A Strategy for Assessing an Integrated Ethics Framework Using a Theory Based Approach

Ann Dzuranin; Rebecca Toppe Shortridge; Pamela A. Smith

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A Strategy for Assessing an Integrated Ethics Framework Using a Theory Based Approach

Ann Dzuranin, Rebecca Toppe Shortridge, and Pamela A. Smith

Northern Illinois University, USA

Volume 12: 2015, pp. 101-124: ABSTRACT

This paper presents a strategy to assess students’ ethical awareness and decision-making ability that can be used regardless of the ethics education pedagogy employed. The primary contribution of this paper is a theory-based assessment instrument that is purposefully designed to align with ethics learning objectives, is discipline based, and has open-ended questions. We illustrate how open-ended assessment questions provide qualitative and quantitative insight into how accounting students recognize ethical issues, identify stakeholders and decision alternatives, and understand the possible consequences of various choices. We believe our theory-based learning objectives and instrument provide a robust method for assessing students’ ethical learning that can be applied to any program of ethics instruction. We conclude by sharing some implementation guidance for others schools who may want to develop their own assessment instrument.