Bioethics@
Courses At A Glance:
Each course equals 2 staff development credits (for Iowa residents only) or 1 graduate credit. The online courses are for high school teachers, extension personnel, and others who educate youth and adult audiences about the ethical issues surrounding biotechnology. The courses require a minimum of 15 hours online, plus an additional 15 hours of reading, writing, and research. Course participants will be introduced to influential moral theories as tools to evaluate ethical arguments about biotechnology. All class work can be done on participants' home computers. The courses incorporate case studies for participants to experience and evaluate for use in their own classrooms. There will be extensive online discussion with other educators. By the end of each course, participants will be able to critically discuss and teach others about some moral issues surrounding particular biotechnologies. The ethics background learned also can be applied to other topics in the curriculum. Course instructed by Dr. Kristen Hessler, Iowa State University, and offered in cooperation with Area Education Agency 11, Johnston, Iowa, and Iowa State University, Ames. Each course is limited to 20 participants.Tuition:
Iowa State University graduate (one credit): $330
Two Staff development (two credits, Iowa residents only): $20
Course Content Preview:
Courses are available for high school teachers, extension personnel, and others who educate youth and adult audiences about the issues surrounding biotechnology. Each module requires a minimum of 15 hours online, plus an additional 15 hours of reading, writing, and research.
- (Course 1) July 10-28, 2006, Teaching Bioethics:
This course will be of interest to any science or social studies teacher interested in teaching bioethics. Topics include: advantages of incorporating bioethics in science and social studies courses; appropriate objectives for bioethics units; a brief study of ethical theory; various approaches to bioethics pedagogy; how to relate bioethics issues to personal ethical issues familiar to students; how to help students identify ethical issues; how to address bioethics while respecting diversity of views in the classroom; and assessment for bioethics units.
- Not offered in summer of 2006 (Course 2) Ethics and Animals:
Prerequisite: Teaching Bioethics. This course will enable participants to recognize and distinguish different views about the moral status of animals; to articulate and defend their own ideas about the ethics of using animals for food, research, and education; and to incorporate ethical issues concerning animals in their courses. This course will benefit educators who discuss or use animals in their courses or outreach efforts, as well as social studies teachers interested in current controversies about society's uses of animals.
- Not offered in summer of 2006 (Course 3) Ethics and Biotechnology:
Prerequisite: Teaching Bioethics. Modern biotechnology is as controversial as it is promising. Teaching the associated ethical issues can help engage students to learn the relevant science concepts and to learn the skills necessary to contribute to ongoing social dialogue about science and society. Topics include an overview of ethical controversies about biotechnology and specific ethical issues in plant, animal, and human biotechnology.
Evaluation and assignments:
In addition to the activity report in the topics module, and the lesson plan
or other educational activity, participants will be evaluated on their participation
in course discussions.
Discussions:
Discussions are asynchronous, meaning that participants post messages to discussion
lists. This is a lot like using a bulletin board. The advantage of
this is that participants do not have to find a time when everyone can log in
all at once. However, because exchange of ideas is so important, participants
will have to be working on the same topics at roughly the same time. It
is not possible, therefore, for participants to work entirely at their own pace,
for example by doing all coursework in the first few days of the course or by
leaving all coursework until the end. Therefore, it is imperative that
you be able to participate in the discussions on a regular basis during the
course. If you have questions about whether the course will be flexible
enough for your purposes, please contact the course instructor (see "Contacts"
below).
Important Dates:
Login information will be mailed to participants the Friday before the course
is scheduled to begin. Participants are encouraged to login as soon as
they can thereafter in order to familiarize themselves with WebCT and begin
to "meet" their colleagues.
Resources:
eLearner: This site
will help you decide if you're ready for an online course.
WebCT's computer
and browser requirements.
Online Registration
Contacts:
For more information about course content, e-mail Dr. Kristen Hessler at khessler@iastate.edu.
To register for the course, contact Lori Miller, ISU Office of Biotechnology,
e-mail lorimill@iastate.edu.
Published by: Office
of Biotechnology, Bioethics Outreach
Ames, Iowa 50011-3260, (515) 294-9818, biotech@iastate.edu
Questions about the site? E-mail biotech@www.biotech.iastate.edu
Copyright © 2003, Iowa State University. All rights reserved.
Last Update
01/18/06