Disciplinary Variations in Ethics and Societal Impact Topics Taught in Courses for Engineering Students

Abstract

This research explored disciplinary differences in the ethics and societal impact (ESI) topics taught to engineering and computing students. Differences were predicted based on the codes of ethics of professional societies and educational guidelines. Among 917 online survey responses from engineering/computing educators across 13 disciplines, differences were identified in the extent that 17 ESI topics were taught in courses. In binomial logistic models that included individual characteristics (e.g., professional engineering license, race/ethnicity, gender) and institutional factors (e.g., the highest degree offered), 1 or more disciplines differed from civil engineering in the percentage of faculty who taught 11 ESI topics. For example, a higher percentage of chemical engineering educators taught safety, environmental protection issues, and engineering decisions under uncertainty. Civil engineering educators were second only to environmental engineering educators in teaching sustainability issues. The results imply that student participation in courses outside one’s major or interdisciplinary settings may increase the extent to which students are exposed to a wide array of ESI topics considered important for practicing engineers.