Abstract

I have always been disappointed with the class discussion of cases that depict large and important moral problems. My students don't get down to the essential issues. They propose unworkable alternatives. And, worst of all in my view, they argue from personal opinions, not from ethical principles. To counter those problems I prepared this standardized format. I hand out copies each time I assign a major case, and members of the class are required to fill in the blanks and hand back the forms, for grading. The result is that the quality of the case discussions in my classes has improved dramatically. Hopefully this standardized format approach will work equally well for others.