Ethics Across the Curriculum

Dr José A. CruzDr. William J. Frey

Dr. Halley D. Sánchez

University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez

Center for Ethics in the ProfessionsCentro Para la Ética en las Profesiones

College Board – October 11, 2002

© 2002 by Cruz, Frey & Sanchez

Our agenda for today

Present EAC (ethics across the curriculum) as an effective way to integrate ethics across the university curriculum

Model two successful ethics integration modules Introductory Ethics Integration Exercise or Pre-test Gray Matters (loosely based on the game of the

same name) Discuss our exercise and case development

efforts

What is EAC? Ethics Across the Curriculum “One of the leading trends in ethics

pedagogy today is to have an ethical component or module incorporated into the actual professional or occupational course to supplement the freestanding ethics course.”

EAC is holistic

EAC requires establishing an overall plan that coordinates a series of activities:

A. Freestanding Course (Required or Elective)

B. Ethics Integration Projects for mainstream courses

C. Special Activities

A. Freestanding Course

Course in Practical and Professional Ethics taught by an ethicist, practical specialist, or both

Repository of Research, Knowledge, and Innovation

Viable option for career-oriented students who want to study ethical issues in more depth

B. Ethics Integration Activities

Today’s Two Examples: Introductory Ethics Module for Introduction

to Computers (Dr. Cruz’s exercise) Introduces students to ethical issues in computing Introduces students to ethics cases and basic ethical

frameworks

Gray Matters (Module that Frey uses in Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Class)

Promotes integration of ethical issues into a rational decision-making process

C. Special Activities

These activities occur outside the the main curriculum, for example:

Special Presentations (Three UPRM engineering professors—industrial, mechanical, civil—present on super-aqueduct accident in Puerto Rico)

Student Activities (UPRM students revise CIAPR code of ethics for Co-Op students)

Competitions (APPE’s Ethics Bowl)

EAC is Interdisciplinary EAC recognizes that ethical problems in PPE

must be approached from an interdisciplinary standpoint

Makes use of cases and exercises that integrate ethical, technical and mathematical components

Our goal: To get 15% of our faculty committed to and

empowered in EAC through various activities including yearly ethics retreats.

Through this 15% (and the ethics integration projects they sponsor), we hypothesize that it is possible to empower ethically 85% of our students.

Ethics Across the Curriculum:

A Module for Introduction to Computers

José A. Cruz-Cruz

Exercise Outline

Individually react to some short scenarios

Discuss one of the scenarios

Introduce the “The 3 Tests”

Discuss another scenario using “the 3 tests”

Concluding Remarks

Ethics-Related Scenarios For each scenario briefly react to the following

three questions, for example:

An employee uses his/her computer at work to send e-mail to friends and relatives.

1. Do you think this situation is Common/Realistic? Yes or No

2. Do you consider this situation Ethical or not? Ethical or Unethical

3. Do you think someone may disagree with you? Yes or No

Our Students’ Comments

“I don’t want to be treated as a slave or robot.” “These people get paid well to work.” “Some work hard, while others surf the Internet?” “As long as my boss doesn’t see me …” “I minimize the browser …” “Maybe someone opens an e-mail with a virus …” “Maybe the person doesn’t have a PC at home?” “Isn’t this similar to using the phone to call a

friend?” “Everybody does it!”

1.REVERSIBILITY

2.PUBLICITY

3.HARM

Ethical Decision Making Tests‡

‡ Based on handouts from the Ethics in BSE Retreat, “A Guide for Ethical Decision Making” (Dr. Vivian Weil and Dr. Michael Davis)

REVERSIBILITY

Would I think this is a good choice if I where among those affected by it? “Put yourself into the other person’s shoes”

Students bring up this issue, for example: As an employee … “I’m not a slave/robot” … As an employer … “I pay these people well” … As a colleague … “I work hard, others surf?” …

PUBLICITY

Would I want or mind if this choice is published in the newspaper? “Ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente” “What the eyes don’t see is not heartfelt”

Students bring up this issue, for example: … early in the morning before the boss

arrives … I toggle between e-mail & the task at hand

HARM Does the action cause harm? Does it do

less harm than the alternatives? “El remedio es peor que la enfermedad” “The remedy is worst than the illness”

Students bring up this issue, for example: Does it interferes with other’s work? Some take advantage … others don’t! Ban the use of e-mail and Internet?

Revisit the Scenarios

Re-evaluate a scenario using the 3 tests: REVERSIBILITY, PUBLICITY & HARM

Did your perception of the situation change?

How might we avoid similar situations in the future?

For Example: Promote awareness of Institutional Policy or

Guidelines Provide Training and Helpdesk

Why is Ethics Important?

Our awareness of ethics affects our behavior.

If we incorporate ethical considerations early in the decision-making process we can avoid difficult ethical choices later on.

“It’s everybody's responsibility.” †

†Ernest A. Kallman and John P. Grillo, Ethical Decision Making and Information Technology, 2nd ed., New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996. (p. 19)

Where to go from here?

Take a course in Engineering or Business Ethics Study Professional & Corporate Codes of Conduct Seek and read ethics-related articles Take the time to read ethics related chapters and

excerpts available in many textbooks Discuss ethical issues with your colleagues &

friends Internet Sites (www.onlineethics.org,

www.computingcases.org & many others)

Conclusion

Be Ethical, be WISE!

Thank you!Any Questions?

Moral Minimum

A non-Philosopher teaching Ethics?

Definition of Ethics Ethics: the systematic and critical study of

social practices Example: Engineering ethics is the

systematical and critical study of the social practice of engineering.

Systematic: employs principles and logical argument in assessing the norms of a practice.

Critical: Systematic examination may show that practical norms fail to meet ethical criteria and need to be revised.

The Moral Minimum

The minimum basis from which we can start the process of ethical reflection in a given practice.

It is composed of the three ethics tests: Harm, Reversibility, & Publicity

These help us to find common ground between different political, ideological, and cultural views.

It, thus, provides the basis for a dialogue on the ethical issues that arise in a given practice.

It does this without forcing consensus or agreement.

Partial Encapsulation Each of these tests provides us with an initial

access to one or more major ethical approaches: Harm: harm minimization is an essential

component of utilitarian theory Reversibility is an essential component of

respect for others which is shared by deontology and rights theory

Publicity reveals aspects of virtue theory if we assume that the actions with which we are publicly associated provide others with windows through which they can view and evaluate our characters.

Grounding These ethical approaches cover different

dimensions of the human action. These different dimensions (or

perspectives) must be integrated in a moral decision

Trading them off, selecting one and setting the others aside, creates blind spots in one’s judgments. Crucial aspects of the moral worth of an action

are omitted in a decision that considers the act from only one of these dimensions.

Schematic Summary

Dimension of Action

Ethical Approach

Aspect Emphasized

Intuitive Test

Outer Consequentialism or Teleology

Results or finalities

Harm (Does this action minimize harm?)

Inner Deontology Formal Characteristics: universality, logical consistency, necessity

Reversibility (Is act still acceptable after agent shifts places with subject?)

Agent Virtue Ethics Dispositions and traits that form character of agent

Publicity (Would I want my action made public?)

Gray Matters: An Ethics Integration Module

Teaching decision-making

Description of Gray Matters

Lockheed/Martin game Scenario designed to elicit a decision Scenario is followed by a series of possible

solutions Multiple choice test format—one of the

solutions represents company policy Goal—Acquaint employees with company

policy concerning common ethical problems

Gray Matters—Our Version

Origin: Developed to highlight cases we designed in NSF-

SBR-9810253 and UPR-Central Administration grants Objective

Teach decision-making by emphasizing ethical awareness, ethical evaluation, and ethical integration

Form Decision scenario followed by possible courses of

action “Right” answer not necessarily included because the

right answer is what both optimizes ethics tests and can be implemented over real world constraints (that are embodied in a feasibility test)

A Disclaimer on the Cases Some might think that they recognize in the

following cases certain real world companies or individuals.

But these cases are designed to develop moral imagination, not practice real world journalism

The truth is, these cases are composites and have no real world correlate.

Those who are convinced of a real world correlate will “deconstruct” according to their own designs. But their deconstructions of our cases are as fanciful as those of the French philosopher, Derrida.

Pacemaker Case A pacemaker manufacturing company (PACE Inc.)

located in a small town in Puerto Rico provides jobs to about 80% of the town’s workforce. Profit margins are thin in this competitive field which includes larger U.S. companies. You are on an R&D team for PACE that has studied two options for the circuitry: BULK CMOS and SOI. The team favors BULK CMOS because the manufacturing process is simpler and cheaper. But the chips will be larger and consume more energy; this means more surgery for the patients to replace the batteries. Overall, the use of BULK CMOS would reduce patient life expectancy by 15%.Given this knowledge, what should you do?

Alternatives 1. Go along with the team and advocate the

simpler and cheaper process. 2. Oppose the team and advocate the

more complex, more expensive, but safer process. Try to persuade the team members to opt for safety.

3. Oppose the team. Force agreement by threatening to blow the whistle.

4. Resign from PACE, Inc. 5. Design your own solution.

Instructions for Gray Matters

1. Read the scenario and solutions. 2. Choose from the solutions offered the one

you think is the best and the one you think is the worst

3. Using the ethics tests, explain why these solutions are your choices for best and worst.

4. What would you do in this situation? Why? 5. Meta-Thinking: think about the questions

and problems that arise as you work with the ethics tests framework

Inkjet Case

You are a UPRM engineering graduate from a small town in Puerto Rico and have started working in your first job as a member of a research and development team charged with designing a new generation of printers for a market leader in this area. The company you work for wants to maintain its leadership. It also wants to respond to the emerging environmental problem caused by the disposal of the inkjet cartridges used in its current model. However, these inkjet cartridges are made in your hometown. If the new generation of printers does not use disposable cartridges, then this plant will close, putting friends and family out of work. Your company is a leader in empowering its employees. But what should you do with this newly found power?

Inkjet Solutions 1. Resign from the R&D team because you have a

conflict of interest. 2. Use your position on the team to argue that

the company does not need to develop a new generation of printers. In this way guarantee that your friends and family will keep their jobs.

3. Sit back and see what the senior members of the team want. Then enthusiastically embrace this.

4. Advocate designing a recyclable cartridge that could be manufactured in the hometown plant.

5. Design your own solution.

Cases and Scenarios

Results:50 cases with NSF SBR-

981025340 cases with ABET

workshops

Teaching and Writing Cases

Case Discussion helps students learn ethics. Discuss Real World cases that portray

everyday situations rather than focus exclusively on big news/bad news cases.

Students will modify their moral views in response to arguments by teachers and peers.

Closure in the sense of reaching the definitive right answer is not necessary

Case discussion allows students to practice decision-making and to integrate ethical frameworks into decision-making.

Writing your own cases: Guidelines

Choose your topic so that it integrates nicely into your class Sources: codes of ethics and textbook

exercises Choose the perspective or voice of the case

Judge perspective if the goal is to evaluate Participant’s perspective if the goal is to

practice decision making Choose when to end the case

At a moment of decision or after the action has been taken

Building Solutions For Gray Matters

Build solutions around five generic options:

(1) give in (2) get more information and

document (3) oppose—negotiate (4) oppose—confront (5) resign or exit

What You Can Do?

Integration Projects

Integration Project

Project Modeled (By José A. Cruz) Course: Introduction to Computer Data Processing

(Required) Exercise Title: Introduction to Ethical Issues (Ethics Pre-

Test) Objectives: Ethical awareness and evaluation Outcomes: students will be able to pick out cases that

raise ethical issues and evaluate scenarios using ethics tests

Mode of Assessment: test questions, syllabus, sample writings, and General Module Evaluation Form

Integration Project Course: INEL 4151 & 4152 (Required Course

in Electromagnetic) Exercise Title: Healthy/Safety Case

(Mayagüez Land-Fill) Objectives: Ethical Evaluation Outcomes: Students will evaluate scenario

using ethics tests of harm, reversibility, and publicity after solving numerical problems.

Mode of Assessment: test questions and class discussion

Integration Project (Recognized)

Course: INEL/ICOM (By Luis Jiménez) Module Title: “Ética e Ingenieria: Modulo

de Ética para cursos de INEL/ICOM Objectives: ethical awareness, evaluation

and integration (ABET 3f, 3h, and 4) Outcomes: learn utilitarianism,

deontology, virtue, codes, global and environmental impacts of engineering

Assessment: students develop virtue and duty lists for professors and students

Integration Project Course: FILO 3185 - Computer Ethics (Elective) Exercise Title: Social Impact Statement Objectives: Ethical awareness, evaluation,

integration, prevention, value realization Outcomes: students will select a real world

computer system, describe its logical and physical components, identify hidden ethical problems, and develop feasible counter-measures to problems

Mode of Assessment: Presentation, written report graded with rubric

Manuals Manual on Introductory Ethics

Integration Exercise www.uprm.edu/ethics/

Click on “Pedagogical” and then on “An Exercise in Ethical Empowerment”

www.uprm.edu/ethics/ Click on “Publications and Conferences”,

then “Ethics across the Curriculum”, then below “General Description of Module” on “Goals, Description, and Source of Activity”

Online NSF Project for cases in computer ethics:

www.computingcases.org Online Format for complex cases

Therac-25 Machado Case Hughes Aircraft

Gray Matters Exercises Instructor’s Materials (Explanation of

Ethics Tests) Student Exercises and Evaluation

Matrices

How to get started … Take inventory of what you are already doing.

(Recognition Projects) Identify likely courses for integration exercises

(Pilot Projects) Required courses and popular electives Target different years (Fr., Soph., Jr., & Sr)

Identify an intervention point (where an ethical issue naturally arises in the course).

Design the exercise to fit the context (Pre-test and/or Gray Matters)

Let’s keep in touch …

Create you own exercise (We will help you!)

Experiment in your classes Document and assess it Share your results & let us know what doing

w_frey@rumac.uprm.edu jacruz@uprm.edu hsanchez@stahl.uprm.edu Visit www.uprm.edu/ethics

Thank you for participating!

Any Questions?