The College of Engineering’s Engineering Education Research program invites the university community to attend the dissertation defense of Toluwalase E. Brower, titled “Ethical Decision-Making Processes in Authentic Environmental Engineering Contexts Through Systems Thinking and Team Collaboration Lenses: An Embedded Single Case Study.”
Monday, November 17, 2025
3:00–5:00 p.m.
Kiewit Hall, Room A235
https://unl.zoom.us/j/92928010886
Abstract:
Ethical and professional responsibility remain core outcomes emphasized by ABET accreditation. However, ethics instruction in engineering education often overlooks system-level factors—such as economic, environmental, and societal dimensions—that are vital for designing solutions to safeguard public health, safety, and welfare.
This embedded single-case study investigates the impact of a problem-based ethics instructional intervention on students’ ethical judgment in a junior-level environmental engineering course at a Midwestern U.S. university during Spring 2025. The intervention included four problem-based ethics modules that addressed distinct topics through lectures and team-based problem-solving activities.
Through deductive coding of student team documents, Brower examined how collaboration styles influenced engagement with system-level factors and shaped the quality of ethical judgments. The findings highlight how team collaboration serves as a critical pedagogical mechanism for cultivating ethical and professional responsibility among future engineers.
Brower’s dissertation provides practical insights for educators and researchers seeking to strengthen ethics instruction in engineering curricula through authentic, systems-oriented approaches.
Committee:
Prof. Heidi Diefes-Dux (Advisor)
Dr. Grace Panther
Dr. Jessica Deters
Dr. Deepak Keshwani