1 Ethics Presented by: Craig Titus EPICS High Workshop – Summer 2010 Lecture: Ethics Presented By: Craig Titus Head Teaching Assistant - EPICS

Service-Learning Environment Active, Experiential Learning

Lecture: ASEE 2010 Presented By: Craig Titus Different Responsibilities +

Lecture: Ethical Decision Making Presented By: Craig Titus Mistakes Mistakes we have made: Teaching “ethics” Assuming interest (& desire) Assuming recognition of need Assuming some prior exposure to ethics training Abstracting examples

Lecture: ASEE 2010 Presented By: Craig Titus Reflection Question Reflection Question: What are the ethical issues (or potential issues) in your project work? What have you done about these issues? What would happen if you did not do this?

Lecture: Ethical Decision Making Presented By: Craig Titus Reflection Question Example Answer: “I believe the main point of engineering ethics is safety.” “We considered safety when the proximity circuit idea was used...” “My main ethical consideration for my project was safety.” “The project that we are working on doesn’t have any ethical issues...”

Lecture: ASEE 2010 Presented By: Craig Titus Reflection Question However: “There were numerous ethical issues that arose throughout the semester...” 1.“The [project] circuit was not very stable, often not stopping when it was suppose to. 2.Instead of going along with the unstable circuit, we opted to take more time and redesign a better functioning circuit. 3.Another major issue was with the ring on the [project]. Two designs failed the twelve foot drop test. We did not think that sustaining a twelve foot drop was necessary, but the zoo was very specific on their needs. 4.We considered continuing with the current ring design even though it couldn’t hold up to this high demand, but decided that this was unethical and started again with a new design. 5.Finally, there were many minor details with the kiosk we were tempted to overlook, but ended up spending a lot of extra time trying to make it as good as we could.”

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Lecture: ASEE 2010 Presented By: Craig Titus Pedagogical Tools Pedagogical Tools: Introductory lecture Social context components in design lecture (for the big picture) Skill sessions (workshops) in Ethics and Social context Authentic case (for hindsight/post-mortem analysis)

Lecture: ASEE 2010 Presented By: Craig Titus Assessment Tools Assessment Tools: DIT & DIT 2 (U of Minn. & U of Alabama) ESIT & TESSE (Georgia Tech) Based on Kohlberg’s stages of moral development

Lecture: ASEE 2010 Presented By: Craig Titus Assessment Tools 1. Your student design team has been asked by the city to design a pedestrian bridge over the Wabash River. The current automobile bridge is fine for cars but lacks an adequate sidewalk and is unsafe for pedestrian traffic. One of the major hurdles you discover is deciding on the level of safety for the bridge. Design guidelines call for a factor of safety of 3.0 times the calculated level of integrity needed, but with the budget and schedule you are given, your design reaches a maximum of 2.78 times the integrity needed. Should you build? Should you build?____ Yes____ No____ Can’t decide Rank these possible outcomes in order of importance to you while making your decision. ____ 1a. You would likely lose future business for going over budget and over schedule. ____ 1b. You and your design team would be held responsible if the bridge fails. ____ 2a. You could gain future business by completing the project on time and within budget. ____ 2b. The community will respect your maintaining the highest levels of safety. ____ 3a. The rest of your team wants to build at the 2.78 safety factor. ____ 3b. Other teams have designed similar bridges to similar levels of safety. ____ 4a. There are no guidelines for levels of safety other than those you have. ____ 4b. The city planning committee that hired you gave you these guidelines specifying a safety factor of 3.0. ____ 5a. You made a commitment to the community complete this project. ____ 5b. Some members of the community might not be comfortable with a safety factor of only 2.78 ____ 6a. What criteria the community will use to judge the success of the project. ____ 6b. Running over budget and over schedule might lead to a safer bridge. ____ Most important item ____ Second most important item ____ Third most important item ____ Fourth most important item

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Lecture: Ethics Presented By: Craig Titus Ethics in Design What are the ethical issues?

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Lecture: Ethics Presented By: Craig Titus Ethics in Design

Lecture: Ethics Presented By: Craig Titus Ethics in Design Moral Language: Good = Happiness (in general) Right = Leads to happiness (when confronted w/choices) Fact vs Value = Scientifically verifiable vs Personal opinion Ethics = Theoretical framework governing your actions Morals = What specific actions to take (or avoid) What exactly is an Ethical Dilemma? Di = two Lemma = proposition (or claim) Dilemma = two claims that contradict each other or do not allow for both at the same time Ethical dilemma = when both propositions are of ethical content (both govern your actions) but contradict each other. You cannot do both at the same time.

Lecture: Ethics Presented By: Craig Titus What is a Profession? The Four Attributes of a Profession (Martin & Schinzinger) : 1.Involves work that requires sophisticated skills, judgment, and discretion. The work is not capable of being mechanized. 1.Membership requires extensive formal education, not only field work or an apprenticeship. 3.Self Regulating: Members set standards of admission, conduct, and quality –– and enforce these standards. 4.Significant public good results from the practice.

Lecture: Ethics Presented By: Craig Titus Ethical Frameworks Utilitarianism – The greatest good for the greatest number of people. Or, the ends justify the means. Duty Ethics – We are obligated by duty to follow the moral law, which we know by rational thought. Rights Ethics – We all have human rights, and all actions should avoid violating others’ rights. Virtue Ethics – We should act in a way that is befitting of good character.

Lecture: Ethics Presented By: Craig Titus Ethical Decision Making Process Ethical Decision Making Process (Michael Davis) 1.State problem (project identification) 2.Check facts (specification development) 3.Develop list of (roughly) five options (conceptual design) 4.Test options hypothetically – do they pass the following: (detailed design) a.Harm test b.Publicity test c.Defensibility test d.Reversibility test e.Virtue test f.Professional test A.Harm Test Does this do the least amount of harm when compared to other alternatives? B. Publicity Test Would I be comfortable with this decision being publicized in the newspaper or on TV? C. Defensibility Test Could I defend this position with a logical argument against my peers, parents, or the public? D. Reversibility Test Would I be OK with this if it affected me and not someone else? E. Virtue Test Is this decision representative of a person with good character? What would I become if I made this decision often? F. Profession Test What would my profession’s ethics committee say about this choice?

Lecture: Ethics Presented By: Craig Titus Ethical Decision Making Process Ethical Decision Making (Michael Davis), cont. 5.Make a choice (delivery) 6.Follow through on your choice! (maintenance)

Lecture: Ethics Presented By: Craig Titus Ethical Frameworks Codes of Ethics: Necessary, but not sufficient guides of professional behavior Should help avoid some uncertainties, but not specific situations Similar to your EPICS “Code of Cooperation” Engineers shall: 1.Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public in the performance of their professional duties. 2.Perform services only in the areas of their competence. 3.C ontinue their professional development throughout their Careers. 4.Act … as faithful agents or trustees, and shall avoid conflicts of interest or the appearance of conflicts of interest. 5.Build their professional reputation on the merit of their services and shall not compete unfairly with others. 6.Associate only with reputable persons or organizations. 7.Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner. 8.Consider environmental impact in the performance of their professional duties.

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Lecture: Ethics Presented By: Craig Titus Ethics in Design But ethics is so different from design, right? WRONG! Design Process: 1.Project Identification 2.Specification development 3.Conceptual design 4.Detailed design 5.Delivery 6.Service and Maintenance

Lecture: Ethics Presented By: Craig Titus Decision Making is like Design 1.State problem 2.Check facts 3.Develop list of options 4.Test options 5.Make a choice 6.Follow through! 1.Project Identification 2.Specification development 3.Conceptual design 4.Detailed design 5.Delivery 6.Service and Maintenance Moral Decision Making is Like Design:

Lecture: Ethics Presented By: Craig Titus The End Questions