Lack of interest in ethics education


Ethical case discussions drawn from trending topics on social media

The instructor brings trending social media topics into class and crafts them into case studies to engage undergrads and apply ethics to real life.

Format: Course, “Business Ethics”, semester-long
Context: Humanities & Social Sciences


Use of controversial examples as case studies

Using controversial examples makes neutrality difficult and boosts engagement, overcoming low interest in theoretical ethics.

Format: Module in the course “Controversial Cases”
Context: Business School


Lack of critical thinking / problematizing skills


Dual-perspective approach

Foster neutrality and two-sided thinking; emphasize impartiality and justice; show absence of absolute truths in ethics.

Format: Course, “Business Ethics”, semester-long
Context: Business School


Integration of STS methods into ethics education

Introduce technology as social construction; values in human–tech relations; debate conflicting/universal values; end with participatory design; use citizen juries & townhalls.

Format: Course, “Science, Technology and Society”, semester-long
Context: Engineering Faculty


Reflective writing and critical thinking practices

Use identify–analyze–reflect; students write their own cases to deepen understanding and ownership.

Format: Course, “Business Ethics”, semester-long
Context: Business School


Stakeholder analysis practices

Teach stakeholder mapping via simple fictional business cases, then transfer to ethical case analysis of interests and perspectives.

Format: Module in the course “Business Ethics”
Context: Business School


Lack of attention / interest in social impacts of ethics education


Discussions on SDGs to draw attention to ethical issues

Use “social impact” and SDGs to connect product/tech development with ethics; dedicate part of course to social/global impacts.

Format: Module in “Social Impacts of Ethics Education”
Context: Business School


Project on SDGs

List 5–6 SDGs in syllabus; students deliver a project designing a contribution and plan toward one SDG.

Format: Project within “The Role of Ethics in Sustainable Development Goals”
Context: Business School


Cognitive overload with heavy reading


Demystify scholarly reading via online, reusable materials

Provide early, structured OER slides (e.g., GitHub); emphasize reusability and in-person debate culture; build on open science/Wikimedia skills.

Format: Project course, Berlin Ethics Certificate
Context: Humanities & Social Sciences


Difficulty integrating conflicting stakeholders


Stakeholder integration

Move beyond tokenistic maps to real dialogue with NGOs, artists, activists; aim for reciprocity and ethical/business alignment.

Format: Project course, Ethics Certificate
Context: Interdisciplinary Lab


Ethical discourse stuck in echo chambers / jargon


Teach ethics as integral, without jargon

Use accessible language in STEM courses and assessments to elevate ethics alongside technical content.

Format: Course, “Ethics of Science Communication”, semester-long
Context: Engineering Faculty


Ethics seen as abstract & Western-only


Inclusive syllabus (non-Western perspectives)

Integrate Eastern perspectives; show ethics as practical and context-dependent; comparative analysis to counter rigid duty/consequence frames.

Format: Course, “Ethics of Science Communication”, semester-long
Context: Engineering Faculty


Balancing real-life experience with ethical awareness


Integrate real-life experiences (Exec MBA)

Use participants’ complex work cases; surface blind spots; bridge theory–practice.

Format: Course, “Business Ethics”, semester-long
Context: Humanities & Social Sciences


Engagement in practical learning


Simulations & role-playing (AI ethics)

Partner with an organization; role-play stakeholders in value-sensitive design for hands-on learning.

Format: Course, “Responsible Data Science”, semester-long
Context: Humanities & Social Sciences


Ethically evaluating cases


Case analysis via Engineering Codex

Evaluate mistakes article-by-article per the codex; convert evaluations into student articles.

Format: Course, “Design/Project Course”, semester-long
Context: Mechanical Engineering


Need for ethics in product development / design


Company visits for ethical entrepreneurship

Visits to technoparks/startups across stages; observe research/project development to see ethics from inception.

Format: Course, “Scientific Research, Ethics and Seminar”, semester-long
Context: Humanities & Social Sciences


Lack of interaction between STEM & ethics


Collaborative, interdisciplinary co-teaching

Joint design & alternated delivery over 12–15 lectures for a blended perspective.

Format: Courses: “Ethics of Science Communication” & “Intercultural Science Communication and Ethics of Science”
Context: Engineering Faculty


Lack of real-life experience


Shock education (organ donation live case)

Reveal the real person involved in the case to humanize dilemmas and deepen empathy.

Format: Course “Problem-based learning”, semester-long
Context: Medical History & Ethics


Limited awareness of ethical ramifications


Creative TikTok-style videos on ethical products

Students produce 2–3 min videos on inclusivity/sustainability/environmental ethics.

Format: Course, “Business Ethics”, semester-long
Context: Humanities & Social Sciences


Limited engagement across academic levels


Use films/video for enhanced discussion

Whole sessions on films/clips; theory heavy at PhD level—media helps undergrad engagement.

Format: Course, “Ethics in Dentistry”, semester-long
Context: Medical History & Ethics


Gap between codes & implementation


Execs review & implement their own org codes

Final assignment: analyze why codes aren’t implemented and propose strategies.

Format: Course, “Business Ethics”, semester-long
Context: Humanities & Social Sciences


Ethics as a standalone is ineffective


Immersive integration into technical courses

Weave ethics through design/innovation/entrepreneurship; co-teach ethics + engineering/business; mix projects/hackathons/essays/exams.

Format: Courses across Design/Project; Innovation & Entrepreneurship; Ethics of Science Communication
Context: Mechanical Engineering / Business School / AI4EO Future Lab


Ethics seen as an extraneous addition


Applied ethics rather than classical theories

Shift from purely normative theory to applied ethics; emphasize team dynamics, responsibility, conflict resolution.

Format: Project course, Berlin Ethics Certificate
Context: Berlin Ethics Lab


Perception that ethics is vague


Balance harms/benefits with real cases (AI/EO/blockchain)

Show ethics as enabling, not obstructing; integrate practical examples and cost-effective approaches.

Format: Course, “Ethics of Science Communication”
Context: AI4EO Future Lab


Contextualizing & internalizing ethics


Case discussions for each ethical theory

One theory per week + 3–4 real cases to ground discussion.

Format: Course, “Business Ethics”, semester-long
Context: Humanities & Social Sciences


Engage with concrete real-life challenges (personal/field-specific)

Structured discussions on real participant cases; field-specific ethical dilemmas (engineering, data, health).

Format: Training “Case Study Elaboration”; Course “Responsible Data Science”, semester-long
Context: Medical History & Ethics; Humanities & Social Sciences


Role models

Leaders exemplify behaviors/skills; powerful learning for interns/students/junior staff.

Format: Course, “Problem-based learning”
Context: Medical History & Ethics


Field work / research

Students do field research in environmental ethics and produce videos; firsthand practice enables internalization.

Format: Course, “Environmental Ethics”, semester-long
Context: Philosophy


Analyzing personal-life cases is difficult


Protect anonymity to enable sharing

Use NDAs; once anonymity is ensured, participants analyze their own actions ethically.

Format: Course, “Business Ethics”, semester-long
Context: Business School


Gradual move from impersonal to personal cases

Start with impersonal/historical cases, then shift to personal/relatable scenarios.

Format: Course, “Business Ethics”, semester-long
Context: Humanities & Social Sciences


Rote memorization limits deep engagement


Visual representations in exams

Require visuals/pictures in answers to force multi-angle reasoning and deeper understanding.

Format: Courses, “AI”, “Cyber Security”, “STS”, semester-long
Context: Information Law


Exam prompts for active engagement & critical thinking

Midterm: reflect on a personal dilemma; Final: act as dean/minister or design a code of ethics.

Format: “Ethics in Dentistry”; “AI”, “Cyber Security”, “STS”
Context: Medical History & Ethics; Information Law