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A Systematic Review of the 2016 National Academy of Engineering Exemplary Ethics Programs: Revisions to a Coding Framework

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Abstract

Engineering ethics is a required aspect of accredited ABET programs, but there is widespread variation in how ethics is taught, to what ends, and how those ends are assessed. This variation makes it challenging to identify practices for teaching ethics to engineers aligned with extant practices in the field. In this study, we revise a recent coding framework by reviewing exemplary engineering ethics programs recognized by the National Academy of Engineering in 2016, or what we refer to as “exemplars.” We pursue two primary objectives: (1) To apply and revise a prior coding framework to codify ethics learning objectives, instructional strategies, and assessment strategies in engineering education; and (2) To use the revised coding framework to identify trends in learning objectives, instructional strategies, and assessment strategies of NAE exemplars. We employ systemic review procedures to update the coding framework using 24 of 25 exemplars as a data source. The updated framework includes four primary categories associated with learning objectives, instructional strategies, assessment data collection strategies, and assessment design characteristics. Results indicate that ethical sensitivity or awareness was present in every exemplar as a learning objective, often alongside ethical reasoning-based learning objectives and the formation of professional skills. Exemplars employed numerous instructional strategies in tandem, as we coded eight out of 18 instructional strategies among at least half of the exemplars. Assignments/homework and summative reflections were the most oft-used sources of assessment data. Due to our challenges in coding assessment approaches, we offer practical suggestions for assessing engineering ethics instruction which are based on many of our coding discussions. We hope that this coding framework, the results classifying exemplary features of the NAE programs, and our practical suggestions can guide future instructors as they design, classify, assess, and report their approaches to engineering ethics education.

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Data Availability

The entirety of the data included herein is from online sources. The National Academies reports are available online for members. Primary sources referenced by exemplars (i.e., journal articles) may require fees to access.

Notes

  1. The authors required that retained literature included at least one explicitly defined learning goal or objective, sufficient clarity when describing an instructional strategy for it to be replicable, and some form of assessment.

  2. While we use the term assessment, many authors used both assessment and evaluation. Moreover, we recognize that many assessment strategies were both formative and summative in nature.

  3. While the NAE exemplars included a few studies from universities represented in the prior literature review, the programs or interventions were distinct. Thus, this dataset is completely unique, and these results thus provide insights into exemplary features of ethics programs.

  4. The prominence of sociotechnical integration in our review could also be because it was prioritized by the NAE solicitation and the selection committee.

  5. In the prior review, this code was framed as “individual written assignment,” whereas here we broadened to individual or team-based. Thus, it is possible that these numbers are closer in proximity.

  6. This code was generally used to capture stepwise ethical reasoning processes in the prior review. Yet, here we saw more instantiations of singular tools or processes (e.g., cost-benefit analysis, listening) for making ethical decisions.

  7. In this study, ‘real-world engagement’ encapsulates two codes from the prior review: (1) real-world exposure and (2) community engagement. In the prior review, these were each coded twice, but one article included both codes. Thus, these articles were coded in 3/26 articles analyzed in the prior review, or 12%.

  8. One primary reason for this shift may be the nature of the data in two studies. Journal articles might lend themselves to a more intensive analysis of a singular dataset, whereas the exemplars tended to share a broad overview of multiple assessment approaches.

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Funding

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1737303. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    Justin L. Hess & Athena Lin

  2. Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, USA

    Alison J. Kerr

  3. Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Andrew Chung

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  1. Justin L. Hess
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All authors participated in the development and implementation of the coding reported in this article.

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Correspondence to Justin L. Hess.

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Hess, J.L., Kerr, A.J., Lin, A. et al. A Systematic Review of the 2016 National Academy of Engineering Exemplary Ethics Programs: Revisions to a Coding Framework. Sci Eng Ethics 29, 36 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-023-00456-y

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