In the Classroom
From lecture design to homework assignments, there are numerous ways to integrate virtues into your curriculum. Here are a few examples currently used by the Engineering faculty at Notre Dame. Use the quick links to go directly to the area that interests you, or scroll down to explore different areas and courses.
QUICK LINKS
General Engineering
EG10118
Engineering Computing
Instructors: Kerry Meyers, Andrew Bartolini, and Megan Levis
STUDENT LEVEL AND COURSE TYPE
General first-year engineering course
HOW VIRTUES ARE INTEGRATED
As part of a unit on teamwork in engineering, students are given a homework assignment that prompts them to reflect on the virtues they may bring to a group, as well as the virtues they seek in their group-mates.
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
AME20210
Intro to Design Thinking in Engineering
Instructor: Craig Goehler
STUDENT LEVEL AND COURSE TYPE
Second semester first-year AME students or first semester second-year AME students
HOW VIRTUES ARE INTEGRATED
Lecture slides introduce different virtues related to the various stages of the engineering design process. Students choose a personal virtue in Project 1 at the beginning of the semester and write about their growth with respect to that virtue in weekly reflections. In Project 7 at the end of the semester, students reflect on the entire semester and their overall growth towards becoming a means for good in the world.
AME20290
Career Choices in Mechanical Engineering
Instructors: Kerry Meyers & Mike Seelinger
STUDENT LEVEL AND COURSE TYPE
Sophomore mechanical engineering students
HOW VIRTUES ARE INTEGRATED
Students create a Google Slide that explains how virtue ethics contribute to 1) Interview responses when on the job market as a Notre Dame Engineering Student, and 2) How virtue ethics influence your future career decisions.
AME30341
Aerospace Structures
Instructor: Mike Seelinger
AME30363
Design of Machine Elements
Instructor: Craig Goehler
STUDENT LEVEL AND COURSE TYPE
Junior or senior Mechanical Engineering students
HOW VIRTUES ARE INTEGRATED
Exam questions with multiple correct solutions are assessed through the lens of different virtue lenses. The final stage of the semester-long project requires students to consider cultural/social/global/economic impacts of their system and offer up design changes aimed at increasing accessibility of the product.
Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
CBE20255
Intro to Chemical Engineering Analysis
Instructor: Victoria Goodrich
STUDENT LEVEL AND COURSE TYPE
Sophomore introduction to chemical engineering course
HOW VIRTUES ARE INTEGRATED
Homework question that asks students to connect character formation to being a good engineer. Connecting ABET student outcomes to virtues needed to complete each outcome as outlined by ABET accreditation. Students are then asked to reflect on which virtue(s) they already possess and which they aim to grow/learn/practice this semester.
Computer Science and Engineering
CSE40175
Ethical and Professional Issues in Computer Science
Instructor: Walter Scheirer
HOW VIRTUES ARE INTEGRATED
2-page Writing Reflection: What does it mean to be an ethically responsible person and is that something you strive for? Consider the following sub-questions as you answer this one: What ethical, moral, or religious frameworks (if any) do you utilize to determine if an action is right or wrong? How can these frameworks be applied to your future career in engineering or computing or technology? What ethical or moral challenges do you foresee with computing and technology in the next decade?
Civil and Environmental Engineering
CE20900
Career Choices in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Instructor: Andrew Bartolini
HOW VIRTUES ARE INTEGRATED
Homework question that asks students to reflect upon which virtues they could discuss as part of an interview.
CE30460
Fluid Mechanics
Instructor: Diogo Bolster
HOW VIRTUES ARE INTEGRATED
Example Ethics Question from Fluids Mechanics Class (where most any problem the students will typically work on is mathematical only):
“I believe that fluid mechanics is an amazing discipline and there is a reason I have dedicated my life to teaching and studying it in relation to the environment in the hope of making people’s lives better. Understanding it has contributed to so many of the advancements that make human life better than it ever has been – by now all of you have seen many ways in which this is true. But, it is also at the root of some of the most destructive things that people have designed and developed, making it possible to inflict destruction and deliver weapons that were unimaginable a century ago. This is true of many branches of science and engineering, but fluid mechanics is often called out as being up there. How do we reconcile this in our pursuit of knowledge? While I know you can’t possibly do this in a complete way as part of a single homework in fluid mechanics, I would like you all to write a half to full page on your thoughts in this regard and hopefully seed the ground for personal growth to full thought in everything that you learn. There is no right or wrong answer here. I am not looking for you to agree with my personal view on anything – in fact, I do not want you to write anything thinking about ‘what would Diogo think or what is he looking for?’. I want your view, no matter what it is, and I want you to defend it. I want you to develop and defend it in a manner that you can personally be proud of. So here’s the question: ‘How do you reconcile the potential for devastation and destruction that comes in hand in hand with the societal benefits that come with advanced knowledge in fluid mechanics?’ “
