Ethics of Chemistry: The Design, Delivery, and Assessment of a Third-Year Course

Abstract

Chemistry plays a critical role in many complex and interdisciplinary societal areas, such as health, environmental quality, food, energy, housing, transportation, and more. However, despite the role chemistry plays in these essential areas, there are rarely opportunities for undergraduate students in chemistry to engage in training or critical thinking about the ethics of chemistry. In this paper, we describe the design of a third-year course for chemistry majors focused on the ethics of chemistry. The main learning outcomes were to learn to identify ethically relevant aspects of one’s work and to develop moral justifications for what one ought to do when faced with an ethical dilemma. To help students attain the skills needed to reach this learning outcome and support the retention of these skills, students were presented with a practical analytical framework, which they applied to historical and current case studies. The aim of the present paper is to analyze student output from the 2024 spring term, with particular attention to the perceived utility of the analytical framework. The course utilized a discussion-based format where students read a case study, leave comments on an online message board, and use class time to unpack an ethical dilemma using the analytical framework. Students also completed a final group assignment, including a presentation, a peer feedback cycle, and a final report. Based on an analysis of students’ oral and written contributions, we conclude that the course strengthened the participants’ familiarity with basic ethics concepts and their understanding of what ethics of chemistry entails. Notably, students expressed appreciation of the analytical framework and how it helped them get a deeper understanding of what was at stake from the perspective of different interest holders. The comments suggest that the students felt that the framework would be helpful as they advance in their future careers or studies. As a first study investigating the perceived utility of a practical analytical framework, this study makes an important contribution to the empirical literature on teaching ethics to chemistry students. It would be valuable to study to what extent students utilize the framework (or similar tools) after a course, and if/how this impacts their decision-making as related to ethical dilemmas.