Ethics Lab (Core)
The Ethics Lab (Core) is designed to help students turn an AI violation into a positive learning opportunity. The Ethics Lab (Core) meets for 50 minutes once/week, starting in Week 2. In those meetings, as well as in associated learning activities, students:- engage in critical and deep reflection about the role of ethics in one's own life and society;
- explore the value of learning and how it connects to their own values;
- learn and practice an ethical decision-making process;
- explore and learn to confront their own justifications for not acting ethically; and,
- prepare for moving forward, including how to talk about the violation in future applications and interviews.
The Ethics Lab (Core) is foundational and therefore assigned to almost all students. The total time commitment of the meetings plus the learning activities is approximately 8 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I enroll?
You will be able to enroll once you complete the Reflect & Prep Module in the After Education Canvas Course.
Can I complete the Ethics Lab virtually or asynchronously?
No, the Ethics Lab is designed to be an in-person learning experience with a prioritization on human-to-human, authentic engagement. So, it only takes place in person at Pepper Canyon Hall on the day and time you signed up for.
What happens if I miss or am late to a class?
We have designed the Ethics Lab to be an engaging, human-to-human, learning environment in which students benefit from interacting with each other, their Peer Mentor and the Instructor. If you are late to or miss a class, or come to class unprepared, you not only negatively impact your own learning, but that of your fellow classmates.
Therefore we ask that you:
- only sign up for a section you know you can commit to and regularly attend on-time each week (e.g., don't sign up for a 1 pm section, which takes place in Pepper Canyon Hall, if you have class until 12:50 pm over at Rady);
- reserve the day/time you selected and do not schedule any other meeting, appointment or event during that time;
- put the Ethics Lab into your digital and/or paper calendar and set yourself reminders so you don't forget; and,
- complete all of your out-of-class learning activities so that when you come to the Ethics Lab, you are prepared to engage thoughtfully and intentionally with your group.
If an emergency arises that prevents you from attending your section on time or prepared, please email aio@ucsd.edu as soon as possible.
Can I use outside tools (such as ChatGPT) to help me in the Ethics Lab?
No.
Why?
We don't believe that GenAI tools, like ChatGPT for example, will help you learn and learning is our hope for you.
All of the learning activities - completed in and outside of class - are designed to help you reflect on and experience meaningful learning from your past experiences and to develop and practice techniques and strategies to handle difficult ethical situations in the future.
That means that the activities are about YOU - what you think, how you're feeling, what you know and what you don't (yet) know. And, we only care about you and your thoughtful engagement in the learning. We don't care about "perfection" or "good writing". We don't care what Grammarly or ChatGPT says you should think or sound like.
Having said that, if you'd like to suggest how GenAI would help facilitate (rather than hinder) your learning in the Ethics Lab, please let us know (see the Ethics Lab Prep Canvas Module for more information).
How do I know I’ve successfully completed the Ethics Lab?
We'll tell you!
No later than 1 week after you've submitted your final learning activity, we'll send you a congratulations email!