The Third International Syposium on theFormation of Ethics Crossroads and the Construction ofScience and Engineering Ethics: Research Outcomes
20 Nov., 2007

Introduction of an E-Learning
System, "Agora"

Fumihiko Tochinai （Kanazawa Institute of Technology／RISTEX）
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What is Agora?
An E-learning system for SEEE※※Science and Engineering Ethics Education<http://www.ethiekentechniek.nl/>
zDeveloped by three Dutch Tech. Univs.
↓zNow operated by recently established Centre forEthics and Technology

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KIT's involvement in AgoraAs a Special Partner . . .
zPractically since 2005 when upgrade of thesystem (fm Agora 1 to Agora 2) started
9Provided opinions for adding multi-language support
capabilities on Agora 2
9Implemented Japanese texts
9Tried to use Agora 2 (in Jap.) and gave feedback

zOfficially since 2006 under official license
agreement
9Have tried to use Agora in classes

3What is required to SEEESEEE in engineering education . . .
zShould not be merely theoreticalzIt should be practical‖"Be practical" meanszTo cultivate students' / participants' ethicaljudgement ability

4Difficulties in fulfilling the requirement
SEEE to cultivate ethical ｊudgement ability↑By how???
zCan we promote the ability in only 20 somelectures?
zCan we evaluate how much they improve theability?
↓zEven if possible, technically how do a few
teachers effectively educe such ability fromhundreds of students?
5Is it really possible?
In educational institutions,zw/o full-time teachers for SEEE,
9It could be possible if the goal were for form's sake.
9Difficult to imagine how to be rich in content. . . if, say, 5 teachers teach 1,000 students?

zw/ full-time teachers like at KIT,
9It IS possible, but . . .

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Practical difficulties: in the case of KIT
Course "Science and Engineering Ethics"
zabt. 1500 students (compulsory for all Jrs.)
9500 students per term
9Divided in abt. 10 classes (abt. 50 students per class)z6 teachers
95 teachers offer courses
9Each in charge of 2 classes (abt. 100 students) per
term = 300 students a year (plus other courses)↓zImagine that 6 teachers and 1500 students do...
92 exams, 1 research paper, 1 mini quiz, 3 group
discussions, 8 exercises (for 100 students in 2 classes)
9in 20 lectures (60 minutes per lecture)7

Is it really possible (cont.)In educational institutions,zw/o full-time teachers for SEEE,
9It could be possible if the goal were for form's sake.
9Difficult to imagine how to be rich in content

zw/ full-time teachers like us,
9It IS possible, but . . .

In biz. enterprises and/or rsch. institutions,zSEEE training / workshop
9Should NOT interfere their daily business / duties
9But, should be meaningful to the participants←By how? and how about in reality?
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To mitigate the difficulties
Introducing an E-learning tool to SEEEzE-learning is not a panaceaz"Video lecture" could be worse than nothing. . .
↓SoQ) What kind of an E-learning tool is desireblefor SEEE?
A) It should be able to promote students'
awareness of improving ethical judgement ability
continuously by themselvesA) It should improve both teaching and learning
efficiency
9Agora could satisfy the requirements
How can we make SEEE be practical?
zTo introduce case analyses,
9SEEE could be more practical
9But, it could go into "how-to manual" type of SEEE↓In Agora, in order SEEE not only to be practical but to be beyondzA lot of case exercises w/ stuructred analysis
method9By analyzing cases by the method, students /participants could cultivate their ethical judgement
ability.

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Structured analyses of cases
Non-structured . . .
z Recognize a case as either-or situation↓z Jump into conclusion emotionally↓↑Structured . . .
zStep-by-step analyses of cases
9Prevent from deciding emotionally
9Sufficient analysis w/ various views↓

zCan make students / participants
9Improve ethical judgement ability effieiently
9At least, by being aware of the necessity for improving
the ability, trigger for continuous thinking about it11

How is the analysis structured in Agora?
 The analysis consits of seven steps※≒The Seven-step Guide proposed by Michael Davis

1）Case description: to grasp the case2）Problem statement: to state problem (step 1)3）Problem analysis: to check facts (step 2), and to identify
relevant factors (step 3)4）Options for action: to develop list of options (step 4)5）Ethical evaluation: to test oprions (step 5), and to makea tentative choice (step 6)6）Reflection: to review the previous steps for ethicalreflection (step 7)7）Discussion: to discuss among students / participants※Some steps consist of a few sub-steps

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Two parts in AgoraCase analysis
zAnalyzing cases in structured way following thesteps as exercises
zAny cases can be implemented
zDifficulty level of analyses can be set arbitarily

"Theory Chambers"zTo study ethical theories, etc. by themselves
zNot adapted to Japanese13

Examples:
How to study / How to teach in Agora

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Students："Welcome" screen

Registered course(s)and exercises which
they have to do aredisplayed15

Students：to understand a case's structure
Check "Introduction" tub tounderstand the case's structure
In this example, students understand that this exercise
is to do the first three steps, "Case description,""Problem statement," and "Problem analysis. At thesame time, students understand that this exercise
aims to improve their analyzing skills of cases byhighlighting stakeholders, interests, facts, lacking
informations, and uncertain facts by looking at fivesub-steps of the third step.

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Students：to understand a case's structure

Check "Introduction" tub tounderstand the case's structureThis is an another example. In this exercise, students
understand that this is to do the middle two steps,"Problem analysis" and "Options for action."
Teachers can arbitrarily select which steps and/or substeps to use in an exercise to correspond to thepurpose of the exercise and/or to adjust the exercise'sdifficulty level.

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Students: to read a case
Check "Case" tub toread the case
After understanding what they areto do in an exercise, students reada case which they analyze in theexercise.

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Students: to do stuructured analysis
In the left, steps and substeps which students tackle
are shown. A (sub-) stepwhich they are currently on
is highlighted (in thisexample, (s)he is now
analyzing interests in thestep, "Problem analysis").

Check "Exercise" tubto analyze the casein structured way

In the center, questions
and instructions areshown, and students fillin their answers.
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Students: to rcv. feedback for reflection

Receive feedback and tore-submit their answers
Once students "submit" their exercise, they
can receive feedback from (a) teacher(s) tohelp them reflect their answers.

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Teachers："Welcome" screen
Each teacher can makecourses and exercises,and implement cases.

Courses in chargeand exercises in thecourse are displayed.
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Teachers: to make a new course"General" tubTo set a course title,period, etc.

"Exercise" tubTo add and delete
exercises for the course.
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Teachers: to make an exercise"Analysis model" tubTo set the structure of
the exercise.
More than 20 structures are implemented in Agora, so what teachers dois to choose the most appropriate
sturucture (model) for the exercise.

"General" tubTo set the exercise title,submission date, etc.
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Teachers: to evaluate answers
To Evaluate submitted
answers and to give
feedback
Students' answers are displayed in thecircle below. Teachers read them andcan make brief comments as feedback
and score the answer from 0 to 10.

Can change the statusof the exercise for resubmission
When a student submits his/her exercise, the status is changed to "Submitted." If a teacher evaluates the answer
and wants the student to deepen his/her consideration, the teacher canchange the status to "Try to submit
again!"

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Our activity regarding Agora at KIT
9 Mid. 2005-; Initiated the introduction (Japanization)
9 AY2006; Using Agora 2(J) by teachers. Implementation of Japanese cases
9 End AY2006; Test by abt. 10 KIT students
9 July 2007; Field test in an actuall class of abt. 20students.
9 Aug. - Nov. 2007; Field test in an class of abt. 50
students.
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Test by 10 students at end AY2006
OverviewzAbt. 10 students, who had attended "SEE"
before, joined the test
zDo one exercise which they had done in "SEE"on Agora→To debug the Agora, and to compare Agora withtraditional methods in terms of easiness ofunderstanding

Feedback from themzUser-friendliness should basically be noproblem
zUseful as teaching aid to promote students'
self-study
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Field test in a class since July 2007
Used Agora in a "SEE" class
zIntensive course for a week for abt. 20
students in July
9Four of eight exercises were done on Agora
9No problem↓zOrdinary class (10 wks, 2 lectures/wk) for 50students bet. end Aug. - mid. Nov.
9Three of eight exercises were done on Agora
9No problem
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Agora's efficiency
Two exercises to read newspaper articles andpick up ethical problems※※Full points are 10 (12 for extremely well)zNon-Agora class （50 students）
9Average：10.2 pts → 9.6 pts --- down
9"12 pts"：26.0% → 0.0% --- downzAgora class（49 students）
9Average：9.1 pts → 9.8 pts --- up
9"12 pts"：0.0% → 8.2% up --- up

In Agora class, their scores increase as they
study further ===> Agora's effect?
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Summary Not sure Agora mitigate difficulties

9 It takes time to maintain Agora (administrative work).
9 It may take longer time than before to do more minuteevaluation (such minute evaluation is impossible unlessusing Agora).
9 Proper feedback to students is possible (it is also
impossible w/o using Agora).

 Need to do good preparation

9 Once classes are open, modification is difficult.
9 But, once placed in orbit, running classes on Agora israther easy as new exercises can be made easily by
combining existing cases and problems.

 As teaching aid, Agora can help students self-study

9 Basically positive reaction by students.
9 Could be especially effective to the moderately motivated.
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Those who are interested in Agora
Try Agora using demo account as a "student"zJapanese? => Use the following ID and p/w
9ID＝EACWS310xx
9p/w＝10xx※xx＝03 - 16
9Valid until: the end of this year

zNon-Japanese? => Click "Demo" on the top pagezCommon Requirement：
9url=<http://www.ethiekentechniek.nl/>
9WindowsXP + InternetExplorer（5.5 or above. Disable"Pop-up block.")
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