Developing and Assessing Macroethics Modules for the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative Responsible Conduct of Research Courses

越来越多的人认识到科学家和工程师需要道德教育，包括对许多联邦赠款接受者的培训要求，以及进一步需要将宏观道德教育纳入社会科学家，自然科学家，计算机科学家和工程师的研究教育中的责任和道德行为。这个教育和研究相结合的项目将开发，评估和传播创新的宏观伦理入门课程模块。该项目的主要贡献是模块的内容：从科学和工程伦理学（SEE）和科学技术研究（STS）的重要宏观伦理学概念的介绍。宏观伦理学研究科学家和工程师的集体社会责任，而微观伦理学则强调研究中的个人伦理困境（例如剽窃）。项目组将开发四个模块，分别用于以下学科伦理教育课程：1）生物医学科学，2）社会和行为科学，3）物理科学，4）工程学。要探讨的核心概念来自STS理论框架，并集中在三个想法上：（1）对技术进步的想法的批判，（2）工程作为一种社会实验，（3）概念和技术假设和决策的潜力具有长期影响。 该项目汇集了一个跨学科的团队来开发模块内容，并征求SEE，STS，科学和工程领域活跃学者的进一步投入。该小组将与活跃的学者合作，通过提议在各种专业协会会议上举行圆桌讨论会，确定和完善这些单元的适当共同核心概念。 此外，一个由9名纪律顾问组成的网络将协助领导团队。在分发最后的单元之前，该小组将评估效果，并在必要时加以改进。评估方案将审查：1）宏观伦理模块用户的知识获取，2）宏观伦理和微观伦理教育相结合对这两个领域知识获取的影响，以及3）知识保留。

There has been growing recognition of scientists' and engineers' need for ethics education, including training requirements for many federal grant recipients, and the further need to incorporate macroethics education into responsible and ethical conduct in research education for social scientists, natural scientists, computer scientists, and engineers. This combination education and research project will develop, assess, and disseminate innovative introductory macroethical course modules. The major contribution of the project is the modules' content: an introduction to significant macroethics concepts from science and engineering ethics (SEE) and science and technology studies (STS). Macroethics examines the collective social responsibilities of scientists and engineers, as opposed to microethics, which emphasizes individual ethical dilemmas in research (for example, plagiarism). The project team will develop four modules, one for each of the following disciplinary ethics education courses: 1) biomedical sciences, 2) social and behavioral sciences, 3) physical sciences, and 4) engineering. The core concepts to be explored are drawn from STS theoretical frameworks and center on three ideas: (1) a critique of the idea of technology as progress, (2) engineering as a social experiment, and (3) the potential of conceptual and technical assumptions and decisions to have long-term impacts. The project brings together an interdisciplinary team to develop module content and solicit further input from active scholars in SEE, STS, science, and engineering. The team will work with active scholars to identify and refine appropriate common core concepts for the modules by proposing roundtable discussions at a variety of professional association meetings. In addition, a network of nine disciplinary consultants will aid the leadership team. Before disseminating the final modules, the team will assess effectiveness and refine them as necessary. The assessment protocol will examine: 1) knowledge acquisition by the macroethics module users, 2) the effect of combining macroethical and microethical education on acquisition of knowledge in both areas, and 3) knowledge retention.