Learning theory and research

Abstract

This chapter discusses the ethical considerations that apply to counselor educators teaching online counseling classes. The same ethical standards that apply in a "face-to-face" classroom also apply in the online environment. Counselor educators are responsible for developing, implementing, and supervising their classrooms and providing training and supervision on the use of theories and techniques with a well-grounded theoretical foundation, according to the American Counseling Association's Code of Ethics (2005). As such, counselor educators teaching in online environments need to develop, implement, and facilitate courses that promote a solid understanding of current theory and research in counseling, and provide opportunities for students to practice and apply these concepts. The course of action that was taken in the case presented in the chapter was designed to circumvent the challenges inherent in the online environment to provide greater connection with the student as well as to provide clearer supervision. The ethical issues under consideration in this scenario were from the ACA Code of Ethics (2005): Section F.6.a—Counselor educators conduct counselor education and training programs in an ethical manner and serve as role models for professional behavior; and. Section F.6.e—Counselor educators make every effort to ensure that the rights of peers are not compromised when students or supervisees lead counseling groups or provide clinical supervision. These two codes encapsulate the challenges in this case. The instructor was aware of his obligation to teach the class in an ethical manner and to provide helpful role modeling about how to address the ethical dilemmas that arose. Likewise, it was important for him to address the student's behavior as it related to the members of the class. The student's behavior was potentially upsetting to the members in the role-play, and the instructor needed to consider the impact within the class itself. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved). (chapter)