Engineering Ethics Education Research Articles

Instructor perceptions of engineering ethics education at Chinese engineering universities: A cross-cultural approach

During the past decade, governmental agencies, universities and programs, policymakers, and educators in China have been striving for reforming and “globalizing” the engineering ethics curriculum. Chinese scholars have proposed strategies for improving the teaching effectiveness of engineering ethics that integrate “global forms” derived from the “American-style engineering ethics” into the Chinese context. Nevertheless, limited empirical research is available that examines the alignment of these strategies and the cultures of engineering education in China (e.g., instructor perceptions of engineering ethics education). We argue that understanding how Chinese instructors perceive engineering ethics instruction is critical for designing instructional strategies sensitive to the Chinese sociocultural context. In this study, we reviewed the literature on teaching engineering ethics (primarily after the 2000s) and teased out a set of most “contested” questions concerning American educators since the emergence of engineering ethics education as an academic discipline. By using these questions as a guideline, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 Chinese engineering ethics instructors trained in three different fields: STS and philosophy of science and technology, engineering, and Marxist studies and ethical theories. This paper also briefly discussed how the ways Chinese instructors perceived engineering ethics education are connected to and distinct from the views held by American educators discussed in the literature review section. This paper is expected to shed light on the cultures of engineering ethics education in China and provide insights into formulating effective policies and teaching strategies sensitive to the Chinese context.

Engineering ethics education from the cultural and religious perspectives: a study among Malaysian undergraduates

ABSTRACT The aim of this research is to examine the influence of cultural and religious values in engineering ethics education, which has been largely adopted from Western ideologies among engineering undergraduates in Malaysia. Data were elicited from open-ended interviews involving a group of engineering students of a higher education institution in Malaysia. The findings revealed several themes showing that prevailing cultural and religious values have an important place in engineering ethics education by influencing ethical decision making among future engineers. The findings of this study would provide practitioners with considerable insight into the understanding of the immense impact of religious and cultural values on Malaysian engineering ethics education among engineering undergraduates. Conformity to such religious and cultural values was prevalent among engineering undergraduates, suggesting the need to factor in such values in the development of engineering ethics education model that helps strike a proper balance between local social ideologies and Western ethical principles.

Teaching Engineering Ethics Through a Psychology Course

While ethics instruction is now widespread, studies are still looking for different ways to integrate ethics in engineering programs. In this article, we propose a novel approach by teaching engineering ethics through a psychology course. Starting with the relevant literature studies, we have argued that the phenomeno-logical experience of ethics is a source to explain psychological truths, while en-gineering ethics can be better taught from psychological / behavioral perspectives. A pedagogical approach of experiential learning has been applied to integrate engineering ethics into the psychology course. The empirical study with 400 stu-dents in psychology courses show that teaching engineering ethics through a psychology course has a significant effect on improving the knowledge of engi-neering ethics for students. The relationship between the two pre- and post-test scores was a strong positive linear relationship. A regression equation with a slope of a straight line of 0.57 and a constant of 1.52 has been provided to predict the improvement of post-test scores through pre-test scores. This study proposes the formation of a "psychology and ethics" module in technical schools.

Using case studies in engineering ethics education: the case for immersive scenarios through stakeholder engagement and real life data

ABSTRACT Our contribution is part of a broader study conducted in cooperation with the national accreditation body Engineers Ireland that examined the conceptualisation and education of ethics in engineering programmes in Ireland. The paper is a qualitative examination of the use of case studies in engineering ethics education and includes 23 engineering programmes from 6 higher education institutions in Ireland. The qualitative study aims to determine (RQ1) how cases are selected, (RQ2) the goals envisioned for engineering ethics case instruction, (RQ3) the characteristics of the scenarios employed and (RQ4) the preferred application by instructors. A first finding notes the diverse set of goals and application of ethics case studies. The focus is more on decision-making in professional contexts and less on power relations, equity and the broader societal mission of engineering. The second finding highlights the discrepancy between how instructors employ cases and their preferred application. Engineering ethics cases typically include individualistic, hypothetical and historical scenarios. Nevertheless, instructors favour immersive cases set in real or realistic contexts of practice, containing factual or real-time data, which can provoke students to reflect on broader ethical issues. Considering this aspirational discrepancy, we conclude with recommendations that can guide the development of engineering ethics case instruction.

Training responsible engineers. Phronesis and the role of virtues in teaching engineering ethics

ABSTRACT Engineering ethics courses aim to improve students’ ethical competence by developing skills such as ethical sensitivity, awareness, analysis and judgement. We present a type of virtue engineering ethics that bridges the gap between academic knowledge (in both ethics and engineering) and its application in engineering practice (particularly design). To clarify why learning about virtues can enrich students’ ethical thinking and competences, we specifically consider the virtue of practical wisdom, phronesis. At the core of the paper, we put forward a theoretical argument for including phronesis in teaching ethics within innovation courses. Training this virtue will help engineering students in dealing with the various uncertainties that will emerge from their future engineering practices. With regard to implementing our proposal, we suggest to integrate practical wisdom in ‘semi-technical’ courses that combine theoretical in-class learning and practical design experiences. We discuss the structure, aims and assessment methods of an integrated product development course that we deem preferable to and potentially more effective than stand-alone engineering ethics classes. An engineering virtue ethics can help engineering students develop a personal reflective way of thinking about concrete courses of action in engineering practice, and may have beneficial ripple effects on their lives, society and the environment.

Teaching engineering ethics: a dissenting voice

ABSTRACT The reference to ‘a dissenting voice’ in the title has a double meaning. On the one hand, this paper itself provides a dissenting voice, in that it challenges a number of common practices and widely held views. (For example, challenging the typical focus on case studies, and the focus on the decision-making of individual engineers.) In addition though, the paper argues that teachers of engineering ethics should be willing to discuss the state of the profession, and be willing to criticise the profession and the professional institutions (where appropriate), providing a dissenting voice and aiming to inspire the engineers of the future to challenge the status quo and ultimately to strengthen the profession.

Extraction Technology of Metal and Solid Fuel from Abandoned Coated Wires and Its Application to Engineer Ethics Education

The importance of education on engineer ethics is increasing in higher education for engineer against the backdrop of human technical incidents that frequently occur in Japan and overseas. We have taken up the recycling problem of abandoned coated wires as a subject of engineering ethics education. Since there is no suitable recycling technology for abandoned coated wires, it is disposed of in landfill and exported overseas. We introduced new recycling technology for abandoned coated wires and verified the effectiveness of applying recycling problem of abandoned coated wires as a subject for engineer ethics education in the institute of technology. It was confirmed from the questionnaire results that this subject was an interesting subject regardless of the specialized field. However it was a subject that was not easy for student to consider from the viewpoints of risk management, compliance, and accountability.

Understanding Emotional Influences through Virtual Cases in Science and Engineering Ethics Education

Cases are often used in engineering ethics education, but they are used to teach knowledge with known results and to train students to choose actions. However, scientists and engineers are human beings and do not always behave according to the norm. Although virtual cases differ greatly in emotion and information content compared to real cases, both educators and learners can adjust the structural design and ethical perspective with intention. In addition, they do not require additional research, which makes them more convenient as teaching materials. This paper used two hypothetical cases to show that it was possible to adjust and insert personal and emotional parameters that cause hesitation in the behavioral choices, which was effective in experiencing human weakness in behavioral choices.

What is the Best Engineering Ethics Education?

Currently, engineering ethics education is mandated for engineering students. Department of Mechanical Engineering at Keio University offers a lecture called “Souzou to Rinri (Innovation and Ethics) ” to junior students. In this manuscript, the author discusses what the engineering ethics and its education are, based on the knowledge and experiences through the lecture for years. Ethics problems do not have correct answers and are not subject to be taught. The students need to be educated by themselves through actively discussing the problems. As new technologies emerge, ethics need to be not only discussed but also practiced in the real world at a good speed to match the demand from society. In addition, new boundary conditions, such as COVID-19, need to be considered. These may lead to a new domain of ethics.

Engineering Ethics Education with an E-Learning System “Agora” :

Engineering Ethics Education with an E-Learning System “Agora” :

Erratum: Engineering Ethics Education with an E-Learning System “Agora” : A Ten-Year Practice at Kanazawa Institute of Technology [Journal of JSEE Vol. 69 (2021), No. 5 pp.5_38-5_43

Erratum: Engineering Ethics Education with an E-Learning System “Agora” : A Ten-Year Practice at Kanazawa Institute of Technology [Journal of JSEE Vol. 69 (2021), No. 5 pp.5_38-5_43

Engineering Ethics Education in Japan Society of Civil Engineers

Engineering Ethics Education in Japan Society of Civil Engineers

New Developments of Engineering Ethics Education:

Engineering ethics education in Japan already has a history of more than 20 years. During that time, technology has continued to develop, and emerging technologies, such as AI and genome editing, are now of great interest to society. In this paper, we briefly review the current situation of the growing interest in the social problems posed by technology, and then scrutinize the future of engineering ethics education, considering the findings of the philosophy of technology. Through these considerations, it becomes clear that, first, we need to actively consider macro-level issues, and second, we need to consider issues from a forward-looking perspective. Finally, the necessary elements for the future development of engineering ethics education will be discussed in detail.

Engineering Ethics Education through Active Learning

Engineering Ethics Education through Active Learning

How to Teach Engineering Ethics? A Retrospective and Prospective Sketch of TU Delft’s Approach to Engineering Ethics Education

This paper provides a retrospective and prospective overview of TU Delft’s approach to engineering ethics education. For over twenty years, the Ethics and Philosophy of Technology Section at TU Delft has been at the forefront of engineering ethics education, offering education to a wide range of engineering and design students. The approach developed at TU […]

『塔』の技術者倫理教育への活用

The book titled “Communication and Decision-making in the Era of Trans-Science” (abbreviated as “The Tower” ) was published in December 2020, where the Ethics Committee of the Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan committed as an editor and the author of this article participated in the writing of the book as a co-author. Part 4 of this book is a record of a web-based roundtable discussion by seven co-authors. In this article, after describing the outline and table of contents of this book, the possibility of utilizing the Part 4 roundtable discussion to the engineering ethics education and training at universities and enterprises are described. Directions to improve engineering ethics education are also proposed.

Engineering Ethics as Techno-literacy

This essay historically evaluates the development of the techno-literacy issue, the demand for which surfaced in the engineering education reform around 1990, especially in the 1989 report, Engineering Education in the Transitional Phase. In the discussion, techno-literacy was based on engineering design theories, and in a broader sense, included the study of humanities and social sciences to cultivate well-balanced judgment with a broader knowledge of artificially systematized societies. In the late 1990s, the discussion faded into oblivion, with an increased focus on engineering ethics. However, similar discussions have been raised since the 2000s, emphasizing technological innovation with citizen participation. Given the historical analysis, it is possible to consistently understand Japan’s introduction of social technology (or sociotechnology) and ELSI in the 2000s and provide guidelines for developing engineering ethics education as a liberal arts subject.

Purpose of the Special Issue on “Attributes That the Future Engineers Should Aspire To Have: What Should Engineering Ethics Education Aim for?”

Purpose of the Special Issue on “Attributes That the Future Engineers Should Aspire To Have: What Should Engineering Ethics Education Aim for?”

A Study of Assessment Method of Engineering Ethics Education

It is said that there are difficulties in assessing or evaluating outcomes of engineering ethics education. Especially in affective domain, although we agree to importance of education for character building, it’s too difficult to evaluate outcomes of education or learning. Difficulties are caused by mistakes of design for education. We should set methods and indicators for assessment or evaluation of educational outcomes, when designing class or curriculum. Defining educational objectives as performance indicators, we can assess or evaluate outcomes of education/learning and facilitate students’ learning.

日工教の技術者倫理普及活動について

日工教の技術者倫理普及活動について