Transcript ABET 2000 and Ethics: Using Library Instruction to Embed

Librarians and Engineering Faculty:
Partnership Opportunities in
Information Literacy and
Ethics Instruction
Alice J Trussell
Kansas State University
Presented at:
25th Annual IATUL Conference:
Library Management in a Changing Environment
Kraków, Poland
May 31, 2004
Introduction—a quick survey
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Librarians have tradition of patron service
Information literacy is essential
Patrons are changing
Where are accreditation standards headed?
We can assist faculty in meeting accreditation
standards
• Let’s examine converging factors
Librarians and Engineering
Education
• Engineering education itself is changing
– Accreditation standards changing
– Closer relationships with partner corporations
– Students from more variable background
• Librarians: traditional warehoused system
– “Just in case” paradigm
– Library instruction paper & object based
– Parameters well defined
Librarians and Engineering
Education –Con’t
• Electronic Access: expanded information
gateways
• Patron expectations skyrocket
• Librarians organizing the world of
information
• High potential for patron information
confusion
Accreditation Board for
Engineering and Technology:
North America
ABET 2000 Criterion #3
Engineering Programs must demonstrate that
their graduates have…
• An understanding of professional and ethical
responsibility
• Each program must include an assessment
program
ABET 2000 Criterion # 4
• Students must be prepared for engineering
practice…
• Incorporate economic, manufacturability,
ethical, et.al.
Role of the Engineering Librarian
as collaborators
• Librarians have the necessary information
utilization skills
• Librarian can be a neutral party for
collaboration, partnering
• Librarian mediate electronic interface
• Emerging roles as content developers
• Instruction
Information Literacy
…critical thinking skills
• Recognize when information is needed
• Locate, evaluate & use information
effectively
• Understand the economic, legal and social
issues surrounding the use of information
and use the information ethically and
legally (ACRL).
Today’s Student
• Millennial students are different (Newton)
• More general knowledge, but less experience in
exploring a subject in depth
• Technical mastery not equal to critical thinking
• They don’t “know all that stuff” (Weiler).
• Values gap: cut and paste plagiarism
• The internet is “free” & “public” information
• Skills can be embedded into curricula
The Global Perspective
• Engineering and engineers becoming more
mobile
• Accreditation and licensing standards now
relevant to international employers
• ABET active in international “mutual
recognition” agreements
• 1970’s= USA and Canada
• 1980’s=Washington Accords; 6 countries
Globally: the forecast?
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Reciprocal recognition sought
Seeking “substantially equivalent” programs
ABET has emerged as a leader
ABET’s shifting emphasis to qualitative
potentially impacts reciprocity of future
agreements
• Reasonable forecast concludes more and
more schools will require ethics training
Implementation
• Librarians have the skills
• Clearly label specifics as “ethics” issues
• Embed in the curriculum-not sporadic
– Nerz, Weiner
• Must include assessment-ABET
• Engineering & Library faculty collaborate
on cycle of assessment/improvement
THE END
Alice J. Trussell
Assistant Professor and Director
Fiedler Engineering Library
Kansas State University
[email protected]