An injunction to 'think ethically' about a situation is not helpful. Perhaps if one has a background in moral philosophy this would work, but usually both students and IT professionals require some form of guidance as to how to achieve an appropriate outcome. The technique has proven itself as a means to achieving this, at least for PIIT students.
This approach is not dependent on a particular standard, such as the code of ethics of a particular professional society. It is a technique that can be applied in a variety of circumstances, not limited by technological, cultural or religious background.
The approach is not limited by one's moral philosophy. One can use this technique effectively and be an objectivist, holding that certain moral truths remain good independently of personal likes and dislikes, or a relativist, holding that truths are relative to the individual or one's culture. Similarly, this approach can be used by consequentialists, holding that consequences determine if something is ethical, and by deontologists, holding that some things, regardless of the consequences, are right or wrong in themselves. The technique is a means of arriving at an ethical outcome appropriate within (or at least independent of) personal belief systems.