Transcript Using Case Studies to Teach Engineering Design and Ethics

Using Case Studies to Teach
Engineering Design and Ethics
Larry G. Richards
and Michael E. Gorman
University of Virginia
ASEE 2004: Session 3441
Case Studies
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What are Cases?
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a narrative account of a situation, problem, or
decision
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usually derived from actual experience
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reflect real-world concerns
Case Studies
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And why should we use them?
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To develop higher level thinking skills
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beyond rote learning
require analysis, judgment, decisions
perspective taking, role playing
independent thought, critical thinking
Case Studies
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And why should we use them?
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To expose students to realistic
situations
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open ended problems
multiple possible answers
key decision points
tradeoffs involved in practice
Approaches to developing
knowledge and skills (Shapiro)
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Lectures and readings
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“acquiring knowledge and becoming
informed about techniques”
Exercises and problem sets
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“the initial tools for exploring the
applications and limitations of techniques”
Approaches to developing
knowledge and skills (Shapiro)
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Case method
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“development of philosophies, approaches
and skills”
Extend the learning experience beyond the
classroom and laboratory.
University of Virginia Cases
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Darden case library
Invention and design
Environmental design
Ethics
Systems engineering
Integrated Product Development
Focus on Ethics
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Moral reasoning
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Mental Models
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Moral Imagination
Mental models
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Mental representations, internal images
or verbal codings of experience,
cognitive frameworks
Set the parameters through which
experience is filtered and organized
“May limit us to familiar ways of
thinking and acting”
“inhibit consideration of alternatives”
Limited perspectives
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Standard solutions
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Accepted ways of doing things
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Compartmentalized expertise
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Corporate culture
Moral imagination
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“Moral imagination involves recognizing
the role, scheme, or mental model that
one is adopting, disengaging from it,
and evaluating alternative perspectives
and courses of action.”
Gorman, Mehalik, Werhane, p.2
Real life cases
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“…students need to see multiple
examples of how ethical dilemmas are
handled in the real world”
“They also need to see the kind of
detailed information available to actual
decision makers.”
Gorman, Mehalik, Werhane, p.1
Case study approach
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“Cases constitute a kind of virtual
apprenticeship, in which students can
apply ethical principles to actual
situations and discuss the outcomes
with each other and with a faculty
mentor.”
Gorman, Mehalik, Werhane, p.2
Some Ethical Issues in
Engineering Practice
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Best design standards
Patent infringement
Product liability
Environmental Sustainability
Appropriate technology
Engineering disasters
The Westinghouse Example
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John Kamauff (graduate student)
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Landel and Richards (faculty advisors)
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Funded by National Consortium for
Technology in Business (ASEE and
AACSB)
Westinghouse Case
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Introduce new philosophy
Integrated product development
Mandated by management
Required organizational changes within
the company
How to build trust among all the parties
Westinghouse Case
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Traditional functional areas
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Marketing
Manufacturing
Design Engineering
Systems design and development
Quality assurance
Different roles; different perspectives
Now must work on multidisciplinary teams.
DesignTex, Inc
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Matt Mehalik (graduate student)
Mike Gorman, Andrea Larson, Patricia
Werhane (faculty)
Based on the work of William
McDonough
Design of environmentally friendly
fabrics.
McDonough
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Former Dean of Architecture at UVA
Major proponent of sustainable design
Two principles:
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Waste equals food
Cradle to cradle design
Environmentally intelligent
Details of the DesignTex case
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Design and manufacture of textiles for
commercial interiors
Steelcase office furniture
Portfolio collection
Rohner Textil
Suppliers (dyes, materials)
DesignTex case
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Sue Lyons (VP of DesignTex)
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William McDonough (architect/designer)
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Michael Braungart (chemist)
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Albin Kalin (Rohner Textil)
Issues involved in the case
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Sustainability
Aesthetics
Standards
Industrial ecology
Production processes
Costs
Tradeoffs
Changing jobs
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Mini-cases developed by B. Garrey and
M. Gorman, 2002.
An engineer moving from one company
to another
A group of engineers moving from one
company to another.
Changing jobs
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Initial description seems to lead to a fairly
clear cut decision.
But as details are added, the situation
becomes murkier.
At the end of the discussion, Mr. Garrey gives
students:
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Tips on how to change jobs without getting sued.
Tips on working for your new employer
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“..case method is the best pedagogy to
teach design, environmental
engineering, managerial, and
engineering ethics”
Gorman, Mehalik, Werhane (2000)
Books about Cases
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Aldridge, M.D. and Swamidass, P.M. (1996) Cross-Functional
Management of Technology: Cases and Readings Richard D.
Irwin, Chicago.
Bruner, Robert F. (2003) Socrates’ Muse: Reflections on Effective
Case Discussion Leadership, McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Christensen, C. R. and Hansen, A.J. (1987) Teaching and the
Case Method Harvard Business School, Boston.
Gorman, M. E., Mehalik, M. M., and Werhane, P. H. (2000)
Ethical and Environmental Challenges to Engineering Prentice
Hall
Articles on Engineering Cases
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Petroski, Henry (1991). Human Error and the Case for Case
Histories in Design. Journal of Engineering Design Vol. 2, No. 1,
pgs.81-88.
Raju, P.K. and Sankar, C.S. (1999) Teaching Real – World Issues
through Case Studies. Journal of Engineering Education October
1999. Pgs 501 – 508.
Richards, L.G. Gorman, M.E., Scherer, W.T. and Landel, R.D.
(1995) Promoting Active Learning with Cases and Instructional
Modules Journal of Engineering Education Vol. 84, No. 4, pgs.
375 -381
Resources on
Engineering Ethics
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Harris, C.E., Pritchard, M.S., and Rabins, M.J. (1999)
Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth.
Lynch, W.T. (1997) “Teaching Engineering Ethics in
the United States” IEEE Technology and Society
Magazine, (Winter), 27-36.
Self, D.J. and Ellison, E.M. (1998) “Teaching
Engineering Ethics: Assessment of its Effects on
Moral Reasoning Skills” Journal of Engineering
Education 87(1), 29-34.
Werhane, P. (1999) Moral Imagination and
Managerial Decision-Making, New York : Oxford
University Press.
Additional resources
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Evan, William M. and Manion, Mark (2002) Minding the
Machines: Preventing Technological Disasters Prentice Hall PTR,
Upper Saddle River, N.J. Chapter 8 provides “Twelve Exemplary
Case Studies of Technological Disasters”, coupled with Chapter 9
these could be used as cases.
Fitzgerald, Neil “Teaching with Cases” ASEE Prism, March 1995,
Vol. 4, # 7, 16-20.
Petroski, Henry (1994) Design Paradigms: Case Histories of
Error and Judgment in Engineering, Cambridge University Press.