About Institutional Differences in the Education of Engineering and Computing Students About Ethics and Societal Impacts
| Authors | Bielefeldt, Angela; Polmear, Madeline; Knight, Daniel; Swan, Christoppher; Canney, Nathan |
|---|---|
| Date | 2017 |
| Proceedings | Proceedings of the 2017 Christian Engineering Conference |
| URL | https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/christian_engineering_conference/2017/curriculum_and_program_development/2 |
Type: Conference Paper
Tags: Christian Engineering
Abstract
This study explored the extent to which faculty report teaching engineering and computing students about ethics and societal impacts (ESI) in courses and via co-curricular activities. The research questions were to determine if there were differences in the topics, teaching methods, assessment methods, and satisfaction with ESI instruction between faculty from religiously- affiliated (RA) and non-religiously affiliated (NRA) institutions. A national survey was conducted, with about 1400 responses. This included 122 faculty from 60 RA institutions (across 17 denominations/faiths). Chi-square tests evaluated statistically significant differences (p<0.05). Among 18 ESI topics, six were taught more commonly in courses by faculty at RA institutions: risk and liabilities, engineering and poverty, social justice, ethical failures, safety, and societal impacts of technology. Within individual courses, faculty at RA institutions more commonly taught students about ESI using project based learning, reflections, and service-learning. More individuals from RA vs. NRA institutions assessed ESI instruction in courses (94% vs. 86%). More of the faculty at RA vs. NRA institutions felt that undergraduate students were sufficiently educated about ESI (48% vs. 30%). In co-curricular activities, the topics, teaching methods, and assessment of ESI education did not differ significantly between RA and NRA institutions. In interviews, seven faculty teaching at RA institutions noted that the institutional culture was supportive of ethics education. Overall the results provide interesting information into how faculty try to teach engineering and computing students about ESI issues. The differences noted may be indicative of a higher value being placed on ESI education by RA institutions over that of NRA institutions; however, the majority of faculty at both institution types feel that ESI education efforts could be improved.