What is Character? Virtue Ethics in Education
Explore important questions about character education and how it contributes to individual and societal flourishing.
- Duration 2 weeks
- 4 hours per week
- Learn for free
- Upgrade for $74
Why join the course?.
Character education is increasingly being talked about by politicians, employers, teachers, parents and young people across the world. Can teaching virtues such as honesty, self-control, fairness, resilience and respect-which contribute to good character- be part of the solution to many of the challenges facing society today?
This course offers you the opportunity to understand virtues and the role they play in helping both individuals and society flourish. We will tap into this increasing interest and answer important questions such as what is character and character education, why is it important and can it be taught?
For those interested in extending their learning it will also provide a taster course for the exciting new MA in Character Education run by the University of Birmingham.
Learn with academic experts and practising teachers
We will draw on the insights of academics from the Jubilee Center for Character and virtues within the School of Education at the University of Birmingham. These leading experts in the fields of character education and virtue ethics will help you explore the theoretical and philosophical basis for character education, including a background to virtue ethics.
You wil also meet teachers and head teachers with first-hand experience of the transformative power of implementing character education in day-to -day practices within a school.
They will discuss how character might be taughtin a conscious, planned and reflective way, enabling you to gain practical Knowledge on taking character education into educational settings.
You can learn according to your interests and at your convenience. Each week has been divided into activities which can be completed together or individually:
- Week 1:What is character education and why does it matter?(Professor James Arthur).
- What is the philosophical basis for character education and what virtues constitute good character? (Professor Kristjan Kristjansson)
- Week 2:How can character be 'caught' in schools?(Gary Walsh, Head Teacher).
- Why Should character be taught in schools?(Dan Wright, Teaching Fellow)
You can also explore each areas in as ,much depth as you wish, with further reading materials available to those who want to learnmore about particular aspects of the course.
What topics will you cover?
- What is character education and why does it matter? .
- What is the philosophical basis for character education and what virtues constitute good character? .
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- Why should character be taught in schools?.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you will be able to.....
- Develop an understanding of what character education is and how it can be the basis of individual and societal flourishing.
- Evaluate the philosophical basis for character education.
- Identify and defines the virtues that constitute good character.
- Apply and implement key approaches to developing character in young people.
- Discuss the implications of what you have learned during this course in relation to your own environment and/or current affairs.
Who is the Course for?
This course will help you understand character, character education, virtue ethics and the role they play in both individualand societal flourishing.
It will be of particular interest to those who wish to explore how the development of character in young people can be applied in educational settings.
No prior knowledge of the subject area is required. This course has relevance across the world.
Who will you learn with?
Dr Tom Harrison
Director of Education: Jubilee Center for Character and Virtues Programme Director : MA Character Education.