Keyword: ethics

ABSTRACT: The mandate of universities and higher education institutes is to shape students’ ethical wisdom and catalyze sustainable development. However, everyone does not have equal access to higher education which drives the above mindsets, leading to unequal quality of education. Today, most ethics teaching in engineering schools is narrowly micro-ethics and does not attempt to define macro-ethics’ special challenges. Micro-ethics concentrates on concerns related to the individual and the innermost workings of the profession. However, macro-ethics encompasses sustainable development with a focus on the collective social responsibility of the profession and public concerns about technology. This study examined undergraduate engineering programs in 25 major Canadian universities to see if they are adequately prepared to navigate both the micro- and macro-aspects of ethics education. The curricula of the programs show many courses focusing on micro-ethical concepts. The lack of explicit macro-ethical agendas for advancing society invites further work on curricula to enhance the efficacy of the content and delivery modes. This inadequate commitment to socially responsible engineering is conceptualized as a “culture of disengagement”. The study introduces important moments of change to strengthen ethics education. These include twinning engineering and computing ethics; embedding overlapped ethics, sustainability, and responsibility mindsets; and promoting the scholarship of integration through research, synthesis, practice, and teaching. By adopting these approaches to curriculum and pedagogy, the students will effectively cultivate a critical understanding of and obligation to the profession’s collective responsibility and the well-being of the greater society. These changes provide crucial insights into broadening socio-technical-minded prospects of engineering ethics education.

ABSTRACT: Contemporary advances in generative AI technology have sparked considerable interest regarding its application in language education. This article explores the innovative impact that AI-powered linguistic educational tools may have, such as customized learning journeys, dynamic content, and individualized feedback mechanisms, which collectively have the potential to enhance language acquisition. At the same time, it is important to recognize the constraints associated with such technologies. Concern about maintaining precision and genuineness within AI-crafted language texts is an issue in the literature. There is also caution about AI’s current inclination to standardize language expression and to propagate limited cultural narratives, alongside the risks of overreliance on technology which may diminish analytical thought and inventiveness. This article examines the ethical considerations involving generative AI, such as the authenticity of creative work and the ownership of intellectual output. Emphasizing the necessity for clarity and conscientiousness in the application of AI, this conceptual article outlines the opportunities, limitations, and ethical concerns associated with generative AI in language instruction. This article advocates for a well-rounded strategy that
leverages the positive aspects of generative AI within language education, while also addressing possible drawbacks and championing an ethical and equitable approach to language learning in the emerging AI-centric digital landscape. A model for forging thinking in this new research and practice space is offered to synthesize many of the possibilities of generative AI in language education.