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Using Case Studies to Teach Engineering Design and Ethics

Using Case Studies to Teach Engineering Design and Ethics. Larry G. Richards and Michael E. Gorman University of Virginia ASEE 2004: Session 3441. Case Studies. What are Cases? a narrative account of a situation, problem, or decision usually derived from actual experience

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Using Case Studies to Teach Engineering Design and Ethics

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  1. Using Case Studies to Teach Engineering Design and Ethics Larry G. Richards and Michael E. Gorman University of Virginia ASEE 2004: Session 3441

  2. Case Studies • What are Cases? • a narrative account of a situation, problem, or decision • usually derived from actual experience • reflect real-world concerns

  3. Case Studies • And why should we use them? • To develop higher level thinking skills • beyond rote learning • require analysis, judgment, decisions • perspective taking, role playing • independent thought, critical thinking

  4. Case Studies • And why should we use them? • To expose students to realistic situations • open ended problems • multiple possible answers • key decision points • tradeoffs involved in practice

  5. Approaches to developing knowledge and skills (Shapiro) • Lectures and readings • “acquiring knowledge and becoming informed about techniques” • Exercises and problem sets • “the initial tools for exploring the applications and limitations of techniques”

  6. Approaches to developing knowledge and skills (Shapiro) • Case method • “development of philosophies, approaches and skills” • Extend the learning experience beyond the classroom and laboratory.

  7. University of Virginia Cases • Darden case library • Invention and design • Environmental design • Ethics • Systems engineering • Integrated Product Development

  8. Focus on Ethics • Moral reasoning • Mental Models • Moral Imagination

  9. Mental models • Mental representations, internal images or verbal codings of experience, cognitive frameworks • Set the parameters through which experience is filtered and organized • “May limit us to familiar ways of thinking and acting” • “inhibit consideration of alternatives”

  10. Limited perspectives • Standard solutions • Accepted ways of doing things • Compartmentalized expertise • Corporate culture

  11. Moral imagination • “Moral imagination involves recognizing the role, scheme, or mental model that one is adopting, disengaging from it, and evaluating alternative perspectives and courses of action.” • Gorman, Mehalik, Werhane, p.2

  12. Real life cases • “…students need to see multiple examples of how ethical dilemmas are handled in the real world” • “They also need to see the kind of detailed information available to actual decision makers.” • Gorman, Mehalik, Werhane, p.1

  13. Case study approach • “Cases constitute a kind of virtual apprenticeship, in which students can apply ethical principles to actual situations and discuss the outcomes with each other and with a faculty mentor.” • Gorman, Mehalik, Werhane, p.2

  14. Some Ethical Issues in Engineering Practice • Best design standards • Patent infringement • Product liability • Environmental Sustainability • Appropriate technology • Engineering disasters

  15. The Westinghouse Example • John Kamauff (graduate student) • Landel and Richards (faculty advisors) • Funded by National Consortium for Technology in Business (ASEE and AACSB)

  16. Westinghouse Case • Introduce new philosophy • Integrated product development • Mandated by management • Required organizational changes within the company • How to build trust among all the parties

  17. Westinghouse Case • Traditional functional areas • Marketing • Manufacturing • Design Engineering • Systems design and development • Quality assurance • Different roles; different perspectives • Now must work on multidisciplinary teams.

  18. DesignTex, Inc • Matt Mehalik (graduate student) • Mike Gorman, Andrea Larson, Patricia Werhane (faculty) • Based on the work of William McDonough • Design of environmentally friendly fabrics.

  19. McDonough • Former Dean of Architecture at UVA • Major proponent of sustainable design • Two principles: • Waste equals food • Cradle to cradle design • Environmentally intelligent

  20. Details of the DesignTex case • Design and manufacture of textiles for commercial interiors • Steelcase office furniture • Portfolio collection • Rohner Textil • Suppliers (dyes, materials)

  21. DesignTex case • Sue Lyons (VP of DesignTex) • William McDonough (architect/designer) • Michael Braungart (chemist) • Albin Kalin (Rohner Textil)

  22. Issues involved in the case • Sustainability • Aesthetics • Standards • Industrial ecology • Production processes • Costs • Tradeoffs

  23. Changing jobs • Mini-cases developed by B. Garrey and M. Gorman, 2002. • An engineer moving from one company to another • A group of engineers moving from one company to another.

  24. Changing jobs • Initial description seems to lead to a fairly clear cut decision. • But as details are added, the situation becomes murkier. • At the end of the discussion, Mr. Garrey gives students: • Tips on how to change jobs without getting sued. • Tips on working for your new employer

  25. “..case method is the best pedagogy to teach design, environmental engineering, managerial, and engineering ethics” • Gorman, Mehalik, Werhane (2000)

  26. Books about Cases • Aldridge, M.D. and Swamidass, P.M. (1996) Cross-Functional Management of Technology: Cases and Readings Richard D. Irwin, Chicago. • Bruner, Robert F. (2003) Socrates’ Muse: Reflections on Effective Case Discussion Leadership, McGraw-Hill/Irwin • Christensen, C. R. and Hansen, A.J. (1987) Teaching and the Case Method Harvard Business School, Boston. • Gorman, M. E., Mehalik, M. M., and Werhane, P. H. (2000) Ethical and Environmental Challenges to Engineering Prentice Hall

  27. Articles on Engineering Cases • Petroski, Henry (1991). Human Error and the Case for Case Histories in Design. Journal of Engineering Design Vol. 2, No. 1, pgs.81-88. • Raju, P.K. and Sankar, C.S. (1999) Teaching Real – World Issues through Case Studies. Journal of Engineering Education October 1999. Pgs 501 – 508. • Richards, L.G. Gorman, M.E., Scherer, W.T. and Landel, R.D. (1995) Promoting Active Learning with Cases and Instructional Modules Journal of Engineering Education Vol. 84, No. 4, pgs. 375 -381

  28. Resources on Engineering Ethics • Harris, C.E., Pritchard, M.S., and Rabins, M.J. (1999) Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. • Lynch, W.T. (1997) “Teaching Engineering Ethics in the United States” IEEE Technology and Society Magazine, (Winter), 27-36. • Self, D.J. and Ellison, E.M. (1998) “Teaching Engineering Ethics: Assessment of its Effects on Moral Reasoning Skills” Journal of Engineering Education 87(1), 29-34. • Werhane, P. (1999) Moral Imagination and Managerial Decision-Making, New York : Oxford University Press.

  29. Additional resources • Evan, William M. and Manion, Mark (2002) Minding the Machines: Preventing Technological Disasters Prentice Hall PTR, Upper Saddle River, N.J. Chapter 8 provides “Twelve Exemplary Case Studies of Technological Disasters”, coupled with Chapter 9 these could be used as cases. • Fitzgerald, Neil “Teaching with Cases” ASEE Prism, March 1995, Vol. 4, # 7, 16-20. • Petroski, Henry (1994) Design Paradigms: Case Histories of Error and Judgment in Engineering, Cambridge University Press.

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