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Understanding and Influencing Student Attitudes Toward Ethical Classroom Actions

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Conference

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Seattle, Washington

Publication Date

June 14, 2015

Start Date

June 14, 2015

End Date

June 17, 2015

ISBN

978-0-692-50180-1

ISSN

2153-5965

Conference Session

Engineering Ethics Division Technical Session 4

Tagged Division

Engineering Ethics

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Page Count

8

Page Numbers

26.1620.1 - 26.1620.8

DOI

10.18260/p.24956

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/24956

Download Count

396

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Paper Authors

biography

Brian E Moyer University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown

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Brian E. Moyer is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, an adjunct professor for Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh, and an automation consultant for Crossroads Consulting, LLC. Brian's consulting, teaching and research focus areas include hardware and GUI software integration primarily using LabVIEW by National Instruments and kinematic and kinetic data collection and analysis methods for human body movement characterization especially as related to normal and perturbed (slipping) gait. Dr. Moyer earned a BS in mechanical engineering from Carnegie Mellon in 1993, a MS in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh in 1996, and a PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh in 2006. Brian teaches courses in computer programming for engineers, design, measurements, and dynamics.

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biography

Randy Dean Kelley P.E. University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown

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Dr. Kelley is an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. He recieved his doctorate in Nuclear and Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University in 2010. Dr. Kelley's expertise and research interests are in the broad subject area of thermal sciences with a particular interest in Energy.

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biography

Richard A. Youchak PE University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown

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Instructor: Civil/Mechanical Engineering Technology, MS Industrial Admin. Purdue Univ.
Presently teaching classes that use AutoCAD, Inventor, Civil 3d, Word, Excel, Matlab and MathCAD.

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Abstract

Understanding and Influencing Student Attitudes Toward Ethical Classroom ActionsThis paper reports student responses to a short survey presented both within the first few weeksof a first-term, introductory level engineering course. The purpose of this survey was to begin adialog with students regarding ethical classroom behavior and to gain insight into baselinestudent attitudes regarding activities that may or may not be considered cheating. Students wereanonymously asked to rank their level of agreement (or disagreement) with eleven statementsrelated to working with others on homework assignments, using solution materials for homeworkassignment, and appropriate behavior for exam periods including the use of technology.Sections were comprised of approximately 20 students each. Three sections of the course weresurveyed using the same protocol in the fall of 2014 and three others were surveyed using a verysimilar methodology in the fall of 2013. Results from the 2014 are compared to results from theprevious year. One additional section from 2014 was surveyed near the end of the term toinvestigate how a similar student group’s attitudes might be different after their first semester.Some details regarding a new ethics topic section that was added to the course in the fall of 2014,partially to address concerns that students were not matriculating with as strong an ethicalfoundation as expected, will be discussed. The results of these student surveys will be used asinput toward continuous improvement of the course and will inform efforts to address topics forfuture discussions.Working on homework with another person is cheating. Strongly Neither Agree nor Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Disagree DisagreeCopying homework solutions from another student is cheating. Strongly Neither Agree nor Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Disagree DisagreeCopying from an online solution manual to solve homework problems is cheating. Strongly Neither Agree nor Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Disagree DisagreeAsking other students questions about homework problems outside of class is cheating. Strongly Neither Agree nor Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Disagree DisagreeAsking the instructor questions about homework problems outside of class is cheating. Strongly Neither Agree nor Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Disagree DisagreeLooking at another person’s test to help you solve a problem during an exam is cheating. Strongly Neither Agree nor Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Disagree DisagreeAllowing another student to look at your test during an exam is cheating. Strongly Neither Agree nor Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Disagree DisagreeSending a text message during an exam, even if it does not concern the exam, is cheating. Strongly Neither Agree nor Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Disagree DisagreeUsing your phone to access online materials or solutions during an exam is cheating. Strongly Neither Agree nor Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Disagree DisagreeUsing a programmable calculator to store potential test data to be accessed during an exam is cheating. Strongly Neither Agree nor Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Disagree DisagreeEmailing your finished assignment to another student to help them finish their assignment is cheating. Strongly Neither Agree nor Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Disagree Disagree

Moyer, B. E., & Kelley, R. D., & Youchak, R. A. (2015, June), Understanding and Influencing Student Attitudes Toward Ethical Classroom Actions Paper presented at 2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Seattle, Washington. 10.18260/p.24956

ASEE holds the copyright on this document. It may be read by the public free of charge. Authors may archive their work on personal websites or in institutional repositories with the following citation: © 2015 American Society for Engineering Education. Other scholars may excerpt or quote from these materials with the same citation. When excerpting or quoting from Conference Proceedings, authors should, in addition to noting the ASEE copyright, list all the original authors and their institutions and name the host city of the conference. - Last updated April 1, 2015