Seminar Series | Empathy in Engineering: What is it, how can we teach it, and how can we assess it?

Abstract 

Research on empathy in engineering has exponentially grown in recent years due to the pivotal role that empathy plays in engineering practice. For example, empathy is critical to collaboration, promotes ethical decision-making, and enables engineers to effectively integrate stakeholder perspectives into their design work. This talk will include three parts. First, I will provide an overview of different ways of operationalizing empathy within and outside of engineering. Second, I will describe contexts for promoting empathic formation, as well as critical incidents that led to gains in students’ empathic perspective-taking tendencies in a specific context (i.e., an engineering ethics course). Finally, I will offer different ways for assessing empathic formation, including a recent psychometric instrument that I co-developed and which accounts for how empathy manifests across three phases of engineering design. It is my hope that attendees will leave this talk with a better understanding of ways to operationalize, teach, and assess empathy in engineering. 

Bio 

Dr. Justin L Hess (he/him/his) is an assistant professor in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University. His mission is to inspire change in engineering culture to become more socially responsive, environmentally friendly, and inclusive, thereby providing opportunities for all current and prospective engineers to reach their maximum potential and to help realize a sustainable world. To this end, Dr. Hess’s primary research interests including exploring the functional role of empathy in various domains, including engineering ethics, design, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. He received his PhD from Purdue University’s School of Engineering Education, as well as a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science from Purdue University’s School of Civil Engineering. He is the current Division Chair for the ASEE Liberal Education/Engineering and Society division and the Editorial Board Chair for the Online Ethics Center. 

About the EED Seminar Series

Registration is required prior to each seminar. Autumn 2021 seminars will take place in person. Users may register for remote video conferencing. A link and password to each seminar will be sent once you register. Each seminar will be held live and may be recorded for archival and marketing purposes. If you have questions regarding this seminar series, please contact Dr. Emily Dringenberg.

Inclusive Excellence Credit

The Ohio State College of Engineering Inclusive Excellence Certificate Program engages faculty, staff, and students in diversity learning opportunities. Each EED seminar qualifies for 1 (one) point toward your next level in the program. Visit the program's website for documentation requirements and program