Hidden Curriculum Perspective on the Importance of Ethics and Societal Impacts in Engineering Education

Abstract

Abstract Learning in higher education occurs in many forms, through the official written lessons in the curriculum, the informal conversations and interactions in academic settings, and the tacit messages and attitudes of the organization and culture, from either internal or external sources. The last component, termed the hidden curriculum, pertains to perspectives and processes that are both outside of, and rooted in, the formal curriculum. The hidden curriculum inadvertently conveys to students what is important in the educational community. This paper will employ a hidden curriculum perspective to explore the role and value of ethics and societal impacts (ESI) in engineering education. ABET mandates the inclusion of ethical responsibility and societal contexts in the undergraduate curriculum of accredited programs. However, individual departments and educators have considerable autonomy in determining how and where these topics are covered. Often included in first-year, capstone design, and ethics-focused courses, ESI can appear divorced from the technical core of the engineering curriculum. The inclusion or absence of ESI in different curricular settings may send certain messages to engineering students about its importance and relevance. Furthermore, constraining ethics to a microethical view on codes and personal responsibilities obstructs the broader macroethical responsibilities such as social justice and sustainability. Accepted practices and norms in engineering, such as the dominance of rationality over emotion, separation between social and technical considerations, and formation of professional identity, can serve to stifle ESI education through hidden curriculum. As part of a larger study on the ESI education of undergraduate and graduate students, this paper explores ESI through a hidden curriculum lens using a mixed-methods approach. Individuals who teach engineering and computing students were invited to participate in a survey where they reported their own ESI education practices and their perceptions of the ESI education of students in their program. Respondents were asked in which settings they believed undergraduate students learned about ESI in their program. The results indicated cases or settings in which ESI is invisible or is purposefully excluded. For example, despite the clear connection between engineering design and societal considerations, 37% reported that ESI was not taught in capstone design in their program. In addition, if few or no engineering instructors teach particular ESI topics, this could communicate to students that these may not be legitimate considerations in engineering. Follow-up interviews were conducted with select survey participants to learn more about their ESI practices and perspectives. The interviews provided insights into the perceived boundary conditions of engineering education and where ESI fits in that paradigm. By understanding if and where ESI is taught in engineering, this paper aims to create awareness of the influences of hidden curriculum and how making these factors visible can support the thoughtful and effective integration of ESI into the engineering curriculum.

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