Video video games present a secure area for buying moral competencies through ethical dilemma experimentation

Video video games could possibly be a instrument for instructing moral competencies in fields the place folks might encounter ethical dilemmas. This is likely one of the rules behind the analysis being carried out on the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) by Joan Casas-Roma, Jordi Conesa and Prof. Santi Caballé, researchers belonging to the SmartLearn group within the College of Pc Science, Multimedia and Telecommunications. The researchers are engaged on the usage of digital video games for bettering the training of moral competencies in instructing, particularly within the subject of know-how, however their analysis will also be extrapolated to different areas.

The digital world typically sees debate round information analysts and their capacity to control information. Casas-Roma remarked that these designing know-how is likely to be reproducing “a particular approach of understanding the world,” by allowing sure interactions however not others, for instance. This isn’t a limitation imposed by the know-how itself; quite, its designers have made a particular resolution. These selections typically find yourself having an affect on society, both optimistic or damaging.

The consequences of know-how

Casas-Roma’s analysis examines the extent to which information engineers and analysts bear in mind the nice or unhealthy results that know-how can have. His work is geared toward predicting these results and fostering additional work to make sure that technologists have the instruments to have the ability to think about the affect the know-how they’re engaged on could have on the world.

To offer an instance, Casas-Roma spoke of social media, which was initially created for a particular function, however has been reworked for particular makes use of. Instagram, Fb and Twitter first noticed the sunshine of day with a selected use in thoughts, however customers have generally appropriated them in a approach which may find yourself inflicting hurt. That is the case of Instagram and its results on adolescents’ psychological well being and self-image, as some reviews have indicated. “This has led to the redesign of a few of the social media platform’s options,” famous Casas-Roma.

The UOC researcher’s work relies on the concept that though it’s proper that there are rules on the usage of synthetic intelligence, which is especially helpful within the subject of information, there’s one other half that has to return from the design of know-how. Technologists must have instruments to assist them “perceive how the know-how [they are working on] may change the world.” That is not at all a simple activity: “It is not that straightforward to boil all this down right into a algorithm,” as a result of “we’re typically coping with applied sciences that haven’t existed earlier than, that means we do not know the way they will have an effect on the world, thus calling for an train in foresight.”

Studying ethics by means of codes or play?

The researcher believes that studying about moral competencies by means of codes of ethics would not work. The design part of know-how wants a holistic imaginative and prescient of each itself and of the customers that will likely be using it. This, he famous, could possibly be executed by means of examples permitting customers to turn out to be spectators, capable of observe the complexities of circumstances offered to them and have empathy for the choices made.

Nonetheless, Casas-Roma needs to go a step additional and suggests making use of interactivity for instructing moral competencies to college students, presenting them with a digital journey which makes them the protagonists. Interactivity, he stated, “opens up the door to ethical feelings, subjective components, to real engagement, to feeling accountable.” Certainly, he has already designed a prototype sport of this type.

The venture relies on the creation of a digital narrative designed for engineering college students, inserting them in conditions involving ethical dilemmas. For instance, they are often invited to tackle the function of a developer who sooner or later discovers {that a} program that is simply been launched by their firm “might need some undesirable moral penalties.” “The good factor is that the narrative will not be designed to show what’s or is not proper, as the true world would not typically give sufficient data for us to decide. The sport always makes gamers select between selections that do or don’t present help for sure moral rules, maybe in detriment to different necessities raised by the given scenario,” defined Casas-Roma.

Video video games, a secure setting for coping with dilemmas

The researcher is thus exploring how video video games may turn out to be “a secure setting for coping with moral dilemmas and selections that could possibly be tough” to resolve. Video video games turn out to be a “platform for every participant/pupil to have an area for reflection, creating an setting for contemplating what the moral penalties of a choice is likely to be,” he added.

The analysis crew has designed a prototype, adaptable to completely different skilled fields which will encounter moral dilemmas. Casas-Roma gave the instance of the world of biomedicine. Utilizing this prototype, the participant has to make a collection of selections that have an effect on the storyline and its characters in several methods. These selections might have an effect on the participant’s relations with different story characters, affect the objectives set for the story and be related to the rules {of professional} ethics taken from codes of conduct.

The online game raises inquiries to which there’s not at all times a “proper” reply, or there’s a lack of expertise to point which is the perfect resolution to make. “We’re not searching for individuals to be taught particular codes of conduct, however quite to know and attempt to foresee the attainable penalties of their selections, getting them used to contemplating the moral aspect of their actions in several skilled contexts,” stated Casas-Roma.

The UOC researchers’ prototype gives some areas for reflection for creating individuals’ moral competencies, in order that they will switch them to the decision-making processes of their on a regular basis skilled work.

Extra data:
Joan Casas-Roma et al, Educating Ethics in On-line Environments: A Prototype for Interactive Narrative Approaches, Modern Approaches to Expertise-Enhanced Studying for the Office and Larger Schooling (2022). DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-21569-8_47

Offered by Universitat Oberta de Catalunya