The Engineering and Science Issues Test (ESIT): A Discipline-Specific Approach to Assessing Moral Judgment

Borenstein, Jason, Matthew J. Drake, Robert Kirkman, and Julie L. Swann. 2010. "The Engineering and Science Issues Test (ESIT): A Discipline-Specific Approach to Assessing Moral Judgment."  Science & Engineering Ethics 16 (2):387-407. doi: 10.1007/s11948-009-9148-z.

Describes a tool called the Engineering and Science Issues Test (ESIT). ESIT measures moral judgment in a manner similar to the Defining Issues Test, second edition, but is built around technical dilemmas in science and engineering. The authors used a quasi-experimental approach with pre- and post-tests, and compared the results to those of a control group with no overt ethics instruction. Their findings are that several (but not all) stand-alone classes showed a significant improvement compared to the control group when the metric includes multiple stages of moral development.