Integrating Ethics into Graduate Training in the Environmental Sciences

该项目正在为环境科学研究生课程开发、整合和评估六个主题的伦理模块：1)负责任的研究行为；2)数据分析；3)可持续性;4)成本效益分析；5)环境风险分析；6)不确定性下的决策。这是加强自然科学伦理教育的需要。自然科学和社会科学领域的伦理教育远不如医学、商业和工程领域系统。此外，自然科学中的伦理教育往往局限于指导负责任的研究行为（RCR）。这个主题通常在一次课堂会议或在线培训模块中处理，很少伴随道德敏感性或道德决策技能的培训。研究生通常被灌输研究方法，认为他们的研究是客观和无价值的。然而，环境科学的研究往往以深刻的方式影响社会和环境，并且对这一研究的进行和解释充满了伦理假设和问题。RCR的最低限度培训不足以教育研究生关于他们研究的全部伦理层面。我们正在研究这样一个假设，即扩大伦理教育，包括科学研究内容中固有的伦理问题，以及对科学研究伦理行为的关注，既能提高学生对传统RCR培训的欣赏，又能丰富学生对环境科学研究伦理背景的理解。智力价值：该项目通过开发和评估课程模块对环境科学主题的影响，寻求在伦理教育的内容和教学方法方面取得重大进展。该项目的研究部分将检验两个假设。首先，研究生教育对伦理框架和伦理推理技能的日益重视与更好地理解和/或对RCR的态度相关。第二个假设是，将伦理教育扩展到RCR之外与更好地理解和/或对科学伦理教育的态度相关。我们的模块将为未来的科学家提供他们将面临的一系列伦理问题的欣赏和解决这些问题所需的技能。更广泛的影响：虽然大多数科学家都致力于确保他们的学生认识到科学诚信的重要性，但这个话题是许多科学家感到准备不足的。因此，提供课程支持的经过测试的、现成的模块对许多从事研究生教育的教师来说是一个受欢迎的补充。这个项目是评估多少道德教育是足够的相对于确定的学习目标，使教师能够判断如何最好地结合模块。本研究第一年开发的教学技术和评估策略将在卡内基梅隆大学、宾夕法尼亚州立大学哈里斯堡分校和滑岩大学的研究生课程中实施。通过创建教学模块和案例研究分析，我们的研究结果正在广泛传播，以便在岩石伦理研究所的网页上电子出版，并通过期刊出版物传播。

This project is developing, incorporating, and assessing ethics modules on six topics designed for graduate courses in the environmental sciences: 1) responsible conduct of research; 2) data analysis; 3) sustainability; 4) cost/benefit analysis; 5) environmental risk-analysis; 6) decision-making under uncertainty. This fills a need for strengthened ethics education in the natural sciences. Ethics education in the natural and social sciences has been much less systematic than in medicine, business, and engineering. Further, ethics education in the natural sciences is often limited to instruction on the responsible conduct of research (RCR). This topic is typically handled in a single class meeting or an on-line training module, and is seldom accompanied by training in ethical sensitivity or ethical decision-making skills. Graduate students are typically inculcated in research methods to view their research as objective and value-free. Research in the environmental sciences, however, often influences society and the environment in profound ways, and the conduct and interpretation of this research is rich in ethical assumptions and issues. Minimal training in the RCR is not adequate in educating graduate students about the full ethical dimensions of their research. We are investigating the hypothesis that expanded ethics education that encompasses ethical issues inherent in the content of scientific research as well as attention to the ethical conduct of scientific research will both improve students' appreciation of traditional RCR training and enrich students' understanding of the ethical context of their research in the environmental sciences. Intellectual Merit: This project is seeking major advances in both the content and pedagogy of ethics education by developing and assessing the impact of curricular modules on topics in the environmental sciences. The research component of the project will test two hypotheses. The first is that increased emphasis in graduate education on ethical frameworks and ethical reasoning skills is correlated with a better understanding of and/or attitudes toward RCR. The second hypothesis is that extending ethics education beyond RCR is correlated with a better understanding of and/or attitudes toward ethics education in the sciences. Our modules will provide future scientists with an appreciation of the range of ethical issues they will face and the skills needed to address them. Broader Impacts: While most scientists are committed to ensuring that their students appreciate the importance of scientific integrity, this topic is one many scientists feel under-prepared to teach. Tested, off-the-shelf modules that provide curricular support are thus a welcome addition to many instructors engaged in graduate education. This project is assessing how much ethics education is sufficient relative to identified learning objectives, enabling faculty to judge how best to incorporate the modules. The pedagogical techniques and assessment strategies that are being developed in the first year of this study will be implemented in graduate courses at Carnegie Mellon, Penn State Harrisburg, and at Slippery Rock University in subsequent years. Our results are being widely disseminated both by creating pedagogical modules and case study analyses for electronic publishing on the web pages of the Rock Ethics Institute, and through journal publications.