Ethics in Context, Ethics in Action: Getting beyond the individual professional in engineering ethics education

摘要

A number of authors have challenged engineering ethics educators to incorporate elements of what may be called "macroethics," "social ethics" or considerations related to the field of science and technology studies (STS) in engineering ethics curricula. To respond to this call effectively requires reform of both content and pedagogy. A new advanced course on engineering ethics uses readings from philosophy, science and technology studies, and feminist and postcolonial science studies to examine questions that necessarily challenge foundational assumptions of engineering, which not only underlie all of what scientists and engineers undertake in their work, but also require the active involvement of citizens outside of science and engineering. Students encounter new visions for science and engineering that integrate a variety of ethical considerations that mean to address critiques encountered throughout the course. Pedagogies of liberation are employed in order to accomplish three outcomes. First, classroom responsibility shifts echo the lessons learned from STS around engineers' responsibility properly contextualized. Second, a focus on critical thinking and creativity stimulate critiques of the classroom learning process as well as approaches to course material and ethics problems. Third, an orientation toward praxis grounds theory in real communities that generate problems addressed by ethics approaches, resulting ultimately in transformative action in collaboration with the community of origin. This paper describes course objectives, content, and pedagogy, and presents specific innovations that shift responsibility, stimulate critical thinking, and create opportunities for students to engage in praxis. Results of assessment are discussed, with a focus on the scaffolding required to assist engineering students in adjusting to new content and methods.