Transcript Engineering Ethics and the Drexel University Library: A Collaborative Teaching Partnership Jay Bhatt Mark Manion Eli Fromm Drexel University June 2004

Engineering Ethics and the Drexel
University Library:
A Collaborative Teaching Partnership
Jay Bhatt
Mark Manion
Eli Fromm
Drexel University
June 2004
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Topics
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Background and goals
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Curriculum
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Role of the library and collaboration with professors
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Drexel Engineering Curriculum - Background
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1988 - Began restructuring undergraduate engineering
curriculum
Introduced engineering with professional contexts
Increased emphasis on experiential learning integrated
with traditional classroom lecture
Emphasized communication skills, teamwork and
independent learning skills
Demonstrated relationship of science and engineering
with liberal arts, social systems, and political policy
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Background - continued.
Present curriculum evolved from:
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Enhanced Educational Experience for Engineering
Students (E4) project *
Gateway Engineering Education Coalition *
www.gatewaycoalition.org
* National Science Foundation (NSF) funded initiatives.
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Goals - Engineering Ethics Education
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Integrate Engineering Ethics into the curriculum
through current courses as well as new courses.
Reinforce engineering ethics at every level of their
undergraduate experience (from Freshmen to Senior).
Students are expected to do research and find highquality information to demonstrate their exploration of
the social, ethical, and political impact of their work.
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Guiding Factors - Engineering Ethics
Education
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Creative problem solving
Treat students as emerging professionals
Challenge students to consider social, ethical and
political impact of their work.
Emphasize continuous life-long learning for personal
and professional success
Mandate student interaction with librarians while
students seek high-quality information resources.
Reinforce ethical considerations with courses for first,
second, third, and fourth year undergraduate students.
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Topics
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Background and goals
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Curriculum
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Role of the library and collaboration with professors
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Courses - Engineering Ethics Education
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Freshmen - Freshmen Engineering Design sequence
with a main focus on the ethical use of information
Sophomores - two courses "Evaluation and
Presentation of Data" - EPED 231 and EPED 232
Juniors - PHIL 315 - Engineering Ethics *
Seniors - Senior Design Projects - ethical use of
information AND ethical aspects of their project
* We will briefly discuss Themes and Pedagogical
Approaches for PHIL 315.
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PHIL 315 Engineering Ethics - Themes
1) Engineering
Professionalism and
Individual Responsibility
Code- and Case-based reasoning.
Determining a course of action in unclear
or conflicting ethical scenarios.
2) Engineering and Society
Social responsibilities of engineers.
Engineering and the law.
3) Technology and Society
Foster awareness of the impact of
technology on individuals, society, and the
environment.
4) Technology and Public
Policy
Politics of technology assessment. Risk
management. Technology management.
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PHIL 315 - Pedagogical Approaches
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Teaching code-based reasoning (Professional
Codes of Conduct)
Teaching case-based reasoning
Teaching moral problem solving
Teaching the social and political responsibilities of
engineers
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PHIL 315 - Pedagogical Approaches Examples
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Code-based reasoning
Hyatt Regency Walkway
Collapse - July 17, 1981 Kansas City, Missouri
Case-based reasoning
Iran Flight 655 Shot
Down by USS Vincennes
- July 3, 1988
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PHIL 315 - Pedagogical Approaches Examples - continued.
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Moral problem solving
Space Shuttle Challenger
Disaster - January 27,
1986
Social and political
responsibilities
Chernobyl Nuclear
Reactor Explosion - April
26, 1986 - Chernobyl,
Russia
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Topics
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Background and goals
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Curriculum
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Role of the library and collaboration with professors
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Library Role - Supporting Engineering Ethics
Why the library?
 Libraries contain (or provide access to) resources for
student assignments: debates, essays, discussions.
 Librarians teach students how to find information
 Librarians teach students how to assess the quality of
the information. Teaching methods: classroom
presentations, consultations (face-to-face and email for
small groups or individuals)
 Diverse multidisciplinary information needs –
engineering, politics, business, ethics
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Library Role - Example
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Teaching fair use of
information.
Use of Library web
page during
consultations.
Email and person-toperson consultations
are used.
http://www.library.drexel.edu/research/tutorials/citation/default.html
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Library Consultations - Definition &
Techniques
Librarians instruct students on how to:
 Search for information
 Assess information and information sources
 Cite and use information correctly
Techniques:
 Email and Face-to-face
 Small Group and Individuals
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Library Consultations - Justification
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Student reliance on free web sites often results in poor
quality information, especially when compared to
library resources. Consultations help students realize
the importance of library resources.
Students often mis-use the library catalog and cannot
find what they are looking for even though the library
has the item they need. Consultations help address
this problem.
Librarians impart "information enlightenment" to
students during consultations.
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Library Consultations - Justification continued
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Consultations in a friendly environment encourage
students to explore the variety of resources available
through the library.
Ethical use of information.
Librarians identify subject areas in the collection that
may need new or additional materials.
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Library Consultations - Observations
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Students were simply using the web to support their
cases
Most students did not use other books from the library
except the ones on RESERVE
Students were not aware of IEEE Xplore, Ei
Compendex and Applied Science and Technology
Abstracts. They did not know they existed, nor did
they know about the scholarly articles and other types
of information contained in these sources.
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Expanding the Role of the Library in Support
of Engineering Ethics - Library Instruction
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Library Instruction to increase awareness about
various library resources and other tools.
Currently no specific classes offered, except for a
single resource training session during Freshman year.
(650 students, each attends 1 session, library
conducted 25 sessions).
Co-ordinate with faculty to design the instructional
component.
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Library Instruction Session - Goals
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Library Instruction to increase awareness about
various library resources and other tools.
Emphasis on scholarly articles from major electronic
databases (one activity will require students to
compare an electronic database such as IEEE Xplore
or Ei Compendex with Yahoo! or Google).
Life-long learning – information skills can be
transferred in other settings.
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Expanding the Role of the Library - Example
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Librarian & Faculty
collaborated to create
the Engineering Ethics
Guide.
PHIL 315 linked to the
guide through WebCT.
Currently rely on Library
Instruction and Web
Guides.
http://www.library.drexel.edu/research/guides/pdfs/engethics.html
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Librarian / Professor Collaboration
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Librarians
 Information Literacy - Critical Thinking,
Accreditation Implications. How to find, evaluate,
and use information effectively (Information
Literacy as defined by ALA).
Faculty
 Subject area expertise
 Relevant / acceptable assignment content
 Professional expectations
Combined
 Past research experience & shared desire to help
students.
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Strategies for Librarian / Professor
Collaboration - Networking
Networking
 Professors see library in a new light - as a partner in
education and instruction (different role than previous
encounters during PhD studies).
 Get to know each other better
 Share information and discuss goals
 Formal and informal discussions, meetings, lunches,
emails, etc.
 Combine expertise in respective areas
 Information Literacy for professors
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Strategies for Librarian / Professor
Collaboration - Improve Collection
Improve Collection & Collection Awareness
 Consider resource formats - books, journals,
documentaries, DVD, software, etc.
 Transcripts of interviews with professional engineers
investigating technological failures may be available.
 Librarian provides Professor with list of resources
 Professor provides feedback, perhaps adds items to
list
 Librarian notifies Professor when resources are
available
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Strategies for Librarian / Professor
Collaboration - Teaching Critical Thinking
Skills
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Librarians - emphasize Critical Thinking during
research: Students use critical thinking when
obtaining and evaluating information. Critical
evaluation of the information and the source of the
information.
Professors - emphasize Critical Thinking during
assignments: Debates and discussions - students
need factual evidence to support / defend decisions.
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Strategies for Librarian / Professor
Collaboration - Library Instruction
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Emphasizes Basic Research Skills and Life-long
Learning
Subject versus keyword searching
Developing search strategies
Using Boolean searching
In-class exercise employs collaborative team-based
searching
Team presents their position based on what they found
Presentation skills stressed
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Strategies for Librarian / Professor
Collaboration - Library Instruction continued.
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Faculty/librarian partnership – teaching team
Both work on equal basis respecting each other’s
needs and goals
Effective collaboration is a precondition for success in
a team taught course
Collaboration required for successful library classes
and consultations.
Collaboration helps avoid sending mixed signals to
students.
Interactive nature of instruction as students seek,
obtain and evaluate information together
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Future Directions
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Three focus groups for observations - Before the
library session, after the session and after reports are
done
Each observation session to get feedback from
students
Survey questions
Improve future teaching and instruction sessions
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Conclusion
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Librarian / Professor collaboration
Integrate engineering ethics and professional
expectations into current classes
Supplement curriculum with new courses focused on
engineering ethics
Information Literacy - teach and reinforce techniques
for finding, evaluating, using, and citing information.
Life-long learning and Accreditation implications
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Thank you for your time!
Jay Bhatt
[email protected]
Information Services Librarian - Engineering
W.W. Hagerty Library, Drexel University
Dr. Eli Fromm
[email protected]
Director for Center of Educational Research
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Department
College of Engineering, Drexel University
Dr. Mark Manion
Assistant Professor of Philosophy
[email protected] College of Arts and Sciences, Drexel
University
[end]
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