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1Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, United States Military Academy, Bldg. 752 Mahan Hall, West Point, NY, 10996, USA. brock.barry@usma.edu
Science and Engineering Ethics
|February 15, 2011
Summary
Adding more engineering ethics courses does not guarantee better student outcomes. This study found no clear link between curriculum content on professional and ethical responsibility and standardized exam performance.
Area of Science:
- Engineering Education
- Curriculum Development
- Professional Ethics
Background:
- ABET accreditation requires engineering programs to teach professional and ethical responsibility (Criterion 3.f).
- Many programs struggle to determine the optimal amount of curriculum content for this requirement.
- This study is the first to examine curriculum reform related to ABET Criterion 3.f.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify professional and ethical responsibility content in engineering curricula (1995-2005).
- To assess the impact of curriculum changes on student outcomes.
- To evaluate the relationship between content amount and performance on a standardized engineering exam.
Main Methods:
- Semi-structured interviews with program administrators.
- Review of ABET Self-Study documents to quantify curriculum content.
- Quantitative analysis correlating curriculum content with standardized exam scores.
Main Results:
- A statistical relationship was found, but it lacked structure between curriculum content and exam performance.
- Programs interpret ABET Criterion 3.f feedback differently.
- Increased curriculum content on ethics does not automatically improve student outcomes.
Conclusions:
- The study debunks the myth that more ethics content leads to better engineering education outcomes.
- Conclusive feedback during accreditation visits is crucial for effective curriculum development.
- Engineering programs should focus on the quality and integration of ethics content, not just quantity.
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