"EESE: "Ethics Instruction for International Graduate Students in Engineering

Texas Tech University, Lubbock TX

Investigators

Abstract

This award is made under the Ethics Education in Science and Engineering Program (NSF06-524). "EESE: Ethics Instruction for International Graduate Students in Engineering". The study is a combined education and research project aimed at improving ethics education for international graduate students in engineering. An educational intervention consisting of a series of online ethics learning modules will help international graduate students overcome the acculturation barriers to inculcating normative ethical obligations associated with engineering practice in the United States. Our multidisciplinary team of researchers from Texas Tech University, Baylor University, and the University of Texas at Austin proposes to create and implement web-delivered ethics instructional materials to heighten international student awareness and mastery of normative values and standards in the field of engineering. While the instructional materials will assist all engineering graduate students in acclimating to engineering ethics standards and expectations, they will be especially sensitive to the needs of the international graduate student. A robust three year research design will enable the team to refine the instructional materials to allow students to achieve ethics mastery upon completion of the modules. The technology-based delivery allows students to complete the training at their own pace and in an environment of their choosing.