LEARNING ASSESSMENT

ESSAY:

QUESTIONS TO PONDER:

1. As a student, did you encounter some dilemmas in your school? What

did you do? Cite examples of the dilemmas encountered.
As a student, I did encounter some dilemmas in school. Whenever I am
stuck in a dilemma, I put my very best to decide what is the right thing to
do or what I should really do because I believe that even in the most difficult
choices, there is always the best choice.
The most common dilemma that I always encounter in school, or even in
distance learning, is choosing between friendship and school policies. I
cannot deny that once in my student life, I have committed cheating or
helped someone commit cheating may it be on exams, home activities, or
school projects. When I was a little younger, I considered cheating as just
simply helping out my classmate or my friend cope with their works, although
I already knew then that cheating is against the school policy. I felt great
whenever I was able to help my friends. I loved receiving their thanks with
smiles on their faces, not until they took advantage from that mistake. The
friends whom I helped through cheating got higher scores than me. My
teachers only credited the works to them and unknowingly excluded me. It
was only then that I realized that doing bad things do make you feel good
at first, but will eventually hurt you in the end. Now that I’m a college student
and studying at a university, I became more cautious of my actions such as
in committing cheating. I sometimes feel bad whenever I reject a friend to
copy my work, but I know that is the right thing to do. But the best thing
that I can do for them is to help them do their work by their own. Teaching
or educating them about a certain concept that they don’t understand is not
a form of cheating anyway.
Another dilemma that I think I did encounter in school is when I witnessed
cheating during examination. I had the dilemma whether to tell my teacher
about it or just stay silent about it. If I told my teacher about what I
witnessed, then I most probably put those classmates in peril. They could
have failed the exam, or worse, got suspended. But if I did not tell my
teacher about what happened, then that means I am tolerating their
mistake. They may cheat again if they do not receive the punishment that
cheating deserves. Both choices have consequences, yet there is always
one choice that is less detrimental. So, I chose not telling my teacher about
it. Yet, I have put limit whereas the second time I saw them cheating, I will
not hesitate to consult about it with our teacher.
2. What is your definition of moral dilemma? In your opinion.
In my opinion, moral dilemma refers to a state of which a person has to
choose one between two or more morally right choices. For instance, I am
a doctor at a top hospital. I have six gravely ill patients, five of whom are in
urgent need of organ transplants. I can't help them, though, because there
are no available organs that can be used to save their lives. The sixth patient,
however, will die without a particular medicine. If the sixth patient dies, I
will be able to save the other five patients by using the organs of sixth
patient, who can be an organ donor.
I have two choices here: keep the sixth patient comfortable, but do not
give him the medical care that could save his life in order to save the other
five patients; or save patient 6 and let the other five die which is unfortunate.
Both of these choices are morally right, yet it tears at one point which is
saving the life of one by sacrificing the lives of many or saving the lives of
many by sacrificing the life of one.
3. Differentiate the three levels of moral dilemma and cite an example to
each level.
There are three levels of moral dilemma and these are the organizational
moral dilemma, individual moral dilemma, and structural moral dilemma.
Organizational moral dilemma refers to a situation that causes an
organization to respond negatively or positively to an ethical issue that
affects staff, shareholders, and society, as well as corporate ethics and
customers. This level of moral dilemma usually occurs at work place such as
in a company. For example, employees tend to spend so much of their
weekday hours on the job that they often are tempted to conduct personal
business on company time. This can include setting up doctor's
appointments on company phone lines, making vacation reservations using
their employer's computers and Internet connections or even making phone
calls for a freelance side business while on company time. It is an abuse of
your employer to conduct personal business on company time. But what if
your spouse calls to tell you that your children are ill? Is it okay for you to
schedule a doctor's appointment? A good rule of thumb is for an employee
to check with his manager or human resources supervisors to clarify what
counts as an actionable offense in the company.
Individual moral dilemma pertains to a situation where individuals
confront with a number of factors such as peer pressure, personal financial
position, economic, and social status which may influence all individual
ethical standards. For example, a young man’s father is very ill. The doctors
believe that he has a week to live at most. The young man is thinking about
his father’s substantial life insurance policy which will expire at midnight. If
his father dies before midnight, the young man will receive a very large sum
of money. The money would mean a great deal to him and his family, and
he reasons that no good will come from his father’s living a few more days.
In this situation, the young man’s personal financial position influences his
moral decision in this dilemma.
The last level of moral dilemma is the structural moral dilemma which is
the selection of a proper system of responsibilities and relationships, which
is a continuing universal challenge. Structural moral dilemma has three
concepts. These are differentiation versus integration, gap versus overlap,
and lack of clarity versus lack of creativity. An example for differentiation
versus integration is in a work place whereas there is a complex role
structure, meaning lots of people are doing many different things. These
differences make it harder to sustain a focused. As complexity grows,
organizations need more sophisticated – and more costly – coordination
strategies. The reason why rules, policies, and commands have to be
augmented by lateral strategies.
4. Which is difficult to face among three levels of moral dilemma. Why?
For me, every level of moral dilemma is difficult to face because it would
not have been called a dilemma if it does not provide a complex decision-
making. But if I really need to choose, it will be the individual moral dilemma
because I think this is what I usually encounter in the daily basis.
Individual moral dilemma pertains to a situation where individual’s ethical
standards are influence by factors such as peer pressure, personal financial
position, economic, and social status which may influence all individual.
These factors are what I usually come across especially in decision-making.
For instance, I don’t want to eat yet because I still feel full and I have small
allowance left for the whole week, yet my friends want me to accompany
them in the cafeteria. It will turn out I will have to buy a food for myself,
too, because I can’t just watch my friends eat while I am with them. So, I
will have to spend the small amount of money that I have so I will not feel
I’m being left out.

Essay Rubrics

Criteria Excellent Good Fair Poor

Focus and There is one specific, There is one clear, well- There is one topic, but The topic and main
Details well-focused topi c. focused topic. Main ideas main ideas ideas are not clear.
Main ideas are clear are clear but are not are not especially clear.
and are well supported supported by detailed
by detailed and accurate informant on or facts.
information.
Organization The introduction is The introduction states the The introduction states There is no clear
inviting, states the main topic and provides the main introduction, structure, or
main topic and provides an overview of the paper. topic. A conclusion is conclusion.
an overview of the A conclusion is included included, but
argument. Information but does not strengthen is not especially
is relevant and the argument/position. relevant/supportive.
presented in logical
order. The conclusion is
strong.
Voice The author’s purpose of The author’s purpose of The author’s purpose of The author’s purpose of
writing is very clear, writing is somewhat clear, writing is somewhat clear, writing is unclear.
and there is strong and there is some and there is
evidence of attention to evidence of attention to evidence of
audience. The author’s audience. The author’s attention to audience. The
knowledge of and/or knowledge of and/or author’s knowledge of the
experience with the experience with the topic topic seems limited.
topic is evident. is evident.
Word Choice The author uses vivid The author uses vivid The author uses words The writer uses a
words and phrases. The words and that limited vocabulary.
choice and placement of phrases. The choice and communicate Jargon or clichés are not
words seems accurate, placement of words is clearly, but the used properly and detract
natural, and appropriate. inaccurate at times and/or writing lacks from the meaning.
seems overdone or variety and seems
inappropriate for the inappropriate to the
subject matter. subject matter.
Sentence Al l sentences are well- Most sentences are well Mos t sentences are well Sentences sound
Structure, constructed and have constructed and have constructed, but they have awkward, are
Grammar, varied structure and varied structure and length. a similar structure and/or distractingly
Mechanics, length. The author The author makes a few length. The author makes repetitive, or are difficult
&Spelling makes very few errors in grammar, several errors to understand. The
errors in grammar, mechanics, and/or spelling, in grammar, mechanics, author
mechanics, and/or but these mistakes do not and/or spelling that makes numerous errors
spelling. interfere with interfere with in grammar, mechanics,
understanding. understanding. and/or spelling that
interfere with understand
ng.
Scoring 4 3 2 1