Study On The Teaching Mode Of American Engineering Ethics Education

Engineering ethics education is an important way to promote the professional ethics of engineers and strengthen their awareness of social responsibility,and is essential for their professional development.America has gained abundant experience and been maturing in the teaching mode of the course of engineering ethics education,since it set the course in the 1970 s.In this respect,America is a prime example.As engineering ethics education emerges in China,it is in the stage of progressing and development.Though attention is increasingly paid to engineering ethics education in Chinese engineering colleges,there are still lots of problems in practices,especially those in teaching contents,methods and effects,etc.Thus,the study of the teaching mode of engineering ethics education course in America help obtain an in-depth understanding of the development course and practical experience of the teaching mode in America,and provide reference for Chinese teachers' improving the teaching contents,methods and effects,for the reform of engineering ethics education course in China and for improving of the quality of the education.In this paper,literature and empirical research are used in order to further the study of the teaching mode of engineering ethics education.First,theories are reviewed as to the concept of the teaching mode of engineering ethics education.The teaching mode of engineering ethics education represents a scientific combination of teaching contents,methods and effects,and evaluation of teaching effects,aiming at strengthening the moral sensibility and the sense of professional ethics and social responsibility of the students majoring in engineering.Second,the paper gives an overview of the development course of the teaching mode in America,and analyzes in depth its trends and the related factors.The results show the teaching mode has gone through three periods: the pre-emerging,emerging and developing periods,which are a result of internal and external factors——the latter include social needs for talents and the goals of cultivation of higher engineering personnel(the directions),reflections on ethics in the aftermath of engineering accidents and technological development(the turning point),engineering associations and professional organizations(the driving forces);the former includes the teaching contents,methodsand effects(which interact).With the internal and external factors,the teaching mode in America has been reforming,developing and perfecting itself.Third,based on the newest practices in engineering ethics education in American colleges,the paper reviews those typical of the modes in 25 American colleges,and explores the experience,i.e.,highlighting the nature and human values in the teaching contents,integrating ethics,engineering,and other disciplines;in terms of teaching method,comprehensively using the cases in teaching;in terms of evaluating the teaching effects,applying ABET standards.At last,on the basis of researching on the teachers of engineering ethics education in China and a course of engineering ethics education in a Chinese college,the paper analyzes and locates the problems in the education in China: lack of institutional support,inadequate teaching force,absence of Chinese wisdom in teaching contents,lack of in-depth analysis of the cases in engineering and exploring of teaching effects evaluation,etc.Therefore,the paper makes the following proposals: setting up platforms for communicating and sharing between the teachers of engineering ethics education in China,advancing the training of the teachers continuously,spotting the ethics problems in engineering practices in China,attaching importance to establishing STS course system,innovating case teaching,exploring the methods for evaluating the teaching effects of engineering ethics education in China,etc.