Facilitating Ethical Reasoning in Undergraduate STEM Contexts: Responsible Innovation and Emerging Technologies

The notion of “responsible innovation” (RI) frequently appears within academic and popular writings regarding the development of new and emerging technologies.  Although the term is often deployed as a “buzzword” in various contexts, whether regarding the development of autonomous vehicles or genetically modified organisms, it is difficult to find a consistent and thorough definition of the term, and few scholars have attempted to methodically think through and write extensively on the topic. This project aims to develop a comprehensive literature review regarding the use of the term “responsible innovation” in scientific and engineering research, as well as social science and humanities literatures.  We ask: In what ways has the term been deployed? In what contexts?  Are there any overarching themes that can be identified across diverse literatures and contexts?

In tandem with the development of a scholarly review on use of the term responsible innovation within the literature, we also ask the question of what does it mean to be a responsible innovator?  How can engagement with questions of responsibility, ethics, and social contexts more broadly be integrated into STEM pedagogies? We are particularly interested in examining student self-generated definitions of responsible innovation, within the STEM classroom context, and also in hands-on technical undergraduate capstone projects.  Our methods for engaging these questions include the use of science fiction as well as a range of hands-on activities in undergraduate classes and research projects.