Impact of the changing undergraduate curriculum on research ethicsProfessor John Yates2008 HEA National Teaching Fellow

RAE and EPCTeaching Engineering Ethics Group

• Curriculum Map

•Aimed at undergraduate teaching

•A guide, not a prescription

• Future UK educated PGs should have some knowledge of ethics from first degree

•But, much broader than research ethics

Learning about ethics helps students to:

• Understand the nature of professional and personal responsibility

• Be able to identify the ethical element of any decision

• Be able to address problems arising from questionable practice using appropriate tools

Learning about ethics helps students to:

• Develop critical thinking skills and judgement

• Understand practical difficulties and use suitable approaches and techniques to help people produce better outcomes

• Develop an ethical identity to carry forward to their working life

The Curriculum Map

• The map is a guide - not a prescription

• Emphasis is on integration in existing engineering topics

• Helps to create a distinct theme of engineering ethics in a course

Anatomy of the mapThe Location explains the focus appropriate for each level and indicates where ethics may be usefully introduced at that level

Learning Outcomes illustrate the expected learning outcomes at each level

Content indicates possible ethics topics that might be relevant for students at each level

Process gives examples of teaching methods that are suited to teaching ethics at each level

Engineering Ethics Topics

• Plagiarism, fairness and intellectual property

• Bribery and honesty

• Conflicts of interest

• Risk, safety and responsibility

• Sticking to one’s competencies

Engineering Ethics Topics

•Sustainability: duty to the environment and future generations

•Cultural diversity and international engineering projects

•The engineering profession and its relation to society

•The positive contribution engineers make to society

Ethics and AccreditationAn accredited degree course must include some discussion of ethics:

“[students] must appreciate the social, environmental, ethical, economic and commercial considerations affecting the exercise of their engineering judgement” (UK-SPEC)

Implementation

•Two fold:

•Accreditors – workshops on what to look for, what to ask students and staff

•Teachers – workshops on sharing experiences, approaches to teaching, available resources

Impact on research ethics

• Even more variability in backgrounds:

• Some will have a sound, broad knowledge of ethics and how to deal with ethical issues

• Opportunity for a more interesting and challenging approach to teaching ethics to PG students

•Ethics, or Professional Responsibilities, is relevant to all Sheffield postgraduate students