Instructional Objectives for ECE/Phil 316

Course goals for ECE/Phil 316

1. To develop moral reasoning skills
2. To learn to read and think critically
3. To improve writing skills in an engineering context
4. To explore the fundamental structure of human personhood, the philosophical grounding of moral action, and the development of moral character as the precondition of all integral performance in a profession.

Article analysis papers

To evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of an argument in an article. (e)

To write a clear, accurate, concise summary of the main points of an article. (g)

Case analysis papers

To identify organizational, social, cultural, and legal constraints on possible solutions to ethical problems. (h)

To determine what additional facts might be relevant to making a wise decision. (e)

To draw careful distinctions between moral concepts, such as bribes and gifts. (e)

To propose solutions to ethical problems that honor all relevant moral considerations. (c)

To evaluate possible consequences of proposed actions according to both consequentialist and deontological tests. (a)

To express ideas clearly in writing. (g)

Personal mission statement

In-class discussions

To speak effectively. (g)

Daily papers or journals

Research project

To formulate a thesis statement, to focus arguments in support of the thesis, and to address possible counter-arguments, clearly in writing. (g)

To present the main conclusions orally to other students. (g)

To provide constructive suggestions to drafts of other students' research papers in peer editing groups. (d, g)

Fieldwork assignment (honors section)

To ask perceptive questions in interviews. (e)

To learn that ethical problems occur every day in professional life. (h)

To work in diverse groups to brainstorm about ethical issues and possible solutions. (d)

To organize and write a single paper with a case narrative and case analysis. (d, g)

To evaluate the performance of each member in the group: cooperation, timeliness, quality of contributions, quantity of contributions. (d)

In the list of instructional objectives the letters (a), (b), ... refer to the parts of Criterion 3 in the Engineering Criteria 2000 used by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology to accredit educational programs in engineering in the United States.

Criterion 3: