Collaborative Research: Values and Policy in Interdisciplinary Environmental Science: A Dialogue-based Framework for Ethics Education

来自密歇根州立大学和爱达荷大学的研究人员组成的合作小组正在与跨学科环境科学项目（iesp）的教师和学生合作，对跨学科环境科学背景下的伦理概念进行系统的、批判性的分析。为了应对紧迫的环境问题，iesp在高等教育和研究生课程中成倍增加。在处理环境问题时，伦理考虑是非常重要的，因为它们通常涉及价值判断，所涉及的伦理问题是复杂的，多方面的，高风险的。然而，研究生IESP课程的伦理教材却没有跟上步伐。这一教育和研究项目正在发展一种方法，以便在国际环境科学与工程学院进行研究生道德教育，使下一代环境科学家更好地为解决复杂问题做好准备。材料的发展受到两项教学承诺的指导：(a)承认学习的社会和协作性质的建构主义范式；(b)致力于以问题为导向的教育模式。一个结构化的、灵活的框架正在创建，以使课程模块的开发能够随后被用于课堂对话，该框架建立在以前由国家科学基金会资助的工作成果（工具箱项目-国家科学基金会奖#0823058）之上。该框架包括供教师和学生使用的材料，帮助他们识别IESP中可能发生价值判断所产生的道德困境的情境。框架有两个维度，分别对应“内容”和“方法”。“内容”涉及与(a)跨学科科学研究的行为和(b)跨学科环境科学对社会需求和政策的影响有关的价值判断。“方法”让学生以团队或小组的形式，对他们作为科学家和工程师的实践中的价值和政策方面进行批判性的、概念性的分析。使用这些模块的学生将积极参与识别和评估与价值相关的挑战，这些挑战是在多个环境观点的交叉点和科学与政策的交叉点。除了开发这个框架，项目团队正在对其有效性进行严格的评估，以促进更好地考虑IESP课程中的道德问题。通过演讲和出版物广泛传播该框架将加强跨学科的本科和研究生教育，并将为研究生研究助理提供专业发展机会、道德培训和指导。

A collaborative team of investigators from Michigan State University and the University of Idaho is working with instructors and students in interdisciplinary environmental science programs (IESPs) to conduct systematic, critical analysis of ethical concepts in the context of interdisciplinary environmental science. IESPs have multiplied in post-secondary and graduate curricula in response to pressing environmental problems. Ethical considerations are of immense importance in addressing environmental topics, because they often involve value judgments and the ethical issues involved are complex, multi-faceted, and high-stakes. Yet, ethics education materials for graduate IESP courses have not kept pace. This education and research project is developing an approach to graduate ethics education in IESPs that can better prepare the next generation of environmental scientists to solve complex problems. Materials development is being guided by two pedagogical commitments: (a) a constructivist paradigm that recognizes the social and collaborative nature of learning; and (b) a commitment to problem-driven models of education. A structured, yet flexible, framework is being created to enable development of course modules that can subsequently be adopted for use in classroom dialogue, building on results of work previously funded by NSF (the Toolbox Project - NSF award #0823058). The framework consists of materials for instructors and students that help them identify contexts in their IESP where ethical dilemmas generated by value judgments are likely to occur. The framework has two dimensions, corresponding to "content" and "method". The "content" concerns value judgments that relate to (a) the conduct of interdisciplinary scientific research, and (b) the impact of interdisciplinary environmental science on societal needs and policies. The "method" engages students, as teams or groups, in critical, conceptual analysis of value and policy aspects of their own practice as scientists and engineers. Students in courses using these modules will participate actively in identifying and assessing values-related challenges that are at the intersection of multiple environmental perspectives and at the intersection of science with policy. In addition to developing this framework, the project team is conducting a rigorous evaluation of its effectiveness for facilitating better consideration of ethical issues in IESP courses. Dissemination of the framework broadly through presentations and publications will strengthen interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate education and will also provide professional development opportunities, ethics training, and mentoring for graduate research assistants.