Evaluating Research Ethics Training in the Maryland Sea Grant REU Program

The NSF’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program is an opportunity to cultivate responsible research practices in researchers at an early stage in their career. However, teaching responsible research conduct and science ethics in this program has been challenging because of a lack of consensus regarding which instructional methods are most effective for educating students about ethical concepts and establishing the process of ethical decision-making. Over the last 15 years, Maryland Sea Grant’s REU ethics program has evolved by exploring different teaching models and looking for ways to effectively engage upper level undergraduates throughout their summer experience in ethical responsibility training. Since 2007, we have adopted a concerted experiential learning approach that includes an ethics seminar, role playing, case studies, and reflection. Currently, our summer long ethics training includes: 1) an interactive seminar; 2) a workshop with role playing and case studies; 3) 1-2 readings; and 4) a roundtable discussion with faculty mentors and their mentees to discuss researchers’ real-world experiences with ethical dilemmas. Within the last 3 years, we have expanded our student learning outcomes assessments by administering pre- and post-program surveys to assess ethical skills students acquire through the program. Reevaluations administered three and six years after the REU experience will measure long term effectiveness of the training. Results from the first group of students reveal a greater awareness of ethical issues following our summer program. Students show a high level of competence about “black and white” issues (falsification, fabrication, plagiarism), but are more challenged by ethical “gray areas” such as data ownership and authorship. Results suggest many undergraduates come to research programs with basic ethics training, but benefit from our additional focus on complex ethical dilemmas.