Empowering Engineering Students in Ethical Risk Management: An Experimental Study

Area of Science:

• Engineering Ethics
• Risk Management
• Engineering Education

Background:

• Industrial complexity, diverse risk perspectives, and emotional influences present ethical challenges in engineering risk management.
• These ethical dimensions are often neglected in traditional engineering curricula.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate how engineering education influences students' perceptions of ethical risk management issues.
• To propose and assess an active-learning method to enhance ethical engagement in risk management.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire was administered to 200 engineering students in Canada.
• An active-learning method was implemented in workshops with 34 chemical engineering students.
• Effectiveness was evaluated through group interviews and questionnaires.

Main Results:

• Student perceptions challenge stereotypes of engineers.
• Current engineering education may not fully equip engineers for ethical risk management.
• The active-learning method effectively motivated students and fostered reflection on the engineer's role.

Conclusions:

• Engineering students' ethical risk perception is influenced by their training.
• An active-learning approach can enhance ethical engagement and critical reflection in engineering education.
• Further development of pedagogical methods is needed to empower engineers in ethical risk management.