The Future of Teaching Engineering Ethics

1
The Future of Teaching Engineering Ethics
Thursday 7 September 2006
2
Welcome Introduction

• Professor David Barton
• Head of School of Mechanical Engineering
• Formerly Pro-Dean for Learning Teaching
• Chair, Engineering Ethics Theme Team
• Engineering Faculty
• University of Leeds

3
Faculty of Engineering

• Five Schools
• Civil Engineering
• Computing
• Electronic Electrical Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Process, Environmental Materials Engineering
• Over 2100 undergraduates registered on (mainly)
  professionally accredited degree schemes
• Around 350 students on taught MSc programmes
• All 5 Schools ranked at 5 or 5 in RAE2001

4
Collaboration between Engineering Faculty IDEA
CETL

• Nov 05 Launch of Joint Faculty/CETL Engineering
  Ethics Theme Team
• Feb 2006 Audit to gauge current level of
  teaching ethics to
• engineering students ( post-audit
  interviews)
• March 2006 School-specific working groups set up
• June 06 Theme Team intranet email circulation
  list
• July 06 Plans in place to teach Engineering
  Ethics at level 1 in
• four Schools within Faculty
  from Oct 06
• Sept 06 Conference The Future of Teaching
  Engineering Ethics
• Oct 06 Survey of students to gauge their
  understanding of ethics as
• applied to their chosen
  profession

5
Teaching of Ethics in Engineering the National
Picture UK Standard for Professional Engineering
Competence (EC UK, 2004) Specific learning
outcome in engineering Understanding of the
need for a high level of professional and ethical
conduct in engineering Revised Benchmark
Statement for Engineering (QAAHE, 2005) The
characteristics of engineering graduates When
faced with an ethical issue, they will be able to
formulate and operate with appropriate codes of
conduct The Royal Academy of Engineering Joint
RAE/EPC Teaching of Engineering Ethics Working
Group (Conference, national survey, curriculum
map)
6
Todays conference

• Organised jointly with Engineering Subject Centre
  of Higher Education Academy
• Supported by Royal Academy of Engineering and the
  Engineering Professors Council
• Aims
• Analyse how current and future developments in
  engineering ethics relate to what it is to be a
  professional engineer.
• Consider the impact of accreditation as a major
  driver for change.
• Reflect on the how engineering ethics can be
  further integrated into the HE curricula.

7
The Programme
How does ethics fit into Professional
Engineering? The Anglo American plc.
Perspective Dr John Groom, Anglo American
plc. The increasing importance of ethics in the
education of engineers the expectations of the
accreditation bodies Richard Shearman, UK
Spec, Engineering Council UK Integrating Ethics
into the Curriculum Andrew Haslett, ICI and
EPC/RAE Teaching Ethics to Engineers Group
(TEEG) with Dr Chris Megone, Inter-Disciplinary
Ethics Applied CETL
8
Developing best practice in teaching engineering
ethics Four parallel workshops
How can I help my students to become ethically
responsible engineers? Professor Ian Howard,
University of Sheffield Dr Sue Chetwynd,
Warwick University Making effective use of
Engineering Ethics Case Studies Dr Rob Lawlor,
Inter-Disciplinary Ethics Applied CETL,
University of Leeds Integrating Ethics at Level
1 using a customisable teaching pack Dr
Christopher Megone, Inter-Disciplinary Ethics
Applied CETL, University of Leeds Implementing
the TEEG Curriculum Map Professor John Monk, The
Open University
9
The Future Implementation of Engineering
Ethics

• The Panel
• Dr John Groom (Anglo American plc.)
• Richard Shearman (Engineering Council UK)
• Andrew Haslett (ICI Teaching Ethics to
  Engineers Group (TEEG))
• Dr Chris Megone (Inter-Disciplinary Ethics
  Applied CETL)
• Professor Ian Howard (University of Sheffield)

10
The First Speaker

• How does ethics fit into Professional
  Engineering?
• The Anglo American plc. Perspective
• Dr John Groom
• Head of Safety, Health and Environment
• Anglo American plc.