Assessing Engineering Students’ Ethicality

Abstract

In higher educational institutions, ethics is the very core of the people that institutions are trying to morally shape. In a few years’ time, these students will be assigned to some work place where they will be forced to make decisions which can affect businesses and more importantly – human lives. In that respect, what seems like a simple doubt about right or wrong, becomes alarmingly significant and in times where economics and profit drive the thinking of the society, ethics are often overlooked. Universities attempt to instil ethical principles by providing courses on the topic, and through demonstrated behaviour of professors. This article presents introduction of a new class, devoted to ethics, as an application of stated approaches. The article shows some details of the class, with emphasis put onto the behaviour and decision that students showed during conducting given assignments. Findings have been divided into technical and ethical aspects.

Keywords

• engineering ethics
• engineering education
• metrology