Acclimating international graduate students to professional engineering ethics

Area of Science:

• Engineering Education
• Professional Ethics
• International Student Acculturation

Background:

• U.S. engineering programs increasingly emphasize professional ethics education due to accreditation and industry demands.
• International graduate students comprise nearly half of U.S. engineering graduate students and often remain in the U.S. post-graduation.
• International students face unique challenges, including cultural competency and language barriers, when adapting to U.S. professional engineering norms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of an online curriculum for engineering ethics education.
• To specifically address the needs of international graduate students in the United States.
• To ensure international engineering graduates possess the necessary technical and non-technical skills for U.S. practice.

Main Methods:

• Development of grant-sponsored, online instructional materials focused on U.S. engineering ethics.
• Curriculum designed with sensitivity to international graduate students' acculturation challenges.
• Evaluation of student perceptions regarding content usefulness and instructional interface effectiveness.

Main Results:

• Initial data indicate positive student perceptions of the online ethics education materials.
• The instructional interface was perceived as useful by participating students.
• The project demonstrates initial effectiveness in acclimating students to U.S. professional engineering standards.

Conclusions:

• The developed online materials are effective in helping international engineering graduate students acclimate to U.S. ethics standards.
• Addressing acculturation challenges is crucial for effective ethics education for international students.
• The project's initial success supports its sustainability and broader implementation.