RRI Tools

David Mogk, Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University

Monica Bruckner, Science Education Resource Center (SERC), Carleton College

Geoethics deals with the ethical, social and cultural implications of earth science research and practice, providing a point of intersection for geosciences, sociology, and philosophy. Such ethics education is an increasingly important component of the pre-professional training of scientists: funding agencies increasingly require graduate student training in responsible research, employers are increasingly expecting workers to have basic ethics training and the public demands that scientists maintain the highest standards of ethical conduct.

The Teaching GeoEthics Across the Geoscience Curriculum educational module provides resources for different actors in higher education (undergraduate and graduate programs):

• For faculty, the module provides resources, case studies and teaching activities to facilitate ethics instruction within established geo ‘core’ courses or in a dedicated course on geoethics.
• For students, the module provides resources to help expand their understanding of ethical situations that may arise in their careers and to give them the tools they need to address these issues appropriately.

The module is organised as a set of introductory articles on the core aspects of teaching geoethics. These link to other resources, including practical implementation support (such as examples and step-by-step guides). The resources are intended for courses in which students should have opportunities to (1) recognise ethical dilemmas, (2) develop the strategies and skills needed to responsibly participate in the profession and (3) gain experience in ethical decision-making.

Though the module was designed according to US education standards, the materials can be easily applied to European curricula.