The Development of Ethical Reasoning: A Comparison of Online versus Hybrid Delivery Modes of Ethics Instruction

Beever

Zoltowski

et al. 2019

J of Engineering Edu

Self Cite

Background: Educating engineers to reason through the ethical decisions they encounter when developing or implementing new technologies is a critical challenge. However, engineering educators have not widely adopted a framework for preparing engineering students to analyze ethical issues. Purpose/Hypothesis: We developed and tested an approach for enhancing the ethical reasoning of engineering students. This approach integrates reflexive principlism, an ethical reasoning approach, within a structured learning framework, scaffolded, interactive, and reflective analysis, or SIRA. We hypothesized that students' ethical reasoning abilities and empathic perspective-taking tendencies would increase. Design/Method: We implemented and tested the integrated approach over five semesters with graduate-level engineering students through a quasi-experimental, controlled research design. We measured changes in ethical reasoning using the Engineering Ethical Reasoning Instrument (EERI) and the Defining Issues Test 2 (DIT2) and empathic tendencies using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). We examined relationships among measures through correlation analysis. Results: The EERI instrumentation indicated that the approach significantly increased the ethical reasoning abilities of graduate-level engineering students. However, the DIT2 findings did not indicate change. The IRI indicated perspective-taking tendencies were enhanced and personal distress tendencies were reduced. Postcourse correlational data indicated moderate relationships between perspective-taking and ethical reasoning as measured by the IRI and the EERI indexes. Conclusions: This study provides a theoretical approach for developing ethical reasoning and empathic perspective-taking among graduate-level engineering students. It also provides a theoretical framework, a pedagogical approach, and evaluation methods that others may utilize. K E Y W O R D S critical reflection, ethics, ethical reasoning, instructional methods, reflexive principlism

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhancing engineering students' ethical reasoning: Situating reflexive principlism within the SIRA framework

Beever

Zoltowski

et al. 2019

J of Engineering Edu

Self Cite

“…This study builds directly on our team's work (Hess, Kisselburgh, Zoltowski, & Brightman, ; Kisselburgh et al, ) by providing an in‐depth, qualitative exploration into how the specific features of an engineering ethics course promoted changes in perspective‐taking.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Development of Empathic Perspective‐Taking in an Engineering Ethics Course

Brightman

2017

J of Engineering Edu

Background Perspective‐taking, a key component of engineering, is particularly salient in engineering ethics. Yet practices for promoting its development in engineering students both within and outside of ethics education remain largely underexplored. Purpose The objective of this investigation was twofold: first, we explored the aspects of an engineering ethics course that contributed to changes in perspective‐taking among graduate‐level engineering students. Second, we explored the nature of these changes. Design/Method We used Critical Incident Technique to explore these two research objectives. To enhance the rigor of this qualitative investigation, we implemented Walther, Sochacka, and Kellam's Quality Framework. Results The analysis of 24 critical incidents extracted from post‐course interviews resulted in five distinct but related themes representing potential causes of changes in perspective‐taking. Themes included the sharing of diverse perspectives, the challenge of ethical decision‐making, projection exercises, repetitive application of Reflexive Principlism, and experiencing cognitive dissonance. Second, we found four themes representing the nature of perspectivetaking changes, including open‐mindedness, holistic perspective‐taking, principle‐based perspective‐taking, and worldview broadening. Conclusions These findings elucidate nuances engineering educators might consider when seeking perspective‐taking development among their students, such as the nature of case study prompts and the relationship between perspective‐taking and ethical reasoning processes.

“…Fifteen (15) complete pre and post responses were collected to the ESIP survey, representing 100% of Course 1 participants. All students were enrolled in an engineering major (14 in Mechanical Engineering; 1 in Electrical Engineering).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A post-course survey was designed, building on Scaffolding and Interactivity scales described by Hess et al [15]. Here, scaffolding is defined as one's "perceived effectiveness of course components that involve structured thinking."…”

Section: E3 Post-course Responsesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Engineering-science Intellectual Property (ESIP) Project: A Novel Method for Promoting Innovation

Piroozi

2018 ASEE Annual Conference &Amp; Exposition Proceedings

Feldhaus

Self Cite

In the idea economy, intellectual property (IP) is valued higher than other assets such as factories and equipment. Affirmation of this valuation is often observed when a company's IP advances or declines which causes a seismic shift in its stock price. IP law, however, is complicated and is evolving. As a result, new engineering and science graduates take many years, if ever, before they are familiar with the process of securing IP. Lack of such familiarity often results in IP being an after-thought in design processes. While others have attempted to discuss IP as part of a larger entrepreneurship setting in the form of a brief introduction of various IP vehicles, a solid understanding of what is protectable requires more than familiarity with IP concepts. This paper describes the development and underlying theory of a novel educational program titled Engineering-Science Intellectual Property Project (ESIP-Project). This project includes three degree-counted elective courses that together create an IP concentration in an engineering BS curriculum. The intent of the project is to generate within students a deep understanding of IP requirements for creating novel, nonobvious, and non-infringing designs. In addition, the ESIP-Project is designed to teach IP concepts as they relate to engineering design, as well as critical thinking skills and innovation. More specifically, students will be prepared to engage in prior art review, identify what is needed to obtain enforceable designs, and apply strategies to avoid infringement of existing patents. At the culmination of ESIP-Project, students will be prepared to pass the patent bar examination and become certified to practice patent law before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Hence, graduates of the ESIP-Project will have new career options including choices for becoming patent engineers and patent agents, in addition to traditional technical career choices. This paper includes an overview of the three-course sequence, as well as evaluation results of the implementation of the first course. A survey was designed by the investigators and implemented pre and post course. The survey included three constructs: Knowledge of IP Concepts, Innovative Product Design, and Careers in Patent Law. Following reliability testing procedures, student responses to these constructs were compared before and after course implementation. Despite the small sample size (15 students), comparative analyses suggested students experienced strong, positive gains in each construct. These positive changes in student responses from participation in just one of three IP courses is encouraging to our team. We hope that the ESIP-Project model, and our evaluation of the model as we scale it up, will provide a pathway for other educators to follow, particularly those who are interested in promoting entrepreneurship and innovation among their students.