Hot Seat; an Ethical Decision-Making

¶ … hot seat; an ethical decision-making simulation for counseling students," authored by Frame, Flanagan, Frederick, Gold and Harris (1997). The main concern of the article is to demonstrate how a counseling ethics computer simulation tool may influence students' consideration of their actions in a realistic ethical counseling dilemmas and how decision-making processes are influenced. Classroom debriefing activities are used to help students improve ethical decision making, on the other hand, the simulation provides ethical decision-making practice and helps students acknowledge the ethical dimensions of their future roles as professional counselors.

The main themes of the article are: computer-based training, counseling, ethics, and simulation, decision-making. The article starts from the premise that "in a world with multiple perspectives on what is the right thing to do ethical decision-making is not only complex, but it is also a potential mine field." For helping professionals the process is even more difficult since they need to analyze situations and understand the possible consequences of their choices. Poor choices can not only harm clients, but also lead counselors in malpractice suits.

To respond to this need Frame et al. developed a computer-based simulation tool based on Rest's model of moral decision-making. Rest stated that the moral decision-making is based on: interpreting the situation in terms of possible actions, the effects of the actions and how each part regards these effects; the person is in the position and must be able to make a moral judgment about a possible course of action; the person must give priority to moral values; the person must behave morally.

The design of this study is based on previous research that emphasized the many benefits of computer-assisted instruction such as: decreased learning time, a higher level of achievement when accompanies traditional teaching methods, improved attitude, and increased motivation. In counseling, computer-assisted instruction has been shown to be an effective tool in providing individualized practice and means of presenting didactic material.

The programming tool used was Hypercard (Apple Computer) as it can provide branching pathways. Branching pathways have been chosen because they are opposed to linear and sequential text and allow learners a greater control over the instructional experience. The approach also fosters students' interests and favors the retention of information.

The instructional design was constructed following several steps: need analysis, design, development, implementation, evaluation. Analysis was developed by interviewing a counseling ethics expert to determine learner characteristics; on such basis, the learning objectives were developed. The most important need identified was to improve the students' ability to successfully apply the counseling ethical codes to a variety of situations. In order to achieve this goal simulations were selected that required learners to apply constructs to real-life situations in order to resolve problems and make decisions.

The design had particular characteristics. First of all, the students role-played a counselor. There were multiple scenarios, placed in a menu, so that the participants were able to chose the preferred scenario. This allowed them a degree of control over their experience. The order of the scenarios was from the simplest to the more complex. Depending on the ethical issue involved in each dilemma. Each scenario made reference to several ethical codes for the counseling profession (according to American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, 1991; American Counseling Association, 1995; American Psychological Association, 1992). The new information was presented gradually to participants, as in real-life situations, when all relevant information is not presented to the counselor at the beginning of every counseling session.

The simulation was designed in a dialogue format so as to preserve the spontaneity and ambiguity of a real-life conversation. Moreover, the simulation also made available several branching and interdependent decision pathways. The simulations presented in the beginning pertinent background information and then subsequent screens presented at least three decision choices. Based on the selection, a new screen presented the client's response. The process ended when the students reached the end of a decision pathway. The simulation also took into account that many counseling situations do not have right or correct answers, and may be ambiguous. The realistic choices offered, were meant to encourage students to engage in critical thinking. Moreover, situations were also designed so that more than one ethical code would apply to each situation. But when students chose a decision pathway, the responses were true to life. After making the decision, the students had to confront with the typical consequences of their decisions. Ethical decisions required that students determined the relevant sections of the various ethical codes and prioritize the standards.

Debriefing consisted in small groups' activities that reviewed individual decision-making processes and compared the advantages, disadvantages and consequences of their choices. The instructor also facilitated the exchange by pointing out the ways in which counseling's ethical standards can be interpreted and compared. The instructor provided feedback on the logical course of decision-making.

The evaluation stage consisted of a formative assessment of the simulation's strengths and weaknesses. An expert in computer-based training program design, a subject matter expert and 10 students participated. The evaluation consisted of both the participants' reaction to the program and one-to-one interviews. The results of the evaluation pointed out that the simulation made a good use of critical thinking skills and the notepad proved to be an effective tool for reflection. The classical screen design was also appreciated. Some of the concerns were that some students may need additional instructions to use the program accurately.

The authors concluded, as a result of their attempt to foster ethical decision-making in counseling that simulation is an effective tool to increase critical and ethical thinking. Moreover, using such programs will help students to develop their ability to cope with ambiguity and provide a clear rationale for different professional and ethical behaviors. Another great advantage pointed out by the authors is that the program may be easily adapted to other disciplines such as business, legal, or medical ethics.