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

合作研究：跨学科环境科学的价值观和政策：基于对话的道德教育框架

• 批准号: 1456085
• 负责人: Troy Hall
• 金额: $ 7.67万
• 依托单位: Oregon State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-06-15 至 2017-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1456085&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Values; Policy; Interdisciplinary

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.

来自密歇根州立大学和爱达荷大学的一个合作研究小组正在与跨学科环境科学项目(IESP)的教师和学生合作，在跨学科环境科学的背景下对伦理概念进行系统的、批判性的分析。为应对紧迫的环境问题，在大专和研究生课程中增加了IESP。在解决环境问题时，伦理考量具有极其重要的意义，因为它们往往涉及价值判断，涉及的伦理问题复杂、多方面且事关重大。然而，IESP研究生课程的伦理教育材料并没有跟上步伐。这个教育和研究项目正在开发一种在IESP中进行研究生伦理教育的方法，可以更好地为下一代环境科学家解决复杂问题做好准备。教材的编制受到两项教学承诺的指导：(A)承认学习的社会性和合作性的建构主义范式；(B)致力于问题驱动的教育模式。正在建立一个有条理但又灵活的框架，以便能够根据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)开发课程模块，随后可在课堂对话中使用。该框架由供教师和学生使用的材料组成，帮助他们确定IESP中可能发生因价值判断而产生的伦理困境的背景。该框架有两个维度，分别对应于“内容”和“方法”。“内容”涉及价值判断，涉及(A)跨学科科学研究的开展，以及(B)跨学科环境科学对社会需求和政策的影响。“方法”让学生作为团队或团体，对他们作为科学家和工程师的实践的价值和政策方面进行批判性的、概念性的分析。使用这些模块的课程的学生将积极参与确定和评估与价值观有关的挑战，这些挑战是多种环境观点的交汇点，也是科学与政策的交汇点。除了制定这一框架外，项目组正在对其有效性进行严格评估，以促进在IESP课程中更好地考虑伦理问题。通过专题介绍和出版物广泛传播该框架将加强跨学科本科生和研究生教育，还将为研究生研究助理提供职业发展机会、道德培训和指导。