Globalizing engineering ethics education through Web-based instruction

ABET engineering criteria (EC) 2000 specify that engineering colleges and universities must ensure all students understand their professional and ethical responsibilities upon graduation. This paper discusses the strategies used in developing and teaching an online engineering ethics class developed in part to meet this requirement. Web-based instruction can provide the opportunity to bridge both distance and cultural gaps, which makes it uniquely suited to connect engineering ethics communities both in the United States as well as globally. In addition, the effectiveness of this Web-based approach in teaching ethics is discussed as well as how this approach can be extended to include international student representation.