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About: Realizing Responsibility Through Class Participation

Module by: William Frey, Jose A. Cruz-Cruz. E-mail the authors

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Name: Realizing Responsibility Through Class Participation
ID: m13788
Language: English (en)
Summary: This module uses student absences as an opportunity to reflect on the moral values of honesty and responsibility. Students are provided with a framework with which to understand their class attendance responsibilities. (This includes a framework for examining critically the excuses they offer to "get off the hook" for missing class. Then they are encouraged to "take responsibility" by coordinating with their class work teams, keeping up to date on class learning activities, and adopting preventive measures to avoid future absences. The goal is to reconceptualize class attendance as continuing responsible class participation. This reconceptualization de-emphasizes compliance strategies centered on establishing minimal conditions of compliance, monitoring of behavior, and punishing non-compliance. Students explain absences but move forward quickly to reestablish contact with classmates and course content. Because much hinges on truthfulness (including alleviating the burden of monitoring behavior), the practice of responsibility is supplemented with that of honesty. Students testify to the truthfulness of their assertions by signing a pledge at the end of the module. This module has been developed in conjunction with NSF SES-0551779, "Collaborative Development of Ethics Across the Curriculum Resources and Sharing of Best Practices."
Subject: Humanities
Keywords: Academic Integrity, Class Attendance, Ethics, Honesty, Responsibility, Statement of Value, Value
License: Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY 2.0
Authors: William Frey (wfrey@uprm.edu), Jose A. Cruz-Cruz (j.cruz@upr.edu)
Copyright Holders: William Frey (wfrey@uprm.edu), Jose A. Cruz-Cruz (j.cruz@upr.edu)
Maintainers: William Frey (wfrey@uprm.edu), Jose A. Cruz-Cruz (j.cruz@upr.edu)
Latest version: 1.6 (history)
First publication date: Aug 20, 2006 2:24 pm -0500
Last revision to module: Mar 30, 2010 9:07 am -0500

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Version History

Version: 1.6 Mar 30, 2010 9:07 am -0500 by William Frey
Changes: 
Added bibliography and minor edits.
Version: 1.5 Mar 30, 2010 7:29 am -0500 by William Frey
Changes: 
Changed title of module to emphasize positive dimension of moral responsibility.
Version: 1.4 Mar 23, 2010 6:47 am -0500 by William Frey
Changes: 
Considerable edits and clarifications.  In general, tried to make the account of responsibility less abstract and theoretical and more closely tied to practices in class attendance.  Added link to Responsibility and Incident at Morales.
Version: 1.3 Aug 16, 2007 3:20 pm -0500 by William Frey
Changes: 
Module title changed to fit in with UPRM ADEM Statement of Values.  Tables reformatted and clarified.  Explanatory material on reactive and proactive responsibility added.  Sections added in full source editing mode.
Version: 1.2 Mar 2, 2007 8:54 am -0600 by William Frey
Changes: 
Updated abstract
Version: 1.1 Aug 20, 2006 2:33 pm -0500 by William Frey
Changes: 
This module changes a previous policy on reporting on absences by emphasizing ethical reflection based on moral responsibility and honesty.  Students are asked to look forward rather than backward in relation to their attendance.

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American Chemical Society (ACS) Style Guide:

Frey, W.; Cruz-Cruz, J. Realizing Responsibility Through Class Participation, Connexions Web site. http://cnx.org/content/m13788/1.6/, Mar 30, 2010.

American Medical Assocation (AMA) Manual of Style:

Frey W, Cruz-Cruz J. Realizing Responsibility Through Class Participation [Connexions Web site]. March 30, 2010. Available at: http://cnx.org/content/m13788/1.6/.

American Psychological Assocation (APA) Publication Manual:

Frey, W., & Cruz-Cruz, J. (2010, March 30). Realizing Responsibility Through Class Participation. Retrieved from the Connexions Web site: http://cnx.org/content/m13788/1.6/

Chicago Manual of Style (Bibliography):

Frey, William, and Jose Cruz-Cruz. "Realizing Responsibility Through Class Participation." Connexions. March 30, 2010. http://cnx.org/content/m13788/1.6/.

Chicago Manual of Style (Note):

William Frey and Jose Cruz-Cruz, "Realizing Responsibility Through Class Participation," Connexions, March 30, 2010, http://cnx.org/content/m13788/1.6/.

Chicago Manual of Style (Reference, in Author-Date style):

Frey, W., & Cruz-Cruz, J. 2010. Realizing Responsibility Through Class Participation. Connexions, March 30, 2010. http://cnx.org/content/m13788/1.6/.

Modern Languages Association (MLA) Style Manual:

Frey, William, and Jose Cruz-Cruz. Realizing Responsibility Through Class Participation. Connexions. 30 Mar. 2010 <http://cnx.org/content/m13788/1.6/>.