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Broadening Ethics Teaching in Engineering: Beyond the Individualistic Approach

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Abstract

There is a widespread approach to the teaching of ethics to engineering students in which the exclusive focus is on engineers as individual agents and the broader context in which they do their work is ignored. Although this approach has frequently been criticised in the literature, it persists on a wide scale, as can be inferred from accounts in the educational literature and from the contents of widely used textbooks in engineering ethics. In this contribution we intend to: (1) Restate why the individualistic approach to the teaching of ethics to engineering students is inadequate in view of preparing them for ethical, professional and social responsibility; (2) Examine the existing literature regarding the possible contribution of Science, Technology and Society (STS) scholarship in addressing the inadequacies of the individualistic approach; and (3) Assess this possible contribution of STS in order to realise desired learning outcomes regarding the preparation of students for ethical and social responsibility.

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Notes

  1. At the European level, a canonical formulation of learning outcomes similar to the USA ABET criteria does not exist, although in some countries, such as Ireland, professional bodies with accreditation functions have specified similar learning outcomes to those of ABET. We assume that in Europe desired learning outcomes regarding professional, ethical and social responsibility are not basically different from, or less demanding than those in the USA.

  2. Mitcham cites some some evidence to support this turn. In addition we would point readers to two special issues of the European Journal of Engineering Education: 25(4) (2000) and 33(2) (2008). See also the outcome of a recent workshop “Teaching ethics and peace to science and engineering students” available at http://www.znf.uni-hamburg.de/brochure.pdf.

  3. For an extensive collection of codes of ethics, both for engineers and for other professionals, see http://ethics.iit.edu/index1.php/Programs/Codes%20of%20Ethics

  4. There is evidence in the literature that the scope of the teaching of ethics in current science education is similarly deficient to what is described here for engineering education. In science education, also, macro-ethical issues are largely being neglected. Zandvoort (2008) provides a brief elucidation and references.

  5. They also argue that work humanisation was facilitated because Swedish engineers were closely aligned with manual workers and were engaged in a dialogue with social scientists ‘exposing engineers in their training and practice to the benefits of work humanization’ (p. 265).

  6. In a reflection on the role of STS post 9/11 Bijker (2003), a leading figure in the STS movement says “The STS agenda has been largely agnostic as to the normative and political issues related to the application of STS insights”.

  7. See Woodhouse (2001) for a discussion of engineering and overconsumption.

  8. The full Declaration is available at http://eesd08.tugraz.at/?show=declaration

  9. In relation to sustainability in engineering education special issues of two journals are worthy of mention: European Journal of Engineering Education 33(3); International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education 5 (3).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering, Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Ireland

    Eddie Conlon

  2. Faculty of Technology Policy and Management, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands

    Henk Zandvoort

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  1. Eddie Conlon
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  2. Henk Zandvoort
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Correspondence to Eddie Conlon.

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Conlon, E., Zandvoort, H. Broadening Ethics Teaching in Engineering: Beyond the Individualistic Approach. Sci Eng Ethics 17, 217–232 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-010-9205-7

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