Integrating Ethics into Graduate Training in the Environmental Sciences

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Integrating Ethics into Graduate Training in the
Environmental Sciences

• Michelle Stickler
• Education Specialist
• The Pennsylvania State University

Funded by the National Science Foundation
0529766
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Acknowledgements

• Research Team
• Donald Brown (case developer)
• Ken Davis (case developer)
• Klaus Keller (case developer)
• Rich Ready (case developer)
• Erich Schienke (case/manual developer)
• Jim Shortle (case developer)
• Nancy Tuana (PI)
• IRB approval from PSU

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Educational Objective

• Develop ethics education modules that can be
  integrated into science curricula
• Geosciences
• Agricultural economics
• Develop and test at PSU
• Make available broadly

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Module Topics

• RCR
• Data analysis
• Sustainability
• Cost/benefit analysis
• Environmental risk-analysis
• Decision-making under uncertainty

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RCR Module

• Introduction to research misconduct
• Responsible authorship
• Authorship credit and responsibility
• When and what to publish
• Data sharing
• Conflict of interest
• In peer review
• In expert testimony

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Objectivity Module

• Ethical question can research truly be
  objective
• Influences that shape how a problem is defined,
  studied, and reported
• Differences in standards of objectivity

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Benefit-Cost Analysis Module

• Ethical evaluation of 3 common criteria for
  evaluating social welfare change
• Argument need for deeper evaluation of benefits
  and costs

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Uncertainty Module

• When is it ethical to publish results likely to
  influence policy when subject to uncertainty
• Inherent ethical decisions in treatment of
  uncertainty
• Differences between scientific / policy arenas
• Data analysis and dissemination issues

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Research Question

• Does ethical training embedded within the
  curriculum correlate with a better understanding
  and/or attitudes toward RCR than RCR training
  alone?

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Research Groups
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Assessments

• Principles of RCR
• multiple choice knowledge assessment
• Attitudes Towards RCR
• Scenario based assessment
• Identify acceptable vs. unacceptable scenarios on
  4 point scale
• Qualitative explanation of choice

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Progress

• Module development - ongoing
• Pilot testing of instruments - Spring 2006
• Revisions to instruments Summer 2006
• 2nd reliability testing early Fall 2006
• Start of data collection Fall 2006

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Challenges and Limitations

• Inconsistency in delivery
• Enrolling sufficient number of participants

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Summary

• Curricular development ethics / RCR modules
  embedded in science courses
• Research comparing impact of 1) stand-alone RCR
  education and 2) RCR and ethics in the curriculum
  on knowledge and attitudes