Character education and digital lifestyles Character Education The

Character education and digital lifestyles Character Education: The virtues at the centre of adolescent's life. Professor James Arthur Director : Jubilee Centre Dr Tom Harrison Director of Education: Jubilee Centre 2

Our Key Message Good character matters to individuals and society. The qualities which make up character can be learnt and taught – and we need a new emphasis on their importance in schools and professional education 3

Litany of Alarm • • • Lack of Participation Mental Health Issues Exclusion Disorders and Syndromes Growth of Therapy 4

OUR GOAL To promote through rigorous research the importance of teaching character in schools and society 5

Making a difference Research Substantive and transformative change Practice Policy 6

What do we want our audiences to think about the Jubilee Centre Objective, Multi Disciplinary, Robust and rigorous, non-political and centre of excellence. The work of the Centre will help people understand demonstrate the benefit that good character and virtues bring to the individual and society 7

Centre Reports:

What is Character Education? Character is a set of personal traits or dispositions that evoke specific emotions, inform motivation and guide conduct. Character education is an umbrella term for all explicit and implicit educational activities that helps young people develop positive personal traits called virtues. 9

Domains of Virtue Moral Intellectual Civic Performance 10

Domains of Virtues Moral Character Virtues Character habits that enable us to respond well to situations in any area of experience. Examples: Courage, Self-discipline, Compassion, Gratitude, Justice, Humility, Honesty. Civic Character Virtues Character virtues and skills that are necessary for engaged and responsible citizenship. Examples: Service, Citizenship, Volunteering. 11

Domains of Virtues Performance Character Virtues Behavioural skills and psychological capacities that – while they can be used for both good and bad ends – enable us to put our character habits into practice. Examples: Resilience, Determination, Creativity. Intellectual Character Virtues Necessary for right action and correct thinking. Examples: autonomy, reasoning, perseverance. 12

The Key Virtue Moderating Virtue: Good Sense (Practical Wisdom) 13

A Neo-Aristotelian Interpretation of Virtue Ethics Education is to guide us towards objectively worthwhile goals, i. e. the Aristotelian virtues, e. g. being wise, courageous, just, self-controlled, truthful and friendly, or civil. It is about acquiring, cultivating and exercising these excellences of character. The virtues refine and educate our emotional and rational lives, enabling us to flourish as human beings! 14

A Virtue Ethics Approach to Character What kind of person do I want to become, when confronting situations that call for an ethical response? How do I balance out the competing demands of the moral life? How do I flourish as a person? Aristotle, Anscombe, Mac. Intyre, Hursthouse, Nussbaum 15

Defining Arguments Good character has multiple benefits for individuals and society Character can be taught and learnt and reinforced – it should be put at the heart of education 16

Good Character has Multiple Benefits The virtues which make up character enable us to enjoy rewarding and productive lives The more people with good character the healthier our society People live and learn better with character Integrity, as well as knowledge, are vital to our professions Virtues are Universal – they are found in all great faiths but not restricted to religions. 17

A Framework for Character Education in Schools 18

Common Myths about Character Education: Indoctrination? Mindless conditioning? Conservative? Paternalistic? Necessarily religious? About promoting the ideals of a particular moral system? Either character or attainment, but not both? 19

Virtue Literacy Virtue Knowledge Virtue Reasoning Virtue Practice 20

What is Virtue Knowledge About? It is about acquiring and understanding the sometimes technical language and concepts associated with virtue. But knowing about virtue is not sufficient for being virtuous – in other words, it may not necessarily change our behaviour for the better. 21

What is Virtue Reasoning About? It is about making reasoned judgements about when and how to act well. This includes the ability to explain different moral situations, such as moral dilemmas. This emphasis on acquiring judgement is reflective, and allows for each individual to make their own decisions about how best to give expression to the virtues in situations that are pertinent to them. 22

What is Virtue Practice About? Both the previous components; virtue knowledge and virtue reasoning are linked to the promotion of virtue practice. Virtue practice enables us to give expression to virtue in desirable, recognisable and observable attitudes, behaviours and action. 23

University of Birmingham School 24

Virtuous Digital Lifestyles Polemic…. are young people? Truthful Compassionate Selfless Altruistic Courageous Modest Dishonest Callous Selfish Egotistical Cowardly Vain 25

Need a Sound Theoretical Base Utilitarianism Greatest happiness for the greatest number of people Educational response: Show films of cyber-bullying victims to help young people calculate consequences Issue: It is often difficult to predict the consequences of online actions Deontology Our duty is to follow rational rules and guidance Educational response: Put up signs with rules about cyberbullying / online plagiarism etc Issue: rules and guidance are opaque and easy to bypass online 26

The challenges are new…. We therefore need a new educational response 27

An old theory for a new age problem Virtue Ethics Doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right amount (when nobody is watching) Central Pillars • Digital Flourishing • Character Virtues • Cyber-Phronesis 28

Cyber-dilemmas • • • Cyber-bullying Plagiarism Piracy Extremism Digital legacy etc 29

Developing online practical wisdom through Character Education Character Caught Culture and Ethos Role Models Character Taught Discreet subject Through and within Computer Science 30