2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) mandates that engineering students demonstrate the capacity to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering contexts and make informed judgments, considering the global, economic, environmental, and societal implications of their engineering solutions. Unfortunately, there is a history of tragedies and disasters caused by unethical engineering practices, underscoring the crucial need for students to be well-versed in these cases and prepared to make ethical decisions in their future workplaces.
Integrating ethics into the electrical engineering curriculum poses distinct challenges. Within engineering programs, ethical considerations often vie for focus alongside technical aspects, potentially resulting in inadequate exposure and emphasis on ethical dimensions. Consequently, students may possess limited awareness and comprehension of ethical matters.
Few approaches exist for integrating engineering ethics into the curriculum. These range from standalone courses specifically dedicated to ethics, integration within philosophy coursework, to open discussions within capstone design classes, and modules infused into technical courses. Each approach carries its unique set of benefits and drawbacks. Regarding content, researching into engineering ethics entails an examination of ethical case studies. However, grasping the theoretical foundations of ethics is crucial for comprehending diverse ethical perspectives.
In the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, we have developed two comprehensive ethics modules—an introductory and an advanced module—that seamlessly integrate into our curriculum. These modules are strategically incorporated into two critical phases of the academic journey: the freshman introductory course, and the senior level capstone design course.
The freshman module introduces students to straightforward cases, enabling them to understand the process of making ethical judgments. Assessment at this level includes a series of multiple-choice questions, ensuring active engagement with and comprehension of the ethical challenges in electrical engineering.
In the senior-level modules, students explore the theoretical aspects of ethics alongside more complex case studies. Each module comprises a mix of videos, textual content, and assessment quizzes. This report provides an overview of the modules content, implementation procedures, and assessment methods.