A big ethical question is what happens after people stop using the device. Does it degrade the environment? Could it have been designed so it would actually be good for the environment?
In my opinion, no single design is apt to be optimal for everyone.
I think there is a tendency in science to measure what is measurable and to decide that what you cannot measure must be uninteresting.
Sure, one can always get the students to relax and be happy - entertained, but although being laid back and relax can also lead to creativity, mostly it means that nothing much gets done.
And to get real work experience, you need a job, and most jobs will require you to have had either real work experience or a graduate degree.
So what does a good teacher do? Create tension - but just the right amount.