Scenario.Samtakes his job as a science writer seriously, or at least does his

best to take his job seriously, but he's also serious about his social life. Though Sam is inherently shy and avoids alcohol, he is far from a prude, and appreciates the "heightened experience" he associates with recreational drug use, LSD in particular. Sam is bright, physically fit (he runs every day), spiritually aware, kind to others, and fun to be around. He likes the people he works with at the Institution and people there seem to like him in return.

Sam's boss at the Institution isDave, a brilliant eccentric--the sort of "mad scientist" that seems to lurk in every corner of the Ivy League. Dave studies insects- -he's an entomologist--but with a twist: he believes that the evolution of insects, which have been on the planet for millions of years longer than human beings, can play a groundbreaking role in the treatment of human diseases. He is also competitive, and he has his eye on the famous E. O. Wilson, the world's leading authority on myrmecology (the study of ants), who has a chair at the Institution, and who has written extensively about social insects. In his most recent book, Wilson draws social parallels between ant behavior and the behavior of human beings in groups.

Dave, however, though he is in the grip of intellectual vanity, and is very jealous of Wilson's success, focuses his research on a different type of insect: moths and butterflies. He is convinced that one of the hormones associated with metamorphosis in these insects--prothoracicotropic hormone, or PTTH--can be used to treat diseases in human beings. His theory, which has yet to be tested, is that injecting the insect hormone PTTH in human cells infected with a virus can "teach" these cells to temporarily metamorphosize into a new cell form that is impervious to the effects of the virus.

To Sam, who is eager to write bout cutting-edge science, this theory represents fascinating possibilities. But there is a problem--or, rather, two problems. The first problem is that Dave, in addition to suffering from intellectual envy (not uncommon in the Ivy League), has issues with both alcohol and self-discipline. He cannot channel his attention into any experiment he undertakes, and, as a result, he leaves the lab often to visit a local bar, and often does not return from the bar for the remainder of the workday. This results in the second problem: Sam, who is interested in and motivated by the work that Dave is pursuing, very often has nothing to do. Inertia, it turns out, is a common issue at the lab, especially among

younger workers. Sam soon realizes that Dave is an alcoholic, and so Sam spends more and more time in the company of other young science writers at the lab, includingLucia, who is on an academic exchange program from another reputable institution in northern Italy. Aside from her communication talents (Lucia is fluent in four languages), Lucia's accent and physical attractiveness make her the epicenter of attention; around the lab, she has quietly acquired the nickname "The Luscious Lucia," which she seemingly does nothing to discourage.

Through the years, Sam has had a number of platonic women friends, and he sees Lucia--though he, not unlike several other young men at the lab, is also attracted to her--as just another platonic friend, not "relationship material." As for Lucia, who is the same age as Sam, she wants to fully engage in American culture of the era, which, (for her) in the "Me Decade" of the 1970s (as described by writer Tom Wolfe), involves having a number of relationships with young men at the Institution, often simultaneously. Sam, who is in no way jealous, sees Lucia's tales of romantic adventures--which she shares with him in a tasteful, non-salacious way--and her bold lifestyle as a form of entertainment. Sam recognizes that he is what might be called an aural voyeur: he likes hearing about the lives

others lead, and since Lucia has an interesting, ever-evolving life story that she is always eager to share, he is equally eager to listen. But Sam also sees Lucia as frivolous--certainly very bright, yes, but more party girl than intellectual--and he has no interest in pursuing a relationship with her, though he likes talking with her very much and respects the perspectives she shares with him.

One night, however, everything changes.Sam, who lives with several housemates in a large Victorian house, receives a phone call from Lucia at a local bar. She asks if Sam can come out to see her (she knows Sam does not drink) because she "needs to talk." It is nearly midnight on a weeknight, and both Sam and Lucia must be at work at the Institution the next day. Sam suspects that by calling so late at night, Lucia may have met her match with her latest romance, and is looking to Sam for a bit of male advice. But when Sam gets to the bar he sees a different Lucia; she seems a bit drunk and flirtatious.

Though Sam has already determined he has no interest in Lucia, youthful hormones have a way of overcoming initial objections. (Full disclosure: Sam has already been down this road before, and is willing to try it again.) Sam is, in sum, not invulnerable to the charms of an attractive peer, and--having nothing better going on in his own romantic life at that moment--Sam senses that his platonic friendship with Lucia is about to change.

But there is something else going on at the bar that disturbs Sam. While Lucia is in the ladies' room, a man that Sam recognizes as his boss, Dave, emerges from the crowd and wanders toward the table Sam and Lucia have been sharing. For a moment, Dave seems to hover over Sam, looking at him with a quizzical expression--as if he knew he was supposed to recognize the young man in front of him, but could not quite manage to do so. Then Dave left, slowly and unsteadily making his way to the door, still seeming befuddled. Sam stares at the door for a full minute after his boss leaves. But when Lucia returns from the ladies' room, Sam pretends nothing had happened, making no mention of Dave.

Sam also notices something about Lucia:though she already has had several drinks, she has to be high before she can spend the night with a man.Sam, who informally evaluates human behavior as a reflexive habit (he was editor of the paper at college), sees this as Lucia's clever way of crafting a psychological escape for herself. If she's high, she's not guilty of doing anything questionable, or perhaps anything that can be remembered clearly enough to be questioned. Sam thinks that when she has the excuse of being high, it's as if nothing has happened at all. Sam thinks that this must be how she's been able to engage in so many liaisons with so many different young men. Sam also realizes that he is just another in this long line of young men for Lucia.

In the beginning of their relationship, Lucia gets high on marijuana, which she carries with her everywhere. Though Sam had thought she would move on from him very quickly--after just a night or two--Lucia begins spending more and more time with him.Sam realizes (and wonders whether Lucia realizes this as well) that this pattern of getting high and having sex may have taken shape because of the shapelessness of their jobs at the Institution. They had started out at the Institution with hopes for an intellectual adventure rather than a romantic adventure, but those expectations had fallen far short of the mark.And now they had this pleasurable but directionless relationship. It was as if they went to work during the day and--having nothing of value to contribute there--then would go home together at night, get high, and have sex. Lucia spent less and less time talking about other men, and more time talking about her disappointment with work. Sam would echo this. What was there to say? Dave didn't seem to care, and the Institution didn't seem to care. Sam and Lucia began to see the time they spent at the Institution--time that they call their "Big Nothing"--as just a way of padding their resumes. But was there anything so wrong with that? Sam and Lucia realize that they can turn this experience at the Institution into anything they

want, as far as their work histories go. One night, Sam says that he and Lucia are like intellectual shoplifters--they're robbing the store they work at by getting paid for doing nothing. Lucia says, If that's the case, then Dave is just the leader of a criminal gang, because he's getting paid for doing nothing, too. And making a lot more money than we are, Sam adds.

Lucia and Sam continue to sleep together, but a kind of dull listlessness sets in. They both receive raises they do not deserve. (Sam thinks that the Institution is aware of Dave's behavior, and is in effect paying them to say nothing: hush money to cover for a lush, to his mind. Since Dave is already a famous scientist, the Institution gains more credibility by keeping him employed there. Dave also has tenure, so nothing can happen to him.)With the raises they receive, Sam and Lucia can afford more expensive drugs--marijuana has been replaced by cocaine.They do lines of cocaine night after night after night, until one night Sam notices that the light seems to go out in Lucia's eyes. She is still there with him physically, but her personality--her will, her sense of self, her personal power, something that he had always experienced and never really bothered trying to define--is there no longer. She has become just a shell. If this has happened to Lucia, Sam wonders if he can be any more than a shell himself. The next day, they get up and go back to the Institution to do no work at their do-nothing jobs, knowing that they will come back that night and repeat the cycle, and then continue to repeat it over and over and over again.

Summary of Ethics Option. Ethics is always a difficult subject to evaluate because it can be so slippery and imprecise to define. (As a member of congress once defined pornography, "I'll know it when I see it.") Very often, evaluating any situation through an ethical lens involves imposing one's own standards on a pattern of behavior that can be difficult to understand. In the scenario involving Sam, Lucia, and Dave, the behaviors are such that no work is getting done and seemingly unhealthy relationships have been developed--not only between individuals, but between individuals and their workplace.

Questions:

Assignment(for Part 1): Ethics

Now for the heart of the matter.For theEthicscomponent of thisassignment, please develop carefully considered responses toEACHof the following four areas of concern:

1. Ethical Challenges? For your perspective, does the situation involving Sam, Lucia, and Dave seem to pose ethical challenges in any way? If so, how and why? If not, why not? (Please briefly explain.)

2. Culpability? Even if you donotbelieve there are ethical challenges in the interactions of Sam, Lucia, and Dave, on whom do you place blame for the way the situation evolved? Sam? Lucia? Dave? The Institution? Or do you feel thatno oneis blameworthy, or thatallare blameworthy? (Please briefly explain your choices.)

3. Sexual Harassment? Ethical standards evolve over time.Looking at the situation through the contemporary lens of 2022rather than the independent-minded, hedonistic, free-wheeling, "sex and drugs and rock and roll" lens of 1975, which was right in the middle of what was colloquially known (thanks to Tom Wolfe) as the "Me Decade," do you see Sam as perpetrating a kind of sexual harassment, since--even thoughshe certainly is the more aggressiveof the two--Lucia is always high during their sexual encounters? (Please explain how and why Sam's behavior would qualify--or not qualify--as sexual harassment.)

4. Institutional Accountability? Lastly,would you hold the Institution accountable in any wayfor Dave's wayward behavior and the deepening descent into drug use by Sam and Lucia, or is this merely personal impropriety on the part of the individuals involved? Is there any way in which you believe the Institution could have--or should have--interceded? (Please discuss in brief, explaining how and why the Institution should--or should not--be held accountable.)

Part 2:KnowledgeBuilding

Whydevote anassignmentcomponent toKnowledgeBuilding?ThoughKnowledgeBuilding(which is part ofDeep Constructivist Learning Theory) was developed in academia, at the University of Toronto by Carl Bereiter and Marlene Scardamalia, it's actually a common-sense, democratized approach to solving problems of all kinds--in business, academia, and life--and it relies exclusively on the input of individuals, who call upon their life experiences to transformknowledgeinto a "product" that can help all of us. It's especially important to note that Knowledge Building believes that the "product" ofourindividual experiences can always beimproved, and that this improvement begins when we share the benefits of what we experience with others.

Howwill theassignmentforbothEthicsandKnowledgeBuildingbe conducted? As was the case for Ethics, you should develop a thoughtful response to theWhatsection below. Note that because thisassignmentis intended to fulfill the attendance/participation component of your grade, please consider theassignmentas a kind of mini (or micro) presentation that you might make in class. Accordingly, what's being asked for here is a succinct delivery of your perspective--so you need not worry about authoring lengthy, refined sentences to share that perspective. Bullet points, not "style points," or well-considered short paragraphs, are what's called for here. But regardless of whether you use "expanded bullet points" or paragraphs, please strive forclarityin bringing your perspectives to light.

Whatwill theEthicscomponent involve?

In terms of PowerPoint slides, please review theKnowledgeBuildingslides (which are attached).

In terms of Video links, you're asked to look at the following videos:

Here's the link to Marlene Scardamalia'svery shortintroductorytalk onknowledgebuilding(a field of study that she co-founded) in education. It's called "What Does It Take to Become aKnowledgeCreating Society?" (time: 1:29)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGrl9wz_mLg&t=20s

Here's the link to a TEDx talk onknowledgebuilding. It's called "Failure isKnowledge,Knowledgeis Success" (time: 10:22)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwnWFNoe7Pw

Assignment(for Part 2): Knowledge Building

Now for the heart of the matter. ForKnowledgeBuilding, please develop carefully considered responses toeachof the following:

ForKnowledgeBuilding, the task you're asked to undertake will involveintrospectionrather than reading a scenario like the one forethicsinvolving Sam, Lucia, and Dave. What you're asked to undertake instead is careful reflection on the value of anindividual lessonyou've learned through yourown personal experience.[This can be, for example, a kind of introductory summary of yourNecessary Upheavalproject (one ofourthreeMajorprojects); it can also be another personal learning experience you've undergone, the meaning of which continues to resonate with you (as you anticipate it will for the remainder of your life).]

1. Overview of your experience. Please provide aclear, brief, bullet-point (or paragraph-based) descriptive summary of the learning experience itself and (this is most important)how it affected you. Just one paragraphis all that's required here.

2. Learning Outcomes.Describe thepersonal gains(e.g., insights that you didn't have previously) you realized as a result of having had this experience(in another brief paragraph).

3. Sharing Your Lesson. Finally, and perhaps most important of all (since the practice ofknowledgebuildinginvolves extending insights to others), choose aSPECIFICTARGET AUDIENCE--e.g., your peers, older people, young children--that you believe would particularly benefit from learning about your experience, andbriefly discuss what means you would use to deliver this information to the this audience (e.g., face-to-face communication, handwritten letters, group e-mail, telephone conference call, Skype), and--importantly--why you believe your personal experience will be of relevance and significance to the audience. (Suggested length: you guessed it, just one short paragraph.)

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

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