Effectiveness of Ethical Interventions in a First-Year Engineering Course: A Pilot Study

Richard Tyler Cimino; Scott Duplicate Streiner

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Conference: 2018 FYEE Conference
Location: Glassboro, New Jersey
Publication Date: July 24, 2018
Start Date: July 24, 2018
End Date: July 26, 2018
Conference Session: Technical Session II
Tagged Topics: Diversity and FYEE Conference Sessions
Page Count: 11
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--31394
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/31394
Download Count: 421

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Paper Authors

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Richard Tyler Cimino ExEEd Department, Rowan University orcid.org/0000-0003-4171-4133

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Scott Duplicate Streiner Rowan University

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Dr. Scott Streiner is an assistant professor in the Experiential Engineering Education Department (ExEEd) at Rowan University. He received his Ph.D in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh, with a focus in engineering education. His research interests include engineering global competency, curricula and assessment; pedagogical innovations through game-based and playful learning; spatial skills development and engineering ethics education. His funded research explores the nature of global competency development by assessing how international experiences improve the global perspectives of engineering students. Dr. Streiner has published papers and given presentations in global engineering education at several national conferences. Scott is an active member in the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) both locally and nationally, as well as the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE).

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Abstract

For most students, college is “a time during which they define themselves in relation to others, and experiment with different social roles…” (Gurin, 1999). Students may begin to question their usual social norms as they begin to experience a larger and more diverse population and are exposed to new social situations such as communal living, class schedules, ‘free time’, part-time jobs, and parties. For many, this may be the first time they confront the ethics and morals by which they were raised.

Engineering students are tasked with the additional challenge of reconciling themselves with the ethical codes that are integral to the profession of engineering. Students must learn to make engineering decisions that take into account ethical and moral concepts and must learn to resolve serious ethical dilemmas – often with the knowledge that people’s lives may depend upon those decisions. While it is mandated that ABET accredited engineering programs provide their students with education about engineering ethics (outcome 4, formerly outcome f), the form that education takes varies considerably with each program. Further, there is continual debate at the university level about the efficacy of engineering ethics education (King & Kitchener, 2004). In particular, at least one prominent study (Colby & Sullivan, 2008) has documented skepticism amongst faculty with respect to the (positive) nature and influence of the ethics education provided.

The purpose of this pilot study is to characterize the moral development of first year engineering students and examine how ethical and moral outlooks change throughout the first year engineering curriculum when exposed to a set of specific ethics-based interventions. The ability of first year engineering students to make ethical decisions is assessed using two related instruments – the Defining Issues Test (DIT-2) and the Engineering Ethical Reasoning Instrument (EERI) that are designed to assess moral decision making via the Kohlbergian model of moral development. These instruments were implemented via a pre-post testing model, with instructional interventions taking place between the tests. Instructional effectiveness was also analyzed in relation to moral development and ethical problem resolution by means of a focus group.

While mixed, the results of this pilot study indicate that 1.)The instructional methods have an effect on student thought processes (though not necessarily the intended one) 2.) Engineering students tend to score higher on the EERI than on the DIT-2 and 3.) Engineers taking the DIT-2 may outscore students in other professional and technical majors.

Citations Colby A., & Sullivan W. M., “Ethics teaching in undergraduate engineering.” Journal of Engineering Education, 97 (3), 327-338 (2008).

Gurin, P. “Selections from the compelling need for diversity in higher education, expert reports in defense of the University of Michigan” Equity & Excellence, 32 (2), 36-62 (1999).

King, P. M., & Kitchener, K. A. “Reflective judgment: Theory and research on the development of epistemic assumptions through adulthood.” Educational Psychologist , 39 (1), 5-18 (2004).

Citation
Format

Cimino, R. T., & Streiner, S. D. (2018, July), Effectiveness of Ethical Interventions in a First-Year Engineering Course: A Pilot Study Paper presented at 2018 FYEE Conference, Glassboro, New Jersey. 10.18260/1-2--31394

TY - CPAPER
AB - For most students, college is “a time during which they define themselves in relation to others, and experiment with different social roles…” (Gurin, 1999). Students may begin to question their usual social norms as they begin to experience a larger and more diverse population and are exposed to new social situations such as communal living, class schedules, ‘free time’, part-time jobs, and parties. For many, this may be the first time they confront the ethics and morals by which they were raised.

Engineering students are tasked with the additional challenge of reconciling themselves with the ethical codes that are integral to the profession of engineering. Students must learn to make engineering decisions that take into account ethical and moral concepts and must learn to resolve serious ethical dilemmas – often with the knowledge that people’s lives may depend upon those decisions. While it is mandated that ABET accredited engineering programs provide their students with education about engineering ethics (outcome 4, formerly outcome f), the form that education takes varies considerably with each program. Further, there is continual debate at the university level about the efficacy of engineering ethics education (King &amp; Kitchener, 2004). In particular, at least one prominent study (Colby &amp; Sullivan, 2008) has documented skepticism amongst faculty with respect to the (positive) nature and influence of the ethics education provided.

The purpose of this pilot study is to characterize the moral development of first year engineering students and examine how ethical and moral outlooks change throughout the first year engineering curriculum when exposed to a set of specific ethics-based interventions. The ability of first year engineering students to make ethical decisions is assessed using two related instruments – the Defining Issues Test (DIT-2) and the Engineering Ethical Reasoning Instrument (EERI) that are designed to assess moral decision making via the Kohlbergian model of moral development. These instruments were implemented via a pre-post testing model, with instructional interventions taking place between the tests. Instructional effectiveness was also analyzed in relation to moral development and ethical problem resolution by means of a focus group.

While mixed, the results of this pilot study indicate that 1.)The instructional methods have an effect on student thought processes (though not necessarily the intended one) 2.) Engineering students tend to score higher on the EERI than on the DIT-2 and 3.) Engineers taking the DIT-2 may outscore students in other professional and technical majors.

Citations
Colby A., &amp; Sullivan W. M., “Ethics teaching in undergraduate engineering.” Journal of
Engineering Education, 97 (3), 327-338 (2008).

Gurin, P. “Selections from the compelling need for diversity in higher education, expert reports in defense of the University of Michigan” Equity &amp; Excellence, 32 (2), 36-62 (1999).

King, P. M., &amp; Kitchener, K. A. “Reflective judgment: Theory and research on the
development of epistemic assumptions through adulthood.” Educational Psychologist ,
39 (1), 5-18 (2004).

AU - Richard Tyler Cimino
AU - Scott Duplicate Streiner
CY - Glassboro, New Jersey
DA - 2018/07/24
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Effectiveness of Ethical Interventions in a First-Year Engineering Course: A Pilot Study
UR - https://peer.asee.org/31394
DO - 10.18260/1-2--31394
ER -