Abstract

This pilot study explores engineering students’ views on social responsibility in undergraduate research experiences. Participants displayed high concern for human welfare and safety but needed more education and training to understand the importance of being socially responsible scientists and engineers. To address this, the authors recommend incorporating a formal curriculum to facilitate students’ understanding and articulation of their views on social responsibility in science and engineering research. The authors provide suggested case studies for engineering educators to incorporate social responsibility topics into their curriculum, enabling students to learn and debate the ethical and social implications of their research, promoting critical thinking and reflection on their work’s impact. This study emphasizes the need for comprehensive education and training tailored to scientists and engineers to address complex societal challenges effectively and responsibly in their professional roles.

Keywords: social responsibility, engineering ethics, engineering formation, undergraduate research, Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)

View Paper

This paper was presented at the 2023 ASEE Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland.

If the link or the PDF viewer aren’t working, you can click here to download the paper from Github.

Recommended citation: Fernandez, K., & Rivera-Jiménez, S. M. (2023, June), Social responsibility views in science and engineering: An exploratory study among engineering undergraduate researchers. Paper presented at the 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore, Maryland. DOI: 10.18260/1-2--44235
Download Paper