Assessing ethics in Problem-based Learning volunteer experiences

Abstract

Volunteer work, generous in its nature, is generally assumed to have strong ethical principles. We also assume that Problem-based Learning aims toward significant pedagogical experiences with long lasting results. The combination of both allows for possibilities in which ethics integrate to the high education curricula, not as an isolated class, usually taken during the first semesters, but as a structural part of every pedagogical experience. We aim to show how ethics could become an integral part of Problem-based Learning, and how it can be assessed before, during and after processes of direct intervention with communities. Using a matrix that combines ethical aspects and stages of PBL through volunteer work, we present a tool for assessment as well as an organized method for integrating ethical discussion to the pedagogical experiences.