Embedding Ethics in STEM @ LSU

In 2022, the LSU Ethics Institute was awarded a $103,900 Departmental Enhancement Grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents for the project "Embedding Ethics in STEM @ LSU." 

During the 2022-2023 academic year, we will carry out this grant by working with STEM faculty affiliates and outside experts to develop course modules that are focused on ethical literacy and moral issues. These modules will be implemented into STEM courses across LSU to supplement and enhance existing course materials, all with the goal of expanding ethics education and awareness throughout STEM courses.

Please contact the Director Emerita of the Ethics Institute and grant Principal Investigator, Dr. Deborah Goldgaber, if you have questions about the grant or would like to get involved with this project! 

For the pilot phase of this project, we seek 10 faculty affiliates from STEM disciplines across the University community to work collaboratively with the Ethics Institute over the 2022-2023 academic year. Faculty affiliates will receive a stipend of $3,000 in June 2023 for their participation. LSU faculty members who are interested in becoming faculty affiliates with this project should apply via our Google Form. 

Faculty affiliates will work collaboratively with the Ethics Institute over the next year to create tailored course modules fit to specific courses taught by affiliates. Affiliates will receive a stipend of $3,000 in June 2023 for their participation. 

We will work closely with STEM faculty to develop engaging modules that will improve students’ ethical literacy and awareness of moral issues in their chosen STEM fields.  These modules will supplement and enhance existing course materials; they will be tailored to individual instructional needs, as defined by the course instructor in partnership with the LSU Ethics Institute staff.

Some examples of these modules might include: 

  • Role playing exercises related to research integrity,

     

  • Structured exercises for improving transparency in AI-assisted decision-making,

     

  • Using an “ethics audit” for experiment design,” or

     

  • Developing short position papers on the ethical implications of adopting a new technique.

Summer/Fall 2022

Take a brief survey to identify “gap” in moral literacy in their courses
Submit a syllabus for the course they wish to produce “embedded” content


Attend 3 workshops related to moral literacy and pedagogy in STEM. These events will be hybrid to ensure accessibility.


Select module content areas for their courses (in consultation with Ethics Institute staff)


Spring 2023

Meet 1-on-1 with the Ethics Institute, working together to design and develop course modules.


Present modules at in-house conference. These modules will later be made accessible as “open source” available for adoption in other courses.

 

Fall 2023

Current modules are now available to view and utilize in coursework.