Despite the fact that ethics is recognized as an integral component of the engineering curriculum, engineering students do generally not perceive it this way. In fact, recent research shows that although faculty aim to communicate the nuances and complexity of engineering ethics, students perceive ethics as laws, rules, and codes that must be memorized. There are multiple reasons for this disconnect, including the separation between ethics research and ethics education, which is evident in engineering ethics. Although engineering ethics is an active field of research, as evidenced by journals, such as Science and Engineering Ethics, and funding infrastructure, such as the National Science Foundation Ethics Education in Science and Engineering program, engineering ethics courses often rely on standard engineering ethics textbooks. This makes pedagogical innovation difficult and also makes it challenging to update ethics curricula to reflect recent research findings.

In E125 we’re exploring how ePortfolios can be used to engage students in deep ethical learning. Portfolios have long been used to document learning, especially in fine art, architecture, and creative writing. Although paper portfolios are an effective way to showcase exemplary work, they pose some obvious logistical problems (e.g., they are cumbersome to transport and difficult to share with different audiences).

EPortfolios are a virtual space where students document and reflect on their learning and in doing so acquire 1) agency in their learning process and 2) an understanding of themselves and their capabilities.

In his book, Eportfolios for Lifelong Learning and Assessment, Darren Cambridge argues that two cultural ideals underlie ePortfolios: authenticity and integrity. Cambridge builds on the work of Charles Taylor to argue that ePortfolios enable students to articulate their authenticity by providing a forum where they can reflect on the relationship between their curricular activities and personal values. The idea motivating the construction of ePortfolios is that the act of writing and reflecting enables self-understanding. By expressing yourself, you call yourself into being. The act of reflection makes one more likely to act in accord with those expressed values.

ePortfolios make you think about how you think, how you learn, and also how you make ethical choices.