Conference Session

Using technology in engineering ethics education

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tracy Anne Hammond, Texas A&M University; Pauline Wade, Texas A&M University; Shawna Thomas, Texas A&M University; Hillary E. Merzdorf, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS)

Education & Innovation at Texas A&M. Her education research interests are in active learning, inclusive teaching, inclusive teaching, project-based learning, and communities of practice.Hillary E. Merzdorf, Texas A&M University College of Engineering ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2024 A Student-Led Ethics Deep Dive, Discussion, and Content Generation Ethics Assignment in Computer Science & Engineering CapstoneAbstractAs senior capstone design represents the culmination of the knowledge and understanding gainedthroughout the four-year degree program, it has significant prominence in ensuring that wegraduate ethical and professional engineers. We implemented a

Conference Session

Broader Approaches to Engineering Ethics Education

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Qin Zhu, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Rockwell Franklin Clancy III, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Lisa M. Lee, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS)

“immunity” theydevelop against unethical and unprofessional conduct (Beever, Kuebler, & Collins, 2021). Twolimitations are identified in this approach by the research team: (1) their work only examined theexplicit, formal curriculum not implicit, informal curriculum, and (2) certain course were notincluded in the data (e.g., graduate courses, capstones, independent studies, study abroadcourses, and internships) (Beever, Kuebler, & Collins, 2021).IT #6, a more recently awarded project, has limited information available online. Based on itsNSF public summary page and one conceptual paper published on Arxiv.org, we found that theirapproach to generating institutional impact is based on ideas similar to a virtual community ofpractice (Pang

Conference Session

Engineering, Ethics, and Leadership

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michelle Marincel Payne, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Kenneth W. Lamb P.E., California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Seth Claberon Sullivan, Texas A&M University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS), Engineering Leadership Development Division (LEAD)

engineering students (approximately 4,500 seniors)spread across 15 departments, so assessing all senior capstone students is not feasible. For thisiteration of our research, we collected responses from students in as many different departmentsas possible, recognizing that the distribution of the survey is instructor dependent.At TAMU, all undergraduate engineering capstone projects are completed as team assignments,so students have the opportunity to develop and practice teamwork skills. However, theinstruction provided on psychological safety and effective teamwork varies greatly fromdepartment to department and even from instructor to instructor. TAMU has a selectiveleadership development program that includes instruction and practice in related

Conference Session

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS) Technical Session - Student understanding

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eman Hammad, Texas A&M University; Celeste Arden Riley, Texas A&M University - Kingsville; Virginia Pederson; Pierre Atieh

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS)

instruction-based methods such as ethical casesstudies, quizzes and discussions [8] [9]. Other studies examined practical approaches such asinteractive development environments, where students are nudged with automated betterarchitecture choices while working on software development [10]. Finally, the psychologicalelement of empathy as a design factor in senior capstone design projects has been evaluatedthrough engaging students in the design of products for handicapped users [11].Our variation of this integrated disciplinary approach combines ethical considerations withbehavioral and motivational ones. Thus, we advocate for a collaborative research initiativebetween applied engineering and psychology. Our overarching objective is to respond to

Conference Session

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS) Technical Session _Monday June 26, 11:00 - 12:30

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeff R. Brown, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach; Chad Rohrbacher, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach; Taylor Joy Mitchell, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University ; Leroy Long III, Sinclair Community College - Dayton; Jenna Korentsides, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach; Joseph Roland Keebler, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS)

the four comparison sections did not complete theintervention.Figure 1. Activities and timeline for critical-narrative interventionProject-Group Discussion AssignmentBoth the study and comparison groups were required to complete the project-group discussionassignment near the end of the semester. Because the primary objective of this research effort isto gain insights on the impact of critical narratives on students’ abilities to identify the broaderimpacts of engineering work and transfer these abilities to their own senior/capstone designprojects, researchers designed the group-discussion exercise to be focused on each groups’senior/capstone design project.The project-group discussion (PGD) was organized in an identical manner to the

Conference Session

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS) Technical Session_Tuesday June 27, 1:30 - 3:00

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jessica Koehler, Wake Forest University; Olga Pierrakos, Wake Forest University; Adetoun Yeaman, Wake Forest University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS)

when faced with challenging coursework orproject obstacles and having the opportunity to fail and try again (i.e. a mastery-based learningpedagogy). As one first-year student succinctly described, simply “getting bad grades back andbeing able to resubmit for more points” was impactful. For larger projects multiple studentsreported something akin to the following (also from the senior level capstone course): “There was a lot of resilience required in continuing the project to completion. We ran into a lot of obstacles where we could have taken a short cut, but we persevered through to turn in the best possible project we could.” - 4th Year Student.Tables 6: Top 2-3 course experiences related to each intellectual virtue

Conference Session

Increasing Engagement in Engineering Ethics Education

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rajani Muraleedharan, Saginaw Valley State University; Thomas Wedge, Saginaw Valley State University; Erik Trump, Saginaw Valley State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS)

approaches to teaching ethics. For many years, these programshave included an engineering ethics course as part of the first-year general education curriculum.Typically, the course covers normative ethical theories, a code of ethics, and three famous casestudies: The Challenger Disaster, SDI: A Violation of Professional Responsibility, and GilbaneGold. Students are assessed based on their report-writing skills, a method that can disadvantageinternational students. Additionally, senior students are expected to evaluate the ethical issues intheir capstone project designs. However, the generic approach to teaching ethics often results inless student engagement and superficial learning [11]. Graduating students are expected topossess in-depth knowledge

Conference Session

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS) Technical Session - Expanding horizons

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Douglas Yung, Syracuse University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS)

students maylearn about the importance of inclusive design, they are rarely provided with opportunities toapply these concepts in project-based learning or capstone design experiences. This gap ineducation perpetuates the separation of DEI from core engineering ethics, reinforcing theperception that equity and inclusion are secondary concerns.Lack of Dynamic Frameworks for Complex ChallengesCurrent frameworks in engineering ethics often adopt static approaches that do not account forthe dynamic interplay between technical, social, and environmental factors. For example,sustainability frameworks may emphasize resource efficiency and environmental impact withoutconsidering how social inequities influence the distribution of benefits and burdens

Conference Session

Increasing Engagement in Engineering Ethics Education

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Udayan Das, Saint Mary's College of California

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS)

in managerial programs, theprofessional nature of the discipline and the general characteristics of undergraduates supports ourpoint of view that providing the ethics training in the context of students’ summer research projectswill enhance their learning and retention. The proposed project will build on this lesson in thesciences by demonstrating the value of context-based training. The tech ethics course addresses thelearning of the issues and the question-directed framework. Then the question-directed frameworkis directly applied to the students’ research project, connecting the learning to their professionalpractice. I believe, strongly, that this type of contextualizing will result in lifetime learning. Olimpo et al. [5] conducted a

Conference Session

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS) Technical Session - Ethics education methodologies and interventions

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rebekah L Martin, Virginia Military Institute; Tanjina Afrin, Virginia Military Institute; Kacie Caple D'Alessandro, Virginia Military Institute

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS)

upcomingcurriculum adjustments.6. Conclusion and RecommendationsBecause the FE data consistently shows a below-average performance on ethics questions, VMIcan consider alternative means to improve students' professional engineering ethical formationand, in turn, FE exam performance. First, VMI can consider tracking how students apply ethicalframeworks in capstone projects or internships to observe and evaluate the integration of ethicsinto engineering practice. Surveys or interviews with alumni can also offer valuable insights intothe long-term impact of ethics education on professional practice. Alternative approaches in theclassroom may include more case study analysis using codes of ethics, structured reflectiveessays to focus on professional issues

Conference Session

Broader Approaches to Engineering Ethics Education

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Markus D. Ong, Whitworth University; Kamesh Sankaran, Whitworth University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS)

require ethics instruction: Principles of Engineering Design, a lowerdivision class, and Engineering Design Project II, an upper division class that is the second halfof the yearlong senior capstone project. Engineering codes of ethics are introduced in Principlesof Engineering Design, and the connection between these codes and the general educationcontent from Core is discussed in detail in the subsequent sections. In Materials Science andEngineering, an upper division elective, students are given assignments to consider the past andfuture impacts of materials development on society and to consider how the production ofmaterials and applications of materials might promote or violate various ethical standards. InStatics, a lower division

Conference Session

Engineering, Ethics, and Leadership

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James N. Magarian, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; John M. Feiler, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Leo McGonagle, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Eileen Milligan, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Alexander Rokosz, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Elizabeth Schanne, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Reza S. Rahaman, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Olivier Ladislas de Weck, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS), Engineering Leadership Development Division (LEAD)

coverage is included in programs’ cores, how is the learning operationalized toreinforce it as being integral to engineering leadership practice? Proposals for embedding ethicsinstruction more integrally within engineering coursework have included increasing the emphasison human-centric approaches to design on engineering team projects [10, 17], mitigating orreducing the isolation of ethics instruction from other aspects of courses and projects [8, 13], andincreasing the use of experiential learning approaches for ethics instruction [12, 17 - 20], among 18 19others. As this paper’s central focus, we illustrate how an ethical reasoning challenge can

Conference Session

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS) Technical Session_Monday June 26, 3:15 - 4:45

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Laurie A. Pinkert, University of Central Florida; Jonathan Beever, University of Central Florida; Steven Kuebler; Lakelyn E. Taylor, University of Central Florida; Eve Vazquez, University of Central Florida; Victor Milanes, University of Central Florida

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS)

preparation for capstone experiences, like internships and senior-design projects. The shift toward explicit training in ethics, sometimes referred to as “ethics andresponsible conduct” (ERC) training, has been driven by a range of factors including high-profileethical transgressions, increased public scrutiny, mandates from funding agencies, and newaccreditation standards.The landscape of disciplinary ethics frameworks, or the value content and structured experiencesthat shape professional development and disciplinary enculturation, reaches wide across thecurriculum and deep into the discipline [10], [11], [12]. This landscape might includeframeworks ranging from accrediting bodies and institutional compliance structures to state and

Conference Session

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS) Technical Session - Virtue & Ethics in the Profession

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jiamin Zhang, University of California, Riverside; Quoc Tuan Olivier Truong, University of California, Riverside; Neha Gutlapalli, University of California, Riverside; HSIN-LING HSIEH, Northern Michigan University; Dena Plemmons, University of California, Riverside

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS)

aculture of interest and analyze it by identifying the virtues highlighted within the story, thendiscussing how those virtues support engineering ethics. The purpose of this exercise was to allowstudents to demonstrate their learning and understanding gained throughout the course.3 IMPLEMENTATIONAs a pilot study, the teaching modules were implemented in the 2-quarter chemical engineering(CHE) capstone design course at a large public university in the Southwest US. Students in thecourse worked in teams of five to design a chemical engineering process. This project wasreviewed and approved by the university’s Institutional Review Board (IRB protocol number:30232). The first author is the course instructor. The control group for the study is

Conference Session

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS) Technical Session _Monday June 26, 11:00 - 12:30

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rosalyn W. Berne, University of Virginia; William J Davis, University of Virginia; Kent A. Wayland, University of Virginia; Bryn Elizabeth Seabrook, University of Virginia; Caroline Crockett, University of Virginia

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS)

macro perspectives, providing faculty development that includes training in both STS and practical ethics; and revision of curriculum materials, including online resources.”16Putting primary focus on micro-ethics in the piloted engineering ethics course provides studentswith the self-awareness of their values and skills to be able to voice those values during theirsenior capstone experience two years later. It also gives students the foundation for weavingethics considerations into the deep dive of researching and writing their undergraduate theses.Course OverviewEngineering ethics courses share a common provocation: When confronted with an ethicallychallenging situation, how can engineers identify the choices and options that will

Conference Session

Virtues in Engineering Ethics Education

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chloe Adams, Wake Forest University; Olga Pierrakos, Wake Forest University and National Science Foundation ; Lasya Agasthya

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS)

engineering degree programs.Undergraduate engineering curricula include engineering ethics through specialized courses andprogram-wide integration. While some engineering programs embed one stand-alone ethicscourse within a curriculum, other programs embed ethics modules across a few courses within acurriculum. Very few engineering programs weave engineering ethics across a four-yearundergraduate curriculum in a concerted and developmental way [7]. Engineering ethics taughtin stand-alone courses is usually offered within the first two years of study [4]. According toDavis [6], several engineering programs also embed ethical modules into technical writing andcommunication seminars, senior capstone projects, and introduction to engineering courses

Conference Session

Decision-Making in Engineering Ethics Education

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tim Ransom, Clemson University; Alysa Rose Lozano, University of Kentucky; Betul Bilgin, The University of Illinois Chicago; Courtney Pfluger, Northeastern University; Sindia M. Rivera-Jiménez, University of Florida; Katie Cadwell, Syracuse University; Gisella R Lamas Samanamud, University of Kentucky

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS)

. In 2011, began as an Assistant Teaching Professor in First-year Engineering Program where she redesigned the curriculum and developed courses with sustainability and clean water themes. In 2017, she moved to ChE Department where she has taught core courses and redesigned the Capstone design course with inclusion pedagogy practices. She has also developed and ran 9 faculty-led, international programs to Brazil focused on Sustainable Energy. She has won several teaching awards including ChE Sioui Award for Excellence in Teaching, COE Essigmann Outstanding Teaching Award, and AIChE Innovation in ChE Education Award. She also won best paper at the Annual ASEE conference in both Design in Engineering Education

Conference Session

Professional Development and Engineering Ethics Education

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bailey Kathryn McOwen, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Dayoung Kim, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS)

minimize the effects ofnegative social identification can provide socialization opportunities to students. Additionally,establishing self-belief in engineering students can be accomplished by socialization of students;allowing them to observe one another’s goal setting and accomplishing those goals will allowthem to model their behaviors after each other. Consider long-term, independent projects thatmodel professional projects which require incremental goal setting and accomplishments; oftenthese take place in capstone or senior design projects, but introduction to these types of projectsearlier not only expose students to various types of engineering careers, but also allow them toexercise self-belief in lower-stakes opportunities.Finally, one

Conference Session

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS) Technical Session - Expanding horizons

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tammy Mackenzie, The Aula Fellowship; Varsha Kesavan, University of Alberta; Thomas Mekhaël, Ecole de Technologie Superieure; Animesh Paul, University of Georgia; Branislav RADELJIC, Aula Fellowship for AI Science, Tech, and Policy; Sara Kodeiri; Sreyoshi Bhaduri, Private Corporation

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS)

particular to Quebec within north America, and can provide novel legislativeacts to support the integration of training interests with professional deontology, withinQuebec but also as an inspiration for potential changes elsewhere.4.4 Actionable RecommendationsBuilding on our findings, we propose a set of actionable recommendations for both engineer-ing educators and professional orders to strengthen ethical standards within the profession.4.4.1 For Engineering Educators: • Expand ethics instruction: Increase the number of hours dedicated to ethics education and integrate ethical reasoning consistently across technical coursework, internships, and capstone projects to reinforce its relevance throughout the curriculum

Conference Session

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS) Technical Session - GenAI in ethics education

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tianjiao Zhao, East Carolina University; Angela Whitehurst, East Carolina University; George C. Wang P.E., East Carolina University; Xi Lin, East Carolina University; Xi Wang, Drexel University; Ron Chance, East Carolina University; Chelsea Rebecca Buckhalter, East Carolina University; shahrooz Ghorbani, East Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS)

learning environments. More information can be found at http://whoisxilin.weebly.com/Dr. Xi Wang, Drexel University Dr. Xi Wang is an Assistant Teaching Professor at Drexel University. She received her Ph.D. and M.Eng both in Civil Engineering, from the University of Kentucky and Auburn University. She is licensed as a Professional Engineer and LEED Green Associate. She is teaching a range of courses in construction management and will be assisting capstone design projects that directly serve regional construction firms. Her research interests include technology adoption in workforce development in the construction industry, sustainable developments in construction education, and learning motivation for student