Activities

This activity is designed to challenge the cohesiveness and grouping that often comes of online communities. Students will be asked to write critically about an ethical dilemma with real consequences, and, unlike previous exercises, will be required to attach their identity to their arguments. This assignment will be graded based on the process, and thus will require some form of extra credit as incentive for the students to take the choice seriously. The goal is not to encourage an abstract argument of morals, but to provoke a real discussion with tangible consequences.

• Begin by providing the students with a definition and example of The Prisoner’s Dilemma. This is best done through some form of multi-modal presentation, both to help them understand the structure of the problem and to prepare them for their own multimodal work.

• Following the definition, explain that you have grouped the class into two groups: Group A and Group B, but that you will not reveal who is in which group until after the assignment is finished. Present them with a similar choice to the Prisoner’s Dilemma you have previously outlined, though instead of punishment, they are offered an incentive of some sort of extra credit. Each group has two choices: cooperate or betray. Just like the Prisoner’s Dilemma, if both groups betray one another, both receive a small reward (say, one point of extra credit). If both groups cooperate with one another, they both receive a larger reward (two points). If, however, one group cooperates and one betrays the other, the betrayers will receive a very large reward (three points) but the cooperators will get nothing (zero points). Both groups will decide by vote.

• Allow time for the students to debate on the forums and then ask them to submit their votes directly to you through a dropbox so that nobody sees their vote. They must also explain, using sources to support their argument, both why they chose their vote and why they feel morally justified in making that choice (so “I wanted to make sure I got at least one point” isn’t sufficient). 

• Once these papers have been evaluated, assign a multimodal essay where the students must do the same; give their vote and explain the practical and moral reasons. They may use the same sources and argument, but they must present it to the whole class through the forums using some form of multimodal presentation that reveals their identity. The default should be a short video speech (accompanied by an annotated bibliography) defending their choice, but they may use alternate modes so long as the basic requirements are met.

• Following this, take a third and final vote using the forums and have the students write a short reaction essay explaining if they changed their votes at all throughout the sequence and why. They should also write about the differences between writing their argument for a private audience and presenting their argument publically. They should also discuss the differences between anonymity and transparency and what, if any, effect it had on their moral arguments.