Using Case Studies to Teach Engineering Design and Ethics

Larry G. Richards and Michael E. GormanUniversity of Virginia

ASEE 2004: Session 3441

Case Studies What are Cases?

a narrative account of a situation, problem, or decision

usually derived from actual experience

reflect real-world concerns

Case Studies And why should we use them?

To develop higher level thinking skills beyond rote learning require analysis, judgment, decisions perspective taking, role playing independent thought, critical thinking

Case Studies And why should we use them?

To expose students to realistic situations

open ended problems multiple possible answers key decision points tradeoffs involved in practice

Approaches to developing knowledge and skills (Shapiro) Lectures and readings

“acquiring knowledge and becoming informed about techniques”

Exercises and problem sets “the initial tools for exploring the

applications and limitations of techniques”

Approaches to developing knowledge and skills (Shapiro) Case method

“development of philosophies, approaches and skills”

Extend the learning experience beyond the classroom and laboratory.

University of Virginia Cases Darden case library Invention and design Environmental design Ethics Systems engineering Integrated Product Development

Focus on Ethics Moral reasoning

Mental Models

Moral Imagination

Mental models 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 Standard solutions

Accepted ways of doing things

Compartmentalized expertise

Corporate culture

Moral imagination “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 “…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 “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 Best design standards Patent infringement Product liability Environmental Sustainability Appropriate technology Engineering disasters

The Westinghouse Example John Kamauff (graduate student)

Landel and Richards (faculty advisors)

Funded by National Consortium for Technology in Business (ASEE and AACSB)

Westinghouse Case 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 Traditional functional areas

Marketing Manufacturing Design Engineering Systems design and development Quality assurance

Different roles; different perspectives Now must work on multidisciplinary

teams.

DesignTex, Inc Matt Mehalik (graduate student) Mike Gorman, Andrea Larson,

Patricia Werhane (faculty) Based on the work of William

McDonough Design of environmentally friendly

fabrics.

McDonough Former Dean of Architecture at UVA Major proponent of sustainable

design Two principles:

Waste equals food Cradle to cradle design

Environmentally intelligent

Details of the DesignTex case Design and manufacture of textiles

for commercial interiors Steelcase office furniture Portfolio collection Rohner Textil Suppliers (dyes, materials)

DesignTex case Sue Lyons (VP of DesignTex)

William McDonough (architect/designer)

Michael Braungart (chemist)

Albin Kalin (Rohner Textil)

Issues involved in the case Sustainability Aesthetics Standards Industrial ecology Production processes Costs Tradeoffs

Changing jobs 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 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: Tips on how to change jobs without getting

sued. Tips on working for your new employer

“..case method is the best pedagogy to teach design, environmental engineering, managerial, and engineering ethics”

Gorman, Mehalik, Werhane (2000)

Books about Cases 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 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 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 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.