Engineering and social responsibility: a case-based course

Abstract

This paper describes a teaching experience. In spring 2006, a new optional course about engineering and responsibility was started at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Its methodology was mainly based on preparation and debate of cases of ethical conflict in the engineering practice, particularly those involving social responsibility. The enrolled students attended most of the classes and showed a noticeable degree of implication and participation. At the end of the course, the students wrote, discussed, and signed a manifesto trying to summarize what they have learned during the course. The whole experience was very positively evaluated by the participant students and will also be proposed in the forthcoming years.