Integrating Ethics into Graduate Training in the Environmental Sciences

该项目正在开发、整合和评估为环境科学研究生课程设计的六个主题的道德模块：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。 这满足了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、商业和工程领域的系统性。此外，自然科学领域的伦理教育往往仅限于指导负责任的研究行为。这一主题通常在一次课堂会议或一个在线培训模块中处理，很少有道德敏感性或道德决策技能方面的培训。研究生通常被灌输研究方法，将他们的研究视为客观和无价值的。然而，环境科学的研究往往会对社会和环境产生深远的影响，而且对这一研究的开展和解释充满了伦理假设和问题。在RCR的最低限度的培训是不足以教育研究生关于他们的研究的全部伦理层面。我们正在调查的假设，扩大伦理教育，包括在科学研究的内容中固有的伦理问题，以及关注科学研究的道德行为，既提高学生的欣赏传统的RCR培训和丰富学生的理解他们的研究在环境科学的伦理背景。智力优势：该项目通过制定和评估环境科学专题课程单元的影响，力求在道德教育的内容和教学法方面取得重大进展。该项目的研究部分将检验两个假设。 第一个是，在研究生教育的伦理框架和伦理推理技能的重视程度增加与更好地理解和/或对RCR的态度。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道德问题的认识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，但许多科学家觉得这个话题还没有准备好。因此，经过测试的现成模块提供课程支持，是许多从事研究生教育的教师的一个受欢迎的补充。该项目正在评估相对于已确定的学习目标，道德教育的程度是足够的，使教师能够判断如何最好地纳入这些模块。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石大学的研究生课程中实施。我们的研究结果被广泛传播，通过创建教学模块和案例研究分析，电子出版在岩石伦理研究所的网页上，并通过期刊出版物。

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.