Evaluation of Engineering Ethics in the Mechanical Engineering Curriculum at a Caribbean National University

In recent times, concerns have been raised about the ethical awareness of engineering students. This is not surprising because it appears that little attention has been given to engineering ethics and the role played by universities in the Caribbean to prepare ethically responsible engineering graduates. The discourse on engineering ethics begins with formal engineering education. As such, emphasis needs to be placed on embedding engineering ethics content in engineering curricula. This study presents the findings of an evaluation done on the mechanical engineering degree curriculum at the University of Technology, Jamaica. The study used a mixed method research design and sought to determine the modules that have incorporated the teaching and assessment of engineering ethics in the program through curriculum review and interview with lecturers. The study also sought to assess final year students' perception of the curriculum in preparing them for the ethical challenges in the workplace. The major findings revealed that only two of 35 technical modules assessed have elements of engineering ethics with graded assignments; most students perceive that the engineering ethics in the curriculum was inadequate and tend to rely on their moral compass to navigate ethical issues. Based on the findings, it is recommended that an ethics across the curriculum approach is used supported by a dedicated module for engineering ethics.