Teaching engineering ethics using role-playing in a culturally diverse student group

Area of Science:

• Engineering Education
• Ethics Education
• Cultural Diversity in Higher Education

Background:

• Role-playing (active learning) is a recognized teaching tool across various disciplines.
• Its application in engineering ethics education is established but gains new dimensions in highly diverse student populations.
• York University's student body reflects Toronto's global diversity, with a significant percentage of international students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the effectiveness of role-playing in teaching engineering ethics to a culturally diverse undergraduate class.
• To investigate how students' prior cultural backgrounds influence their responses to ethical dilemmas.
• To adapt the role-playing method for professional integration courses for foreign-trained engineers.

Main Methods:

• Development of case study scripts (NSF or original) covering a range of ethical issues (e.g., conflicts of interest, harassment, intellectual property).
• Use of actors to present scenarios, followed by facilitated group discussions.
• Encouraging students to develop original scripts after initial cultural barriers were overcome.

Main Results:

• Initial cultural shyness was overcome through rapport-building, leading to active student participation.
• Students demonstrated an ability to engage with and analyze ethical issues, influenced by their diverse cultural perspectives.
• The role-playing approach proved adaptable and effective in addressing varied cultural backgrounds.

Conclusions:

• Role-playing is a valuable pedagogical tool for engineering ethics education, particularly in multicultural settings.
• The method facilitates understanding of how cultural backgrounds shape ethical decision-making.
• The approach is being adopted for short courses to aid foreign-trained engineers' professional integration.