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Perceptions of Undergraduate Engineering Students of Two Approaches to Teaching Engineering Ethics: A Case Study.

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Title: Perceptions of Undergraduate Engineering Students of Two Approaches to Teaching Engineering Ethics: A Case Study.
Authors: LAWSON, WESLEY1 lawson@umd.edu, SMITH, GIDEON1
Source: International Journal of Engineering Education. 2026, Vol. 42 Issue 1, p160-169. 10p.
Subjects: Engineering ethics, Teaching methods, Risk assessment, Self-efficacy, Psychology of students, Sociotechnical systems, University of Maryland at College Park, Undergraduate education
Abstract: In this paper, we present and evaluate student impressions of two distinct versions of an undergraduate professional ethics course taught in the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department at the University of Maryland. One version has been taught by senior electrical engineering professors and follows a "traditional" approach to professional engineering ethics. The other version teaches the course through a Sociotechnical Systems (STS) lens and relies on the use of STS postures (STSP). In an attempt to understand which approach was more effective at transmitting the required knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to the students, a survey given to students who have taken either version of the course probed students' opinions about the importance of the course overall and about several key concepts. The survey also queried the students' self-efficacy as to whether they had the tools necessary to resolve different situations ethically. The traditional cohort had 64 respondents while the STSP cohort had 31 respondents. Both cohorts recognized the importance of risk analysis and professional codes of ethics, but generally, students in the "traditional" class felt more positive about the focus of the course and about their ability to resolve situations ethically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Engineering Source
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Abstract:In this paper, we present and evaluate student impressions of two distinct versions of an undergraduate professional ethics course taught in the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department at the University of Maryland. One version has been taught by senior electrical engineering professors and follows a "traditional" approach to professional engineering ethics. The other version teaches the course through a Sociotechnical Systems (STS) lens and relies on the use of STS postures (STSP). In an attempt to understand which approach was more effective at transmitting the required knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to the students, a survey given to students who have taken either version of the course probed students' opinions about the importance of the course overall and about several key concepts. The survey also queried the students' self-efficacy as to whether they had the tools necessary to resolve different situations ethically. The traditional cohort had 64 respondents while the STSP cohort had 31 respondents. Both cohorts recognized the importance of risk analysis and professional codes of ethics, but generally, students in the "traditional" class felt more positive about the focus of the course and about their ability to resolve situations ethically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:0949149X