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Lim JH, Hunt BD, Findlater N, Tkacik PT, Dahlberg JL. "In Our Own Little World": Invisibility of the Social and Ethical Dimension of Engineering Among Undergraduate Students. SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ETHICS 2021; 27:74. [PMID: 34882277 PMCID: PMC8660727 DOI: 10.1007/s11948-021-00355-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This paper explores how undergraduate students understood the social relevance of their engineering course content knowledge and drew (or failed to draw) broader social and ethical implications from that knowledge. Based on a three-year qualitative study in a junior-level engineering class, we found that students had difficulty in acknowledging the social and ethical aspects of engineering as relevant topics in their coursework. Many students considered the immediate technical usability or improved efficiency of technical innovations as the noteworthy social and ethical implications of engineering. Findings suggest that highly-structured engineering programs leave little room for undergraduate students to explore the ethical dimension of engineering content knowledge and interact with other students/programs on campus to expand their "technically-minded" perspective. We discussed the issues of the "culture of disengagement" (Cech, Sci Technol Human Values 39(1):42-72, 2014) fueled by disciplinary elitism, spatial distance, and insulated curriculum prevalent in the current structure of engineering programs. We called for more conscious effort by engineering educators to offer meaningful interdisciplinary engagement opportunities and in-class conversations on ethics that support engineering students' holistic intellectual growth and well-rounded professional ethics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Hoon Lim
- Cato College of Education, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, , Charlotte, NC USA
| | - Brittany D. Hunt
- Cato College of Education, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, , Charlotte, NC USA
| | - Nickcoy Findlater
- Lee College of Engineering, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, , Charlotte, NC USA
| | - Peter T. Tkacik
- Lee College of Engineering, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, , Charlotte, NC USA
| | - Jerry L. Dahlberg
- Lee College of Engineering, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, , Charlotte, NC USA
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Zhu Q, Jesiek BK. Practicing Engineering Ethics in Global Context: A Comparative Study of Expert and Novice Approaches to Cross-Cultural Ethical Situations. SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ETHICS 2020; 26:2097-2120. [PMID: 31721025 DOI: 10.1007/s11948-019-00154-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Engineers and other technical professionals are increasingly challenged by the impacts of globalization. Further, engineering educators, technical managers, and human resources staff have demonstrated great interest in selecting and training engineers who are capable of working competently, professionally, and ethically in global context. However, working across countries and cultures brings considerable challenges to global engineers, including as related to understanding and navigating local and regional differences in what counts as professional ethics and integrity. In this study, we focus on written responses to 27 assessment scenarios that involve micro- and/or macro-ethical considerations in six national/cultural contexts (China, France, Germany, India, Japan, and Mexico). More specifically, we analyze responses to open-ended versions of the scenarios. Our participants consisted of both experts (e.g., experienced engineers) and novices (e.g., undergraduate students and early career professionals). Comparing and contrasting how experts and novices responded to these ethical problems sheds light on differences in their ethical strategies and approaches. This analysis also allows us to discern what specific cultural knowledge and sensitivity were employed by experts in solving cross-cultural ethical problems, but were largely lacking among novices. Finally, we analyze and discuss challenges faced by experts and novices in responding to cross-cultural ethical situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Zhu
- Division of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Colorado School of Mines, 1005 14th Street, Stratton Hall 306, Golden, CO, 80401, USA.
| | - Brent K Jesiek
- School of Engineering Education, Purdue University, 701 West Stadium Avenue, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
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Hess JL, Fore G. A Systematic Literature Review of US Engineering Ethics Interventions. SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ETHICS 2018; 24:551-583. [PMID: 28401510 DOI: 10.1007/s11948-017-9910-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Promoting the ethical formation of engineering students through the cultivation of their discipline-specific knowledge, sensitivity, imagination, and reasoning skills has become a goal for many engineering education programs throughout the United States. However, there is neither a consensus throughout the engineering education community regarding which strategies are most effective towards which ends, nor which ends are most important. This study provides an overview of engineering ethics interventions within the U.S. through the systematic analysis of articles that featured ethical interventions in engineering, published in select peer-reviewed journals, and published between 2000 and 2015. As a core criterion, each journal article reviewed must have provided an overview of the course as well as how the authors evaluated course-learning goals. In sum, 26 articles were analyzed with a coding scheme that included 56 binary items. The results indicate that the most common methods for integrating ethics into engineering involved exposing students to codes/standards, utilizing case studies, and discussion activities. Nearly half of the articles had students engage with ethical heuristics or philosophical ethics. Following the presentation of the results, this study describes in detail four articles to highlight less common but intriguing pedagogical methods and evaluation techniques. The findings indicate that there is limited empirical work on ethics education within engineering across the United States. Furthermore, due to the large variation in goals, approaches, and evaluation methods described across interventions, this study does not detail "best" practices for integrating ethics into engineering. The science and engineering education community should continue exploring the relative merits of different approaches to ethics education in engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin L Hess
- STEM Education Innovation and Research Institute, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
| | - Grant Fore
- STEM Education Innovation and Research Institute, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
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Todd EM, Watts LL, Mulhearn TJ, Torrence BS, Turner MR, Connelly S, Mumford MD. A Meta-analytic Comparison of Face-to-Face and Online Delivery in Ethics Instruction: The Case for a Hybrid Approach. SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ETHICS 2017; 23:1719-1754. [PMID: 28150177 DOI: 10.1007/s11948-017-9869-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/02/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite the growing body of literature on training in the responsible conduct of research, few studies have examined the effectiveness of delivery formats used in ethics courses (i.e., face-to-face, online, hybrid). The present effort sought to address this gap in the literature through a meta-analytic review of 66 empirical studies, representing 106 ethics courses and 10,069 participants. The frequency and effectiveness of 67 instructional and process-based content areas were also assessed for each delivery format. Process-based contents were best delivered face-to-face, whereas contents delivered online were most effective when restricted to compliance-based instructional contents. Overall, hybrid courses were found to be most effective, suggesting that ethics courses are best delivered using a blend of formats and content areas. Implications and recommendations for future development of ethics education courses in the sciences are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Michelle Todd
- Department of Psychology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- Center for Applied Social Research, 201 Stephenson Parkway, Suite 4100, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Logan L Watts
- Department of Psychology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- Center for Applied Social Research, 201 Stephenson Parkway, Suite 4100, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Tyler J Mulhearn
- Department of Psychology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- Center for Applied Social Research, 201 Stephenson Parkway, Suite 4100, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Brett S Torrence
- Department of Psychology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- Center for Applied Social Research, 201 Stephenson Parkway, Suite 4100, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Megan R Turner
- Department of Psychology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- Center for Applied Social Research, 201 Stephenson Parkway, Suite 4100, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Shane Connelly
- Department of Psychology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- Center for Applied Social Research, 201 Stephenson Parkway, Suite 4100, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Michael D Mumford
- Department of Psychology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
- Center for Applied Social Research, 201 Stephenson Parkway, Suite 4100, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
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Todd EM, Torrence BS, Watts LL, Mulhearn TJ, Connelly S, Mumford MD. Effective Practices in the Delivery of Research Ethics Education: A Qualitative Review of Instructional Methods. Account Res 2017; 24:297-321. [PMID: 28332862 DOI: 10.1080/08989621.2017.1301210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
In order to delineate best practices for courses on research ethics, the goal of the present effort was to identify themes related to instructional methods reflected in effective research ethics and responsible conduct of research (RCR) courses. By utilizing a qualitative review, four themes relevant to instructional methods were identified in effective research ethics courses: active participation, case-based activities, a combination of individual and group approaches, and a small number of instructional methods. Three instructional method themes associated with less effective courses were also identified: passive learning, a group-based approach, and a large number of instructional methods. Key characteristics of each theme, along with example courses relative to each theme, are described. Additionally, implications regarding these instructional method themes and recommendations for best practices in research ethics courses are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Michelle Todd
- a Department of Psychology , University of Oklahoma , Norman , Oklahoma , USA
| | - Brett S Torrence
- a Department of Psychology , University of Oklahoma , Norman , Oklahoma , USA
| | - Logan L Watts
- a Department of Psychology , University of Oklahoma , Norman , Oklahoma , USA
| | - Tyler J Mulhearn
- a Department of Psychology , University of Oklahoma , Norman , Oklahoma , USA
| | - Shane Connelly
- a Department of Psychology , University of Oklahoma , Norman , Oklahoma , USA
| | - Michael D Mumford
- a Department of Psychology , University of Oklahoma , Norman , Oklahoma , USA
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Ecklund EH, Di D. A Gendered Approach to Science Ethics for US and UK Physicists. SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ETHICS 2017; 23:183-201. [PMID: 26797877 DOI: 10.1007/s11948-016-9751-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 01/06/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Some research indicates that women professionals-when compared to men-may be more ethical in the workplace. Existing literature that discusses gender and ethics is confined to the for-profit business sector and primarily to a US context. In particular, there is little attention paid to gender and ethics in science professions in a global context. This represents a significant gap, as science is a rapidly growing and global professional sector, as well as one with ethically ambiguous areas. Adopting an international comparative perspective, this paper relies on 121 semi-structured interviews with US and UK academic physicists to examine how physicists perceive the impact of gender on science ethics. Findings indicate that some US and UK physicists believe that female scientists handle ethical issues within science in a feminine way whereas their male colleagues approach ethics in a masculine way. Some of these physicists further claim that these different approaches to science ethics lead to male and female scientists' different levels of competitiveness in academic physics. In both the US and the UK, there are "gender-blind" physicists, who do not think gender is related to professional ethics. Relying on physicists' nuanced descriptions this paper contributes to the current understanding of gender and science and engineering ethics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Di Di
- Department of Sociology, Rice University, MS-28, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, TX, USA
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Watts LL, Medeiros KE, Mulhearn TJ, Steele LM, Connelly S, Mumford MD. Are Ethics Training Programs Improving? A Meta-Analytic Review of Past and Present Ethics Instruction in the Sciences. ETHICS & BEHAVIOR 2016; 27:351-384. [PMID: 30740008 PMCID: PMC6368181 DOI: 10.1080/10508422.2016.1182025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Given the growing public concern and attention placed on cases of research misconduct, government agencies and research institutions have increased their efforts to develop and improve ethics education programs for scientists. The present study sought to assess the impact of these increased efforts by sampling empirical studies published since the year 2000. Studies published prior to 2000 examined in other meta-analytic work were also included to provide a baseline for assessing gains in ethics training effectiveness over time. In total,this quantitative review consisted of 66 empirical studies, 106 ethics courses, 150 effect sizes, and 10,069 training participants. Overall, the findings indicated that ethics instruction resulted in sizable benefits to participants and has improved considerably within the last decade. A number of specific findings also emerged regarding moderators of instructional effectiveness. Recommendations are discussed for improving the development, delivery, and evaluation of ethics instruction in the sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan L Watts
- Department of Psychology, The University of Oklahoma
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Steele LM, Mulhearn TJ, Medeiros KE, Watts LL, Connelly S, Mumford MD. How Do We Know What Works? A Review and Critique of Current Practices in Ethics Training Evaluation. Account Res 2016; 23:319-50. [DOI: 10.1080/08989621.2016.1186547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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