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ERIC Number: EJ1400249
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: N/A
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2643-9107
EISSN: EISSN-2643-9115
Tell Us What You Think: Exploring Environmental Ethical Considerations in the Problem-Solving Studio
Starke, Jeffrey A.; Butkus, Michael A.
Journal of Civil Engineering Education, v150 n1 2024
Universities employ numerous approaches to integrate ethics into programs of study that can range from faculty-led case studies integrated into course curricula (distributed model) to standalone ethics courses (consolidated model). The approach described here enhanced a distributed model in which several courses are assigned responsibility to integrate an ethical component into the assignments capped with an integrative experience. We created a problem-solving studio (PSS) environment wherein an ill-defined current case study was presented to the students and the program's board of advisors (BOA). The students role-played as staff engineers (early-career employees with less than three years of experience), and BOA members provided the perspective of specific stakeholders relevant to the case study (e.g., state or federal regulator, principal engineer in a consulting firm, civic leader, etc.). Both groups were provided with the same preparatory materials. Small groups (student--BOA dyads) were established to review the current state and context of the problem, investigate specified or potential ethical considerations, and propose strategies to prevent or address the ethical dilemmas identified. The session was structured around three rounds of discussion (12-15 min) to explore the problem through the ethical considerations of "willful negligence" and "acts of omission." The session ended as a large group, and each BOA member would share one ethical consideration from their career that was evoked during this case study. Students would then submit a short paper to provide their insights into the case study (results of the dyad interactions) and how the event expanded their understanding of the ethical considerations. The ethics PSS provided an opportunity for increased interaction between students and "experienced mentors" equally valued by each group. Assessments revealed that the experience positively contributed to student confidence in meeting course objectives and integrating different perspectives into their development.
American Society of Civil Engineers. 1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Reston, VA 20191. Tel: 800-548-2723; e-mail: ascelibrary@ascs.org; Web site: https://ascelibrary.org/journal/jceecd
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A