9/28/2016
Thinking Like
an Engineer
An Active Learning
Approach
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
Third Edition
Copyright © 2015
Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Instructor Slides
ْ ‫ت َو‬
ْ ‫ق‬
‫ْ ََُّك و‬
‫و و‬
َ ‫حي‬
َ ُ
‫َ و‬
ْ ََ ْ
ْ ُ
ْ ُ
َ َ
َ ْ
َ ‫َاة لِيَ ْبلو‬
َ ‫ال‬
َ ‫م ْو‬
َ ‫ال‬
َ َ ‫خل‬
َ ‫ذي‬
)ً‫م ا‬
ِ َّ ‫قال تعالى (ال‬
[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best
in deed
‫وفي الصحيح َنه صلى هللا َليه وسلْ قال‬
) ‫(إن هللا ُّحب إذا َمل َْدُْ َمً َن ُّتقنه‬
“Allah loves someone who when works, he performs it in perfect
manner (itqan)”
.. ‫فاألتقان هو طرُّق الفًح في الدنيا واآلخرة‬
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
1
9/28/2016
"Neither fire nor wind, birth nor
death can erase our good deeds."
Siddhartha Gautama
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Education for a profession
Calculus, physics, chemistry, etc.
Circuits, signals, electronics, networks, communications,
microprocessors, etc.
Ethics
“low priority course”?
“waste of time”?
“technical courses are much more important”?
“this is liberal arts type stuff so it is not important”?
Hopefully you will come to see its importance after
graduation
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
3rd Edition
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An Active Learning Approach
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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9/28/2016
• There is much more in practical life than the technical
stuff
• Public dealing, decision making, dealing with stressful
situations, facing threats, taking care of moral values
etc. are all part of the professional life
• In fact, many times, non-technical skills play a major
role in promotions rather than your technical skills
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
3rd Edition
5
An Active Learning Approach
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Examples of Ethical and Unethical behaviour:
• Being honest
• Speaking the truth
• Disclosing the faults while selling something, e.g., a car
• Cheating
• Being late to the class
• Parking your car such that it blocks someone else’s car
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
3rd Edition
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An Active Learning Approach
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
3
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Every day we make numerous ethical decisions, although
most are so minor that we do not even view them as
such.
• When you drive your car, do you knowingly violate the
posted speed limit?
• When you unload the supermarket cart at your car, do
you leave it in the middle of the parking lot or spend
the extra time to return it to the cart corral?
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
• You know that another student has plagiarized an
assignment; do you tell him that what he did was
wrong and that he shouldn’t have done it?
• When you do not find a parking space in front of the
shop you are visiting, do you block half of the road by
doing double parking or you take the time and effort to
find a proper space to park your car even if you have to
walk a few minutes to reach your shop of interest?
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
4
9/28/2016
•
ln the grocery store, a teenager's mother tells her to put
back the package of ice cream she brought to the cart. The
teenager walks around the corner and places the ice
cream on the shelf with the soft drinks and returns to the
buggy. Do you ignore this or approach the teenager and
politely explain that leaving a package of ice cream in that
location will cause it to melt, or do you replace it in the
freezer yourself?
•
When going through a public door, do you make a habit of
looking back to see if releasing the door will cause it to
slam in someone's face?
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
• You notice a highway patrolman (“sahir”) lying in wait
for speeders. Do you flash your lights at other cars to
warn them?
• A cashier gives you too much change for a purchase.
Do you correct the cashier?
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
5
9/28/2016
• On a grand scale, none of these decisions is
particularly important, although some might lead to
undesirable consequences
• As an aspiring engineer, you may face numerous
decisions in your career that could affect the lives and
well-being of thousands of people. Examples?
• The more you practice analyzing day-to-day decision
from an ethical standpoint, the easier it will be for you
to make good decisions when the results of a poor
choice may be catastrophic.
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
• Computer Engineering is a Profession
• So, after graduation, you are entering a profession
• A Profession is “the pursuit of a learned art in the
spirit of public service” (American Society of Civil
Engineers – ASCE)
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
3rd Edition
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An Active Learning Approach
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
6
9/28/2016
• Professionalism is doing things at your workplace as
best as you can with honesty and integrity
• Ethics and professionalism go hand in hand
• Generally ethics tells about what you should not do
and professionalism tells about what you should do
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
3rd Edition
13
An Active Learning Approach
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
• Algorithms for ethical decision-making do not really
exist.
• However, there are procedures that can help guide us
in determining the most ethical course of action.
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
7
9/28/2016
1. Identify issues and stakeholders.
Issues can refer to a wide variety of things, for example:
1. National security
2. Quality of life
3. Economic issues
4. Fairness
5. Equality
2. Stakeholders refers to those who will be affected by your
decision. It does not necessarily mean only people but
might be an individual, a group of people, an institution, or
a natural system, etc.
1.
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
2. Analyze options from different perspectives.
1.
2.
3.
Perspective 1: Consequences (‫)نتيجة‬
Perspective 2: Intent (‫)نية‬
Perspective 3: Character (‫)شخصية‬
3. Justify your choice by comparing results of the
analyses.
4. Carry through with your decision.
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
8
9/28/2016
You have completed about half of a homework
assignment, but have run out of time to finish it.
Your roommate, who has the same assignment, has
gone to another class and has left his completed
homework on the desk.
Is it ethical to copy your roommate's homework, changing
enough of the text, variable names, etc. so that it
appears to be your own work?
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
1. Identify issues and stakeholders.
What are the issues?
Who and what is affected? (May be individuals, groups,
natural systems, etc.)
Note that we are not asking HOW anyone is affected, only
what the issues are and who might be affected.
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
9
9/28/2016
2. Analyze options from different perspectives.
Consequences
Intent
Character
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Consequences Perspective
Assumption: Ethical value of individuals is equal.
Question: Does an action increase or decrease the
happiness of the affected individuals?
Right action = Greatest good for the most people
How do we decide?
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
10
9/28/2016
Consequences Perspective
Identify consequences of alternatives to different
stakeholders.
Evaluate consequences: how much good, how much cost
Which produces the most good with the least cost in the
long term?
Note that this may require a subjective judgment of the relative
"weights" of the various consequences.
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Consequences Perspective
Example: Copying your roommate's homework
What are the consequences to the various stakeholders?
Evaluate consequences: how much good, how much cost
Which produces the most good with the least cost in the long
term?
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
11
9/28/2016
Intention Perspective
Can a wrong action have good consequences?
Can a right action have bad consequences?
Intent is the focus of this perspective.
Do you wish everyone to act this way? Is this a good rule to
apply to everyone?
Would you like to be on the receiving end? Who are the victims?
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Intention Perspective
Example: Copying your roommate's homework
Do you think everyone should act this way?
Who are the victims? Would you like to be one of the victims?
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
12
9/28/2016
Character Perspective
What sort of person do you aspire to be?
Do you admire people who take this action?
No rules, no algorithm
Focus is on responsibility, not duty.
Strive to be a person of admirable character.
How will this action affect your character?
What would an admired person do?
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Character Perspective
Example: Copying your roommate's homework
Do you admire people who do this?
Is this responsible?
How does this affect your character?
What would our prophet do?
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
13
9/28/2016
3. Convergence of Perspectives
Do the results of considering the three perspectives
agree?
YES: High confidence in the decision
NO:
Did you overlook any factors?
Is the weighting of the factors appropriate?
If still no convergence, 2 out of 3 wins.
How about the issue of copying the homework?
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
4. Act on your decision.
Proper action often requires courage.
Do YOU have the courage to do what you know is right?
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
14
9/28/2016
1. What are the issues, who are the stakeholders?
2. What is at stake for whom?
Consider consequences, intention, and character.
3. Convergence of perspectives?
4. Courage is often required to act ethically.
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
With your team, consider the question:
Is it ethical to violate the speed limit (not including
emergency scenarios)?
What are the issues, who are the stakeholders?
What is at stake for whom?
Consider consequences, rights, and character perspectives.
Do you have convergence?
Results?
Thinking Like an Engineer
Stephan, Bowman, Park, Sill, Ohland
An Active Learning Approach
3rd Edition
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Prentice-Hall, Inc.
15