From Morality to Modernity: Navigating Ethics and Education in the Digital Age
From Morality to Modernity: Navigating Ethics and Education in the Digital Age
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| Source: DALL·E 3 - Representational |
Lab Activity: Digital Humanities and Experience with Moral Machine Activity
My Experience with the Moral Machine: Reflections on Choices and Values
What Moral Machine is about
Moral Machine is an experiment by MIT that presents moral dilemmas involving autonomous vehicles (self-driving cars) — decisions like whether the car should swerve to avoid pedestrians, potentially harming passengers, etc.
It makes you choose who lives or dies in hypothetical crash scenarios, with variables like number of people, age, social status, legality of road crossing, whether “younger vs older,” etc.
The goal is to see what kinds of moral preferences people have in different cultures, and how people’s choices differ.
My Results and Reasoning
Looking at my results, I noticed clear patterns in my decisions. They reveal something about how I prioritize human life.
- Younger vs. OlderI often chose to save the younger. My reasoning is simple: younger people still have more life ahead of them, more opportunities to learn, grow, and contribute to the world. While I respect elders deeply, I felt the future potential of the young carried greater weight in these split-second moral dilemmas.
- More Lives vs. Fewer LivesIn many cases, I leaned towards saving more people rather than fewer. This came from a utilitarian sense—minimizing loss and maximizing survival seemed more rational and humane.
- I showed a preference for saving those who followed the rules of the road. I reasoned that if an autonomous system is to be trusted, it must reward lawful behavior and not normalize negligence. However, I also recognized the moral gray area here—should a person’s life be less valuable because they broke a traffic rule?
- Social Roles and DependentsIn some scenarios, I leaned towards saving individuals who seemed to carry responsibility (like parents). My reasoning was not about social status but about impact: saving one life might indirectly save the lives of dependents.
💠What I Learned
The Moral Machine was not just an activity; it was a journey into my ethical instincts. Here are my key takeaways:
Ethics are never absolute. Every scenario felt unique, and my reasoning changed with the details.
Biases surface unexpectedly. I realized that even when I claim “all lives are equal,” my choices revealed preferences—like favoring the young.
Culture shapes morality. My respect for elders conflicted with my preference for giving the young a chance at life. This tension reminded me how cultural values sit alongside rational decision-making.
Technology cannot avoid morality. If autonomous cars are to become part of our future, they will need to reflect not only safety but also society’s moral expectations.
✨ Conclusion
The Moral Machine left me with more questions than answers. Should morality be programmed into machines according to majority opinion, or according to universal ethical theories? Should a life be valued by age, role, or behavior—or simply as life, equal and sacred?
While my results showed patterns—favoring the young, preferring more lives over fewer, and rewarding lawful behavior—I now understand that behind every decision lies a hidden debate between fairness, logic, and empathy. And maybe, that very confusion is what makes us human.
- Part 1
Summary of the PPT: Understanding Hypertext and Digital Pedagogy
The PPT discusses the concept of Hypertext, its tools like HTML and HTTP, and the pedagogical changes brought by digital media. It highlights how digital platforms and hypertext allow content to be interactive, non-linear, and multimedia-based, changing traditional teaching methods. The presentation also explores the idea of decentering the subject, both in literature and education, emphasizing the need for innovative digital teaching approaches. It introduces models like Blended Learning, Flipped Classroom, Mixed Mode, and tools like Digital Portfolios, Online Assessment, Lightboards, OBS, and shows practical applications like teaching poems, business letters, or literary analysis online.
Key Points in Easy Language
What is Hypertext?
A system to store text, images, audio, and other files.
You can create direct links to related content (like clicking a word and going to another page).
Important Tools
HTML → Language to create web pages.
HTTP → Protocol to transfer hypertext over the internet.
Hypertext in Literature & Media
Makes reading non-linear: readers can explore links, not just follow a story straight.
Postmodern idea: The subject (self or character) is unstable, fragmented, decentered.
Computers let readers engage and even influence the content.
Pedagogical Shift in Digital Era
Traditional classroom → teacher-centered, linear teaching.
Digital teaching → student-centered, interactive, flexible.
Teachers and students both take new roles; learning is more exploratory.
Objectives of the FDP (Faculty Development Program)
Teach language and literature effectively online without losing essence.
Explore innovative online teaching methods.
Encourage active student participation.
Digital Pedagogy Models & Tools
Blended Learning → Combine traditional + digital content.
Flipped Classroom → Students learn theory online; class time for discussion.
Mixed Mode Teaching → Face-to-face + online sessions.
Tools:
Digital Portfolios
Online Assessment
Asynchronous Learning (learn anytime)
Synchronous Teaching (live sessions)
DCLS, CMS, LMS (digital teaching platforms)
Practical Examples Discussed
Using Glassboard / Lightboard for online teaching.
Flipped classroom for teaching business letters.
Teaching literary works like Lockdown by Simon Armitage with OBS and multimedia.
Mixed mode teaching combining online and offline sessions.
PPT :2
Summary of the PPT
The PPT discusses how teaching language and literature can be transformed using hypertext and digital tools. It highlights the challenges of teaching online, such as making students understand pronunciation, stress, modulation, cultural context, and the essence of literature. Hypertext pedagogy allows teachers to engage students interactively by linking texts with multimedia, images, mythological references, and online exhibits. Using tools like Google Drive, image searches, or online museum resources helps students visualize abstract ideas, connect with texts meaningfully, and explore literature in a non-linear, interactive way. The PPT emphasizes decentering authority, meaning students navigate knowledge actively, and teachers guide rather than dictate learning.
Main Points in Easy Language
1)Challenges in Language Teaching
- Pronunciation, stress, and modulation are hard for students to learn online
- Students may find it difficult to grasp the correct way to pronounce words or the meaning of linguistic units.
2)Using Technology ToolsTools like Live Caption in Chrome help students follow spoken words in online classes.
Extensions like Meet Transcript or Tactiq can record meetings and provide automatic notes.
Google Drive can be used for sharing resources and collaborative learning.
3) Engaging Learners in Literature
Teachers can use hypertext to link poetry, prose, novels, and plays with multimedia resources.
Students can explore texts along with images, videos, and online exhibits for better understanding.
4) Challenges in Teaching Literature Online
Foreign literature can be difficult due to:
Cultural differences
Social codes of conduct
Religious references
Mythical references
Historical and geographical distance
5) Teaching Ideas Using Hypertext
Example: Explaining a poem using Google Image Search to visualize “Noon’s blue pitcher” or Hawthorn flowers.
Example: Using online exhibits like “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus” to teach myth and literature.
6) Hypertext and Learning Outcomes
Helps students understand myths, literary techniques, and theoretical concepts like decentring the centre.
Makes learning interactive, non-linear, and more engaging.
Conclusion
Hypertext pedagogy allows students to explore knowledge actively rather than passively.
Teachers act as guides, and digital tools help make literature accessible, meaningful, and visually connected.
Summary of the PPT: From Creative Literature to Generative Literature & Hypertext Pedagogy
This PPT explains how digital technology and hypertext are transforming the teaching and creation of literature. It introduces generative literature, where computers produce literary texts using rules, dictionaries, and algorithms, challenging traditional concepts of authorship. The PPT discusses poem generators and tools that create different literary forms (sonnets, haikus, acrostics, etc.) automatically.
It also covers digital literary analysis, including macroanalysis and microanalysis, corpus linguistics, and tools like CLiC for studying literature using computers. The presentation emphasizes the importance of digital pedagogy, encouraging students to actively curate, archive, and share their work online through digital portfolios. Overall, it highlights the shift from static text to interactive, hypertext-based learning, preparing students for a digital, connected, and creative approach to literature.
Key Points in Easy Language
Generative Literature
Computers can produce literature automatically using algorithms, rules, and dictionaries.
Examples: poems, acrostics, rhyming couplets, sonnets, haikus, narrative poems, love poems, song lyrics, character generators.
Challenges traditional ideas of authorship and literary time.
Poem Generator Tools
Websites like poem-generator.org.uk and Masterpiece Generator can create full poems quickly.
Students can test whether a text is written by computer or human.
Macroanalysis & Microanalysis help study large sets of texts using computers.
Culturomics uses big data to understand human culture (Erez Lieberman-Aiden & Jean-Baptiste Michel).
Corpus Linguistics (e.g., CLiC) analyzes texts, keywords, and patterns in literature to gain insights into characters and narratives.
Digital Portfolios and Student Work
Students’ classroom work can be hyperlinked and stored online on personal websites.
Encourages digital citizenship, curating, and sharing learning in meaningful ways.
Pedagogical Shift
Moving from traditional text-based teaching to hypertext-based, interactive learning.
Teachers guide, while students explore knowledge actively.
Digital tools expand possibilities: flipped classrooms, blended learning, online resources, and multimedia integration.
Key Takeaways
Digital technology is transforming literature creation and teaching.
Students gain skills in digital literacy, creative writing, and interactive learning.
Hypertext and generative literature make literature non-linear, engaging, and accessible.
Conclusion
The series of PPTs and activities highlight a profound shift in language and literature pedagogy in the digital era. Hypertext, generative literature, and digital tools are transforming traditional, linear teaching methods into interactive, non-linear, and student-centered learning experiences. Students are no longer passive recipients; they actively explore texts, visualize concepts, and engage with multimedia resources, cultivating critical thinking, creativity, and digital literacy.
Generative literature and AI-driven tools challenge classical notions of authorship, inviting learners to examine literature from innovative perspectives. Digital portfolios and online platforms encourage students to curate, archive, and share their work, reinforcing responsible digital citizenship. Activities like the Moral Machine further demonstrate the importance of ethics, decision-making, and reflective thinking in an interconnected, tech-driven world.
