Catalyzing Cultural Change: Video Scenarios for Professional Development in Ethics and Equity

Abstract:

Sexual harassment, discrimination, and exclusion are more than social issues—they undermine scientific integrity. When individuals are excluded or feel unsafe, their productivity suffers; many are driven from science, their voices and potential insights lost. Studies show that diverse groups are more innovative, encompassing a wide spectrum of viewpoints and the associated potential for novel ideas. The question then becomes: how can professional development and ethics educationeffectively address these issues, especially in an online setting? Conventional approaches to education in the responsible conduct of research often fall short, presenting clumsy, ham-fisted demonstrations of blatantly bad practice, with a lesson of "don't do that" or clear-cut stories with saccharine endings. In contrast, ethical dilemmas arise and play out in complex interpersonal real-world interactions; they rarely present alone or clearly. We imbue professional development with ethical approaches through nuanced, filmed scenarios.

NCPRE and AGU are partnering in the Ethics and Equity Initiative: Catalyzing Cultural Change in the Sciences with New Resources and Tracking Tools, funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. One element of this work is developing nine filmed scenarios for AGU's online resources and offerings, addressing issues of ethics, integrity, diversity, and inclusion in research environments. We will embed a portion of one video in the poster, which will also briefly summarize the larger project.

Ultimately, the videos produced through this project will be connected with specific professional development content tailored to AGU's membership. The poster will address the use of assessment to improve the effectiveness of the project's work.