On the Challenges of Transferring Teaching Practices in Engineering Ethics and an Asset-Based Approach to Developing Ethics Instruction

Bono Po-Jen Shih; Benjamin Daniel Chambers; Matthew James

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: July 12, 2024
Conference Session: Broader Approaches to Engineering Ethics Education
Tagged Division: Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS)
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/47810

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Paper Authors

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Bono Po-Jen Shih Pennsylvania State University orcid.org/0009-0007-8152-8614

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Bono Po-Jen Shih is an interdisciplinary scholar working in the intersection of philosophy, history, and sociology of engineering with an eye on contemporary engagement with engineering education and practice. His publications appear in Springer’s Philosophy of Engineering and Technology (PET) book series, the journal Techné: Research in Philosophy and Technology, and the Taiwanese Journal for Studies of Science, Technology and Medicine. He currently holds a postdoc appointment with two institutions at Penn State University—the Rock Ethics Institute and the Leonhard Center for Enhancement of Engineering Education—to facilitate exchange and collaboration between philosophers and engineers. Prior to joining Penn State, he was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Science History Institute working on the history of engineering ethics education. Shih earned his PhD and MS in science and technology studies (STS) from Virginia Tech. He also has a graduate certificate in engineering education (ENGE) from Virginia Tech and a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from National Taiwan University.

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Benjamin Daniel Chambers Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

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Dr. Ben Chambers is an Assistant Collegiate Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech, and Director of the Frith First Year Makers program. His research focuses include the interactions of non-humans with the built environment, the built environment as a tool for teaching at the nexus of biology and engineering, and creativity-based pedagogy. He earned his graduate degrees from Virginia Tech, including an M.S. Civil Infrastructure Engineering, M.S. LFS Entomology, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Design and Planning.

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Matthew James P.E. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

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Matthew James is an Associate Professor of Practice in Engineering Education at Virginia Tech, and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Virginia. He holds bachelors and masters degrees from Virginia Tech in Civil Engineering.

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Abstract

This theory paper provides the insight that teaching engineering ethics inevitably draws on an individual faculty’s knowledge and experience in their engineering field and proposes what we call “an asset-based approach” to developing faculty competencies in engineering ethics instruction. Our position is informed by a literature review showing the following: whereas the ideal of engineering education research seeks to identify and promote “best practices” in engineering education, this goal faces at least three sets of challenges in the practice of engineering ethics instruction. First, the scope of engineering ethics has grown and diversified owing to evolving accreditation criteria and reflections from the engineering education community. Second, teaching practices for engineering ethics also expanded and diverged accordingly to answer the increased and changing needs in engineering ethics education. Third, even when a promising ethics teaching practice is identified, there is a great variation in faculty views about its effectiveness, further compounded by the methodological challenges of assessment and inconsistent perspective changes among students after an engineering ethics education experience.

To provide a case study illustrating how teaching practices in engineering ethics vary greatly among faculty, we reviewed a selection of published articles which outlined their approach to ethics in response to one specific program/student outcome of ABET spanning accreditation cycles from 2005 to 2019, namely Outcome (h): “the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context” and showed that teaching practices are highly dependent on faculty’s disciplinary backgrounds, experiences, or professional interests. Drawing on our own reflections in teaching-focused positions and findings from other researchers and educators, we proposed an asset-based approach to building faculty competencies for ethics instruction and describe three sets of faculty assets for practitioners to consider. Given that questions concerning the more personal, self-directing side of an educator’s professional growth have only been systematically explored in literature outside engineering education, we hope that our examination of the roles of faculty and their assets may begin a similar dialogue in engineering education.

Citation
Format

Shih, B. P., & Chambers, B. D., & James, M. (2024, June), On the Challenges of Transferring Teaching Practices in Engineering Ethics and an Asset-Based Approach to Developing Ethics Instruction Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/47810

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - This theory paper provides the insight that teaching engineering ethics inevitably draws on an individual faculty’s knowledge and experience in their engineering field and proposes what we call “an asset-based approach” to developing faculty competencies in engineering ethics instruction. Our position is informed by a literature review showing the following: whereas the ideal of engineering education research seeks to identify and promote “best practices” in engineering education, this goal faces at least three sets of challenges in the practice of engineering ethics instruction. First, the scope of engineering ethics has grown and diversified owing to evolving accreditation criteria and reflections from the engineering education community. Second, teaching practices for engineering ethics also expanded and diverged accordingly to answer the increased and changing needs in engineering ethics education. Third, even when a promising ethics teaching practice is identified, there is a great variation in faculty views about its effectiveness, further compounded by the methodological challenges of assessment and inconsistent perspective changes among students after an engineering ethics education experience.

To provide a case study illustrating how teaching practices in engineering ethics vary greatly among faculty, we reviewed a selection of published articles which outlined their approach to ethics in response to one specific program/student outcome of ABET spanning accreditation cycles from 2005 to 2019, namely Outcome (h): “the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context” and showed that teaching practices are highly dependent on faculty’s disciplinary backgrounds, experiences, or professional interests. Drawing on our own reflections in teaching-focused positions and findings from other researchers and educators, we proposed an asset-based approach to building faculty competencies for ethics instruction and describe three sets of faculty assets for practitioners to consider. Given that questions concerning the more personal, self-directing side of an educator’s professional growth have only been systematically explored in literature outside engineering education, we hope that our examination of the roles of faculty and their assets may begin a similar dialogue in engineering education.
AU  - Bono Po-Jen Shih
AU  - Benjamin Daniel Chambers
AU  - Matthew James P.E.
CY  - Portland, Oregon
DA  - 2024/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - On the Challenges of Transferring Teaching Practices in Engineering Ethics and an Asset-Based Approach to Developing Ethics Instruction
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/47810
ER  -