Engaged student learning through coupled ethical-epistemic pedagogy.

This project aims to serve the national interest by advancing the understanding of best practices in engineering curricula for teaching engineering ethics. It leverages research from the fields of philosophy, cognitive design theory, and engineering ethics to address a pressing concern: How can we better equip our future engineers to act ethically and understand the broad societal implications of their work? This project seeks to train engineers who are not just technically proficient, but are also more ethical and globally aware individuals. As part of this project, new educational strategies in undergraduate classrooms and research environments across multiple engineering disciplines will be piloted. Additionally, faculty will also be trained in these methods to foster a ripple effect, ensuring that the benefits of this project extend far beyond the immediate research team. Engineers today hold key roles in shaping our world and driving innovation. By developing engineers who are aware of and engaged with the ethical dimensions of their work, educators contribute to the creation of a workforce that values and serves societal interests. Outcomes of this work will include new open-source teaching tools, training materials, and research about best practices in engineering ethics education. This project brings coupled ethical-epistemic analysis from the field of philosophy and reflective practice from the field of cognitive design theory to the field of engineering education. This early-stage, exploratory project will study the effectiveness of leveraging adaptated existing pedagogies (reflective practice) alongside new methodologies (coupled ethical-epistemic analysis) in multiple environments. This project seeks to fill gaps in existing engineering ethics education by testing new approaches and identifying potential mechanisms for cultivating engineers with broad moral agency and understanding of society-relevant issues. Across three tasks, this project will answer the questions: Does undergraduate research using coupled ethical-epistemic analysis influence the development of moral agency in undergraduate engineering students? Can coupled ethical-epistemic pedagogy in the classroom influence the development of moral agency in undergraduate engineering students? To what degree does variation in instructor and topic influence the efficacy of coupled ethical-epistemic analysis in undergraduate engineering courses? The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.