AN EVALUATION OF PEDAGOGICAL METHODS FOR ENGINEERING ETHICS EDUCATION

Canadian engineers are expected to uphold high ethical standards as part of their responsibility to the profession and society. This expectation is echoed in the CEAB graduate attributes and in the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer [1],[2]. It is intended that students learn and develop their knowledge of engineering ethics during their undergraduate program, however, North American research in Engineering Ethics Education (EEE) has identified flaws and called into question the efficacy of the current teaching methods being used. Additionally, there is little empirical evidence available to generate any definite conclusions about the pedagogical nature or the efficacies of different EEE teaching methods. As an early phase of research on this topic, this paper presents an evaluation of literature to understand the current state of EEE in North America, including current perceptions of EEE methods and alternate models for EEE. A proposed research direction to begin identifying and understanding issues related to the teaching of engineering ethics is discussed.