CONTEXT MATTERS

Aaron W Johnson; Rachel V Vitali

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Journal article

CONTEXT MATTERS

Aaron W Johnson and Rachel V Vitali

ASEE prism, Vol.35(1), pp.13-13

10/01/2025

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Abstract

People recognize the challenges of balancing their personal beliefs with their desire to teach inclusively. They do not have to teach "neutrally" and hide their beliefs from their students. Rather than present their opinions as the right answers, they can help students understand how they came to their beliefs and why they have them. In other words, they share how their background and experiences shaped their answers to these tough questions. And they tell students about how their answers have evolved--and will likely continue doing so--as they have learned more and heard new perspectives. When they engage in difficult conversations about the social and ethical effects of engineering, they always emphasize their complexity. There is often not a single right answer, and it is possible to hold two contradictory positions at the same time. You can be passionate about your field but still criticize the ways in which the field's technology is used. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, "There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love."

Aerospace Engineering

Educational Research

Engineering Education

Engineering Technology

Ethics

Space Sciences

Aerospace Education

Beliefs

College Faculty

Course Content

Humanities Instruction

Influence of Technology

Learner Engagement

Science Curriculum

Students

Teaching

Details

Title: Subtitle: CONTEXT MATTERS
Creators: Aaron W Johnson - University of Michigan
Rachel V Vitali
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: ASEE prism, Vol.35(1), pp.13-13
ISSN: 1056-8077
eISSN: 1930-6148
Publisher: AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR ENGINEERING EDUCATION
Language: English
Date published: 10/01/2025
Academic Unit: Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering; Mechanical Engineering
Record Identifier: 9985121503102771

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