Honest Ethics for Engineers: A New, Realistic Approach to Teaching Ethics Codes

The teaching of ethics to engineering students is now mandated. Courses are centred around professional codes like the IEEE's (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineer), not acknowledging that we operate in a grey area between the honest and the practical. This paper presents a new honest way in which ethics was taught at Michigan State University and lessons from that experience. Doing that liberated the teacher and students to grapple with real-life ethics issues. The codes are presented as ideals rather than absolute standards, teaching students to move towards the ideals. A social impact assessment exercise taught students to use honest estimates to reach useful conclusions in subjects where we lack competence. This exercise also teaches that data can be fiddled and fudged to support preconceived decisions. A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis is taught bringing out the need in working life to operate ethically even when we lack full competence. A case study examines appointing preselected candidates after advertisement. Stereotypes, sexuality, and race were openly discussed getting students to make presentations thereby permitting the instructor to raise relevant questions for balance while obviating the need to take positions on divisive issues. Class activities are described. A course survey demonstrated students improving their ethical commitment.