Preparing to Understand and Use Science in the Real World: Interdisciplinary Study Concentrations at the Technical University of Darmstadt

In order to raise awareness of the ambiguous nature of scientific-technological progress, and of the challenging problems it raises, problems which are not easily addressed by courses in a single discipline and cannot be projected onto disciplinary curricula, Technical University of Darmstadt has established three interdisciplinary study concentrations: “Technology and International Development”, “Environmental Sciences”, and “Sustainable Shaping of Technology and Science”. These three programmes seek to overcome the limitations of strictly disciplinary research and teaching by developing an integrated, problem-oriented approach. For example, one course considers fundamental nuclear dilemmas and uses role-playing techniques to address a controversy in the area of nuclear security. At the same time, incorporating interdisciplinary teaching into a university that is organized around mono- or multi-disciplinary faculties also poses a number of challenges. Recognition in disciplinary curricula, and appropriate organizational support and funding are examples of those challenges. It is expected that science and engineering students, empowered by such interdisciplinary study programmes, will be better prepared to act responsibly with regard to scientific and technological challenges.

[1]  J. Habermas.  Theorie des kommunikativen Handelns , 1981 .

[2]  Carl Mitcham,et al.  The Oxford Handbook of Interdisciplinarity , 2012 .

[3]  Zellman Warhaft,et al.  Teaching engineering in a social context , 2005, IEEE Technology and Society Magazine.

[4]  E. Husserl.  Die Krisis der europäischen Wissenschaften und die transzendentale Phänomenologie , 1976 .

[5]  M. Lynch,et al.  The handbook of science and technology studies , 2008 .

[6]  Byron Newberry.  The fate of human technological civilization , 2006, IEEE Technology and Society Magazine.

[7]  J. Klein,et al.  Interdisciplinarity: History, Theory, and Practice. , 1991 .

[8]  Iris Hunger,et al.  Some Personal Notes on Role Plays as an Excellent Teaching Tool , 2013, Sci. Eng. Ethics.

[9]  H. Zandvoort,et al.  Preparing engineers for social responsibility , 2008 .

[10]  Avan N. Antia,et al.  A Case Study of Teaching Social Responsibility to Doctoral Students in the Climate Sciences , 2013, Sci. Eng. Ethics.

[11]  Sheila Jasanoff,et al.  Handbook of Science and Technology Studies , 1995 .

[12]  Gerd Michelsen,et al.  Sustainable Development as a Challenge for Undergraduate Students: The Module “Science Bears Responsibility” in the Leuphana Bachelor’s Programme , 2013, Science and Engineering Ethics.

[13]  Stephanie J. Bird,et al.  Editors’ Overview Perspectives on Teaching Social Responsibility to Students in Science and Engineering , 2013, Sci. Eng. Ethics.

[14]  P. Klinkhachorn,et al.  Developing professionalism in the electrical engineering classroom , 1991 .

[15]  Wolfgang J. Liebert,et al.  Towards a prospective technology assessment: challenges and requirements for technology assessment in the age of technoscience , 2010, Poiesis Prax..

[16]  M. Manion.  Ethics, engineering, and sustainable development , 2002, IEEE Technol. Soc. Mag..

[17]  Carol Boyle,et al.  Sustainability principles and practice for engineers , 2005, IEEE Technology and Society Magazine.

[18]  Neelke Doorn,et al.  Using and Developing Role Plays in Teaching Aimed at Preparing for Social Responsibility , 2011, Sci. Eng. Ethics.

[19]  J. Herkert.  Collaborative learning in engineering ethics , 1997 .