An Interactive Professional Ethics Case Simulation

At many universities, engineering ethics education relies on case studies to instruct students in the process of identifying ethical dilemmas, generating potential solutions and selecting the best option. This paper describes an approach to engineering ethics that takes advantage of the Internet to deploy the case study method with an interactive approach intended to increase the realism of the experience and enhance student engagement. Data are presented from voluntary student surveys completed prior to and after completion of the activity. Results suggest that the interactive approach is at least as effective as a traditional case study and provides an individualized experience, even in a large-class setting.