Board 19: Impacts of Engineering Justice Curriculum: A Survey of Student Attitudes

Tina Lee; Elizabeth Anne Buchanan; Devin R. Berg

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Conference: 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Tampa, Florida
Publication Date: June 15, 2019
Start Date: June 15, 2019
End Date: June 19, 2019
Conference Session: Community Engagement Division Poster Session
Tagged Division: Community Engagement Division
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 23
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--32288
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/32288
Download Count: 418

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Paper Authors

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Tina Lee University of Wisconsin-Stout

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Dr. Tina Lee is an Associate Professor of Anthropology and the Program Director for the Applied Social Science Program at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

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Elizabeth Anne Buchanan University of Wisconsin-Stout

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Elizabeth Buchanan is Endowed Chair in Ethics and Acting Director, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

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Devin R. Berg University of Wisconsin-Stout orcid.org/0000-0002-1193-3848

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Devin Berg is an Associate Professor and Program Director of the B.S. Mechanical Engineering program in the Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin - Stout.

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Abstract

As part of a larger project examining the role of humanitarian service learning in engineering (NSF project number EEC-1540301), we conducted an investigation of first-year engineering students' perceptions of humanitarian service learning projects, social responsibility in their discipline, and ethics in STEM. Students (n=231) taking a required freshmen level engineering course were surveyed with a pre- and post-instrument, and provided with these working definitions:

- Community Service is voluntary work intended to help people in a particular community. - Social Responsibility is an obligation that an individual (or company) has to act with concern and sensitivity, aware of the impacts of their own action on others, particularly the disadvantaged. - Social Justice relates to the distribution of the advantages and disadvantages in society, including the way in which they are allocated. - Pro bono- work done without compensation (pay) for the public good.

This course specifically addresses the issues described above with the goal of providing early exposure to topics that will be reinforced in non-major coursework, such as general education elective courses. Results showed that there was little change in student perceptions before and after completion of the course in terms of their perceptions of ethics, social responsibility, and social justice. In the areas in which there were statistically significant changes, students were, on average, slightly less sure the engineering profession can help people or solve social issues and slightly less interested in a job that involves helping people. On the other hand, students were slightly more aware, after the course, of the need to include social aspects in engineering practice and rated technical and professional skills as slightly less important after the class. It was also found that some groups in the class (women, minority students, first-generation students, and student less focused on salary in thinking about their future jobs) entered the class with different attitudes and changed in different ways by the end of the course. Overall, the results of this survey support other findings in engineering ethics which suggests that one course is insufficient to make significant impacts on the ways engineering students think about the societal implications of their work. However, these declines in student confidence, while small, are important to take seriously and this paper will draw out potential implications of this finding. Finally, we will discuss the implications of the differences within the class in terms of effective teaching of these topics and retention of underrepresented students.

Citation
Format

Lee, T., & Buchanan, E. A., & Berg, D. R. (2019, June), Board 19: Impacts of Engineering Justice Curriculum: A Survey of Student Attitudes Paper presented at 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Tampa, Florida. 10.18260/1-2--32288

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - As part of a larger project examining the role of humanitarian service learning in engineering (NSF project number EEC-1540301), we conducted an investigation of first-year engineering students&#39; perceptions of humanitarian service learning projects, social responsibility in their discipline, and ethics in STEM. Students (n=231) taking a required freshmen level engineering course were surveyed with a pre- and post-instrument, and provided with these working definitions:  

- Community Service is voluntary work intended to help people in a particular community.
- Social Responsibility is an obligation that an individual (or company) has to act with concern and sensitivity, aware of the impacts of their own action on others, particularly the disadvantaged.
- Social Justice relates to the distribution of the advantages and disadvantages in society, including the way in which they are allocated.
- Pro bono- work done without compensation (pay) for the public good.

This course specifically addresses the issues described above with the goal of providing early exposure to topics that will be reinforced in non-major coursework, such as general education elective courses. Results showed that there was little change in student perceptions before and after completion of the course in terms of their perceptions of ethics, social responsibility, and social justice. In the areas in which there were statistically significant changes, students were, on average, slightly less sure the engineering profession can help people or solve social issues and slightly less interested in a job that involves helping people. On the other hand, students were slightly more aware, after the course, of the need to include social aspects in engineering practice and rated technical and professional skills as slightly less important after the class. It was also found that some groups in the class (women, minority students, first-generation students, and student less focused on salary in thinking about their future jobs) entered the class with different attitudes and changed in different ways by the end of the course. Overall, the results of this survey support other findings in engineering ethics which suggests that one course is insufficient to make significant impacts on the ways engineering students think about the societal implications of their work. However, these declines in student confidence, while small, are important to take seriously and this paper will draw out potential implications of this finding. Finally, we will discuss the implications of the differences within the class in terms of effective teaching of these topics and retention of underrepresented students.
AU  - Tina Lee
AU  - Elizabeth Anne Buchanan
AU  - Devin R. Berg
CY  - Tampa, Florida
DA  - 2019/06/15
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Board 19: Impacts of Engineering Justice Curriculum: A Survey of Student Attitudes
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/32288
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--32288
ER  -