences have impacted their parental involvement and social participation. The findings of the study demonstrate that relational evangelism and servant evangelism function in forming a nurturing learning community in the program. The adult learners reach a consensus on the program's success in meeting their linguistic and social needs. They acknowledge that the program has played an important role in improving their communicative language skills and social adaptation. Their learning experiences in the program have helped them more actively involve themselves in community participation and their children's education. The study is an attempt to bridge the gap in the field of research about church-based ESL programs. It proposes that future research pay more attention to the special learning context of and expertise within nonformal educational institutions. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries

The consequences of reversing trust or not reversing trust

Young children often rely on the testimony of others. However, children tend to be selective about which sources they trust. For example, some children will reverse trust when a trusted speaker proves unreliable, suggesting that 4-year-olds use a speaker's current testimony to help make decisions about the trustworthiness of that speaker's past testimony (Scofield & Behrend, 2008). The current study was designed to determine why some children are able to reverse trust and why some are not. The results indicated that trust reversers tended to believe that the unreliable speaker was no longer trustworthy. The results also indicated that trust non-reversers varied by age, with 3-year-olds tending to believe that the unreliable speaker was trustworthy and 4- and 5-year-olds tending to believe that the unreliable speaker was no longer trustworthy, though they did have difficulty correcting past misinformation. Overall, results suggested that most children believe that an unreliable speaker is no longer trustworthy for new information. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries