Case Discussions
Students read and discussed case studies throughout the course. They were divided into groups, and each group led class discussion on the day of its assigned case study.
All case studies were from Harris, Charles E. Jr., Michael S. Pritchard, and Michael J. Rabins. Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases. 3rd ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2004. ISBN: 9780534605797.
(See the Engineering Ethics Companion Site for complementary texts.)
The case studies were:
- The Hyatt Regency Walkways Collapse
- XYZ Hose Company And The Case Of The Bursting Hose
- Chernobyl
- DNA Structure
- Tacoma Bridge Collapse
- Bhopal Disaster
- Ford Pinto Case
- Whistleblowing
- Columbia Shuttle Disaster
Debate
Topics
- Is corporate philanthropy fair to shareholders?
- Should Congress require schools and public libraries to block social networking Web sites?
Structure
| DURATIONS | PARTS |
|---|---|
| 6 minutes | Con Arguments |
| 6 minutes | Pro Arguments |
| 5 minutes | Break |
| 5 minutes | Con Counter-arguments |
| 5 minutes | Pro-counter Arguments |
| Question and Answer | |
| Question and Answer from the Audience |