The question at hand explores the expectations and responsibilities that we, as individuals, have towards one another.
In the bustling heart of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a unique course is making waves among engineering students. Known as the Compass Course: Love, Death, and Taxes, this multidisciplinary programme is designed to help students develop values, navigate conflicting viewpoints, and understand the moral, ethical, and civic dimensions of their work and societal roles.
The course, which is part of the Compass Initiative led by faculty from across the MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS), invites students to grapple with profound questions such as what we value and why, what we know and how, and what we owe to each other in society.
For Kayode Dada, a second-year mechanical engineering major, the Compass Course was more than just a means to fulfill a communications-intensive requirement and gain cross-departmental exposure. It became a transformative experience that aided his personal growth. Dada identified practicing Christianity, hard work, helping others, and contributing to society as central to his belief system.
The course, piloted recently as class 21.01, takes a "flipped classroom" approach, where students watch recorded lectures at home and come to class prepared for discussion and debate. In the first week, students draft a Rousseau-inspired social compact and learn firsthand how to build a classroom community.
Throughout the course, students engage in debates on topics such as whether a meritocracy creates a just society. These discussions allow students to change their stance as they gain more perspectives, fostering empathy, critical thinking, and open dialogue.
One of the course's standout segments is designed by Associate Professor Robin Scheffler, where students take on personas from a 1976 Cambridge City Council hearing debating recombinant DNA research. This exercise encourages students to negotiate with those who have different values and come to a resolution that respects everyone involved.
The Compass Course also investigates who governs science, with a focus on recombinant DNA research and its potential dangers. Controversial figures like James D. Watson, Nobel Prize winner who co-discovered DNA's structure, are discussed in the class.
The initiative receives philanthropic support from MIT Corporation life member emeritus Ray Stata '57, and the Office of the Vice Chancellor and the MIT Human Insight Collaborative's SHASS Education Innovation Fund. The class involves over 30 faculty from 19 departments, including Philosophy, Literature, Brain and Cognitive Sciences, and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
The Compass Course equips engineering students not only with technical skills but also with a moral compass, enabling them to navigate conflicting viewpoints responsibly and thoughtfully in their future careers. It prepares students to keep asking big questions and keep adapting as their lives and careers evolve.
Moreover, plans exist to adapt the residential version of this class for online learners on MITx. This move will make the Compass Course accessible to a wider audience, fostering a more inclusive and global community of students who are committed to shaping a better world.
The MIT Compass Podcast, which engages in fundamental questions with guests from across the MIT schools of Science and Engineering, further extends the reach of this transformative course. By fostering moral and civic education that complements MIT’s technical training, the Compass Course is helping to shape the next generation of engineers who will not only be technically proficient but also ethically responsible and socially aware.
- The Compass Course, happening at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is a unique multidisciplinary program that focuses on engineering students' moral, ethical, and civic dimensions.
- Part of the Compass Initiative, this course is led by faculty from various MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS) departments.
- The Compass Course encourages students to ponder on profound questions, such as what they value, what they know, and what they owe to society.
- Kayode Dada, a second-year mechanical engineering major, found transformative growth in the Compass Course, aligning it with his beliefs of practicing Christianity, hard work, helping others, and contributing to society.
- The course adopts a "flipped classroom" approach, with students watching recorded lectures at home and debating and discussing them in class.
- Debates in the Compass Course cover diverse topics, such as the relationship between meritocracy and justice, which help students challenge their perceptions and foster empathy, critical thinking, and open dialogue.
- One significant segment of the course has students assume personas from a 1976 Cambridge City Council hearing on recombinant DNA research, promoting negotiations with those who hold different values and resolutions that respect everyone.
- The course delves into who governs science, focusing on recombinant DNA research and its potential dangers, and discusses controversial figures like James D. Watson.
- The Compass Course benefits from philanthropic support, including MIT Corporation life member emeritus Ray Stata '57, and involves over 30 faculty from 19 departments, like Philosophy, Literature, Brain and Cognitive Sciences, and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
- The goal of the Compass Course is not only to provide technical skills but also a moral compass, equipping students to navigate conflicting viewpoints responsibly and thoughtfully in future careers.
- Adaptation plans exist for the residential version of this class for online learners on MITx, making the course accessible to a broader audience and fostering a more inclusive and global community.
- The MIT Compass Podcast, discussing fundamental questions with guests from across the MIT schools of Science and Engineering, extends the course's reach and promotes moral and civic education that complements MIT's technical training, shaping the next generation of engineers who are ethically responsible, socially aware, and technically proficient.
