Faculty perceptions of the most effective settings and approaches for educating engineering and computing students about ethics and societal impacts

Abstract

Teaching students about ethical responsibilities and the societal impacts of engineering (ESI) is an important part of undergraduate education. Despite the inclusion of these topics in accreditation criteria, professional codes of ethics, and engineering bodies of knowledge, there is little consensus on the most effective approach to educating students about ESI. between September 2016 and April 2017, 37 interviews with faculty experienced in ESI education were completed. The interviews were designed to gain insight into the courses or co-curricular activities in which the educators teach ESI. The semi-structured interviews explored the teaching approaches used, including topic selection, pedagogy, and assessment, as well as motivating factors in the course design, perceptions of student impacts, and the overall institutional culture at the school in regards to ESI education. The conversations illuminated a range of perspectives regarding the most effective ways to educate engineering and computing students about ESI. Emergent, thematic coding of the interview data revealed diverging opinions on whether the topics should be taught in curricular or co-curricular settings, in required or elective courses, by engineering or non-engineering faculty, and in standalone ethics courses, integrated into technical courses, or across the curriculum. The results highlight different approaches suggesting best practices could be better clarified based on context and setting. Despite the varying opinions on settings and approaches, all of the interviewees expressed the importance of integrating ESI into engineering education to foster a sense of ethical awareness and responsibility in students.