Engr 183EW: Engineering and Society

CATALOG DESCRIPTION: Professional and ethical considerations in the practice of engineering. The impact of technology on society and on the development of moral and ethical values. Contemporary environmental, biological, legal and other issues created by new technologies.

OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE: To better prepare UCLAs engineering students to understand and deal with the social and ethical issues they will face as professional engineers and as citizens of a technology dependent democracy. To increase awareness and knowledge of the impact of technology and engineering on society, historically and at present. To introduce contemporary moral and ethical principles and provide an historical perspective on their origins and evolution, including the contributions of science, engineering and technology to this evolution. To introduce contemporary societal issues involving technology, to promote a critical and informed assessment of them and to encourage continued education in this direction. To provide guidelines for dealing with ethical factors in the context of the individual, team, project, corporate and societal environments that surround the practice of engineering. To provide experience in working on a multi-disciplinary team to research and solve a contemporary problem Improve students capability to write professional quality engineering papers and reports

JUSTIFICATION: The National Academy of Engineering has called for increased educational attention to the subject of Engineering Ethics (see The Bridge, vol. 32, number 3, Fall, 2002, an issue devoted entirely to the subject). This is not because engineers are unethical, but because of the issues they will deal with in the 21st Century. NAE identifies the need for education regarding macro ethics (broad social and environmental issues) as well as micro ethics (dilemmas faced by individual engineers), and suggests a curriculum that includes a required course in ethics plus recognition of its importance throughout the curriculum. A number of first-rank Schools of Engineering have stepped up their emphasis and curriculum content in this area. These range from faculty development initiatives aimed at incorporating ethics material into a broad range of classes, e.g. at the University of Michigan; the introduction of new dedicated courses, e.g. at UC Berkeley, where the course has been taught jointly with L&S; and both in force, e.g. the University of Virginia School of Engineering, where all students take a four-course science, technology and society core, along with required senior theses on the social impact of technical projects. As discussed below, we have examined these approaches carefully in formulating our own.

As an added benefit, this course promotes involvement and communication with UCLA Departments outside the School of Engineering, both in the delineation of contemporary issues rooted in technology and in the expression of historical and contemporary moral values. COURSE CONTENT: Following an introductory session, the course proceeds through three main modules: 1. Historical Background Module 2. Contemporary Issues Module 3. Ethical Engineering Practice Module These modules are described individually below Historical Background Module This portion of the course covers key events and their meanings in the history of technology, the history of science, and the related history of ethical and moral values from ancient times through the scientific and industrial revolution to current times. Modern technologies and their social and cultural impact are delineated, with major emphasis on 20th century developments and their repercussions. Contemporary Issues Module This portion of the class delineates and explores the major technical and societal issues that will confront us in the 21st Century. The focus is on the technological, social, moral and ethical dilemmas that are facing todays and tomorrows engineers. The subjects are selected so as to provide a broad view of the effect of technology on creating and solving social problems, an understanding of how our non-technical people view scientists and engineers, and an understanding that the solutions to these problems require a rational amalgamation of technical and cultural considerations. The discussions include: the facts of the matter; information and misinformation in the popular press; technologies that help provide greater understanding of the issue; technologies that might ameliorate the issue, and potential and/or feared undesirable side effects; the effectiveness (or not) of conservation; cultural, political, moral and ethical considerations. Ethical Engineering Practice This integrating and summarizing module describes what an engineer can actually expect to face professionally, and how the considerations treated above can influence his or her work content and actions. Major topics include. Ethics in the modern workplace. Exploration of personal, professional, corporate and social ethical concepts, including the value of personal integrity, the preservation of truth in research and the role of relationships in career development. Case studies of common engineering dilemmas are analyzed and discussed. Engineering projects and the particular ethical and moral dilemmas they present. As background and framework, the project environment will be delineated, including: the definition of a project; issues of teamwork; effects of diversity including generational, gender, ethnicity, culture, etc.; project management methodologies; and the use of computers in the modern project. The ethics of teamwork, of management and of leadership will be discussed. Methodologies for incorporating ethical values into engineering decision making will be presented. The responsibilities of engineers as individuals and of the engineering profession as a whole in a modern society. This will include: the engineer as guardian of the public health and safety; when whistle blowing is in order; the concept of sustainable development, and its application in engineering endeavors. The major goal of being

ethical versus the sub-goal of having ethics. What the individual engineer can do in terms of formal and informal education, practice and analysis to help achieve the former.

STUDENT PARTICIPATION: Students are more motivated, and therefore learn more, when they are involved rather than simply listening. Accordingly, this course includes considerable content that is generated by the students themselves in two individual research writing assignments and one major team research and reporting report. In the team research report students choose a contemporary issue to research using both library and Internet resources. They then report: (1) the facts and reality regarding the selected issue; (2) the ethical and societal issues involved, and (3) a team consensus on recommended actions by appropriate parties to ameliorate or mitigate the condition, including how technology, engineering and society will help to accomplish the recommendations in accord with ethical considerations.

CASE STUDIES: During the course several explicit cases are examined in some detail. These vary depending upon the detailed module content. Typical cases are: The Challenger Disaster, The Columbia Disaster, The Douglas DC-10 Failures, the Ford Pinto fires and the Ford Explorer rollover cases. In some sessions the participating faculty will bring explicit cases from their personal experience to review and discuss. In addition, one session will be devoted to job-related problems in Engineering Ethics of the type likely to be encountered immediately by young engineers.