This document outlines Dr. Chris Willmott's rationale for teaching ethics to bioscientists. He argues that there is an explosion of new ethical issues in bioscience due to technological advances. Students need to be equipped to explain these issues to others and ethics will be relevant to their future careers. Additionally, quality assurance standards in the UK recommend addressing the ethical and social impacts of bioscience. The document then discusses using case studies, debates, and news clips to teach ethics and introduces several example cases that raise issues around genetic screening, stem cell research, and animal research.
These slides are from a workshop "Putting bioscience into context: exercises to enhance engagement" run at the Society for Experimental Biology conference in Canterbury (April 2006).
Slides from a workshop on taking recent news stories and developing them into case studies for teaching about ethical aspects of developments in biology and medicine. We used an audit tool derived from the standard set of questions used on the excellent NHS Choices "Behind the Headlines" site.
Slides from my presentation at the Spring Meeting of the Heads of University Biosciences Spring Meeting (May 2017) in which I look at some of the reasons for including bioethics in undergraduate bioscience programmes, and some practicalities regarding so doing.
This slide-show originated at a one-day teaching workshop in January 2011. The event, organised by the Physiological Society was held at the University of Leeds.
The slides describe an activity used with undergraduate students at the University of Leicester, in which a short video "the smell of fear" from the popular (and populist) science programme Brainiac is used to introduce the notion of experimental design. This is used hand-in-hand with discussion of a formal scientific paper on the same topic.
This set of slides is to talk about the activity. There is a second set with a similar title http://www.slideshare.net/cjrw2/experimental-design-the-smell-of-fear which are intended for use by anyone actually using the activity to teach experimental design.
The colour of the background to the slides in the current presentation is significant - the purple slides are ABOUT the activity, the black slides are examples of pages from within the activity.
"But we're not a media course!": The relevance of broadcast materials to bios...Chris Willmott
These slides are from a presentation given at the "Making the Most of Broadcast Media in Your Teaching" day conference at the University of Leicester. The event was sponsored by the Higher Education Academy. They showcase a variety of ways in which television programmes can be used to enhance student engagement with teaching.
So you want your students to produce digital video: some practical guidanceChris Willmott
These slides formed part of a workshop at the 3rd Science Learning and Teaching Conference organised by science subject centres of the Higher Education Academy (UK). The Conference took place at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh in June 2009.
The workshop was based on our experience organising two distinct projects in which students produce digital video. In one, students keep a video diary of their experience as an undergraduate. In the second, students produce short videos about a bioethical topic they have been assigned. The video content is not included as part of this presentation.
(c) Chris Willmott and Chris Cane, 2009
These slides are from a workshop "Putting bioscience into context: exercises to enhance engagement" run at the Society for Experimental Biology conference in Canterbury (April 2006).
Slides from a workshop on taking recent news stories and developing them into case studies for teaching about ethical aspects of developments in biology and medicine. We used an audit tool derived from the standard set of questions used on the excellent NHS Choices "Behind the Headlines" site.
Slides from my presentation at the Spring Meeting of the Heads of University Biosciences Spring Meeting (May 2017) in which I look at some of the reasons for including bioethics in undergraduate bioscience programmes, and some practicalities regarding so doing.
This slide-show originated at a one-day teaching workshop in January 2011. The event, organised by the Physiological Society was held at the University of Leeds.
The slides describe an activity used with undergraduate students at the University of Leicester, in which a short video "the smell of fear" from the popular (and populist) science programme Brainiac is used to introduce the notion of experimental design. This is used hand-in-hand with discussion of a formal scientific paper on the same topic.
This set of slides is to talk about the activity. There is a second set with a similar title http://www.slideshare.net/cjrw2/experimental-design-the-smell-of-fear which are intended for use by anyone actually using the activity to teach experimental design.
The colour of the background to the slides in the current presentation is significant - the purple slides are ABOUT the activity, the black slides are examples of pages from within the activity.
"But we're not a media course!": The relevance of broadcast materials to bios...Chris Willmott
These slides are from a presentation given at the "Making the Most of Broadcast Media in Your Teaching" day conference at the University of Leicester. The event was sponsored by the Higher Education Academy. They showcase a variety of ways in which television programmes can be used to enhance student engagement with teaching.
So you want your students to produce digital video: some practical guidanceChris Willmott
These slides formed part of a workshop at the 3rd Science Learning and Teaching Conference organised by science subject centres of the Higher Education Academy (UK). The Conference took place at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh in June 2009.
The workshop was based on our experience organising two distinct projects in which students produce digital video. In one, students keep a video diary of their experience as an undergraduate. In the second, students produce short videos about a bioethical topic they have been assigned. The video content is not included as part of this presentation.
(c) Chris Willmott and Chris Cane, 2009
Slides from my presentation "Video production as a pedagogic tool: an example from the biosciences" at the 2010 Higher Education Academy conference "Shaping the Future". The slides describe an activity in which second year undergraduates produce short films on bioethics topics.
www.lefthandedbiochemist.wordpress.com
Scientific research is a journey into the unknown, so teaching science with tried and tested practicals does not prepare students for the excitement and uncertainty of scientific discovery. Undertaking actual scientific research provides considerable learning opportunities for pupils and provides researchers with the opportunity to engage young people with their work in a rich and rewarding manner. Partnerships between researchers and young scientists can contribute to scientific breakthroughs and provide real insights and skills for aspiring young scientists. However, such approaches are not without their challenges. You will be presented with cases studies from space science and plant pathology research followed by the chance to engage in round table discussions with teachers, researchers, funders and science communicators involved in these projects. This will provide you the opportunity to discuss how you can involve schools and young people in research or support them to carry out their own scientific investigations.
Speakers: Becky Parker (Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys), Paul Nicholson (John Innes Centre), Sarah Calne (Wymondham High Academy), Chair: Tristan Maclean (BBSRC Inspiring Young Scientists)
This event featured an update from the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues delivered by Michelle Groman (HLS '05), Associate Director at the Bioethics Commission. Since its inception in 2009, President Obama's Commission has issued reports on synthetic biology, human subjects research, whole genome sequencing, pediatric medical countermeasure research, and incidental findings. Currently, the Commission is examining the ethical implications of neuroscience research and the application of neuroscience research findings as part of the federal government’s BRAIN Initiative. The Commission also has developed educational materials to support teaching of bioethics ideas, principles, and theories in traditional and non-traditional settings.
The final half-hour of the event featured a discussion of career opportunities in law and bioethics, led by Ms. Groman and Holly Fernandez Lynch, Petrie-Flom Center Executive Director.
Univ of Miami CTSI: Citizen science seminar; Oct 2014Richard Bookman
The University of Miami's Clinical & Translational Science Institute runs a seminar course for MS students.
This talk surveys 8 citizen science projects, reviews NIH's current activities, and identifies issues for attention, particularly with ethical, legal and social implications.
Looking for a Needle in Video Haystack #appsummit14US-Ignite
As the fastest-growing type of content on the Internet, consumer produced videos are a wealth of information about the world that's essentially untapped. We present ICSI's research on the large-scale video search methods using an application that reveals the geo-location of a consumer- produced video based on its content. Gerald Friedland, University of California, Berkeley.
This presentation, delivered at the 3rd Cambridge Consortium on Bioethics Education in June 2013, looks at three ways multimedia are being used in teaching bioscience students about bioethics at the University of Leicester, UK. Visual media, primarily short clips, are used in teacher-led sessions. Secondly, students are required to produce their own short films. Thirdly, students write an analysis of a recent news story, which must be available as an online news clip.
Personal Adds: making improvements to the personal tutoring schemeChris Willmott
Slides from a presentation at Enhancing Student Learning Through Innovative Scholarship Conference (University College London, 28th June 2016). This was the second annual conference for teaching-dominant academics. #ESLTIS16
Slides from a talk given at the University of Dundee describing a series of activities used at the University of Leicester to promote skills development amongst (medical) bioscience students.
www.lefthandedbiochemist.wordpress.com
Slides from a presentation given at the Innovations in Molecular Biology Education conference, Cambridge, December 2012. The presentation describes careers awareness and careers planning interventions in Biological Sciences at the University of Leicester, UK.
Teaching Innovations as Career Development: turning new teaching ideas into e...Chris Willmott
Slides from a workshop for new teachers, run on behalf of the Society of Biology and the Higher Education Academy at Charles Darwin House, London, in May 2014.
Treasure or Trash? Helping students distinguish online gold from online guffChris Willmott
These are the slides for a short talk to be given at the Higher Education Academy STEM conference in Birmingham (UK) on 18th April 2013. They describe a blended-learning activity in which students evaluate a series of online sources prior to a group tutorial. Reflections on the merit of the task are given, including data derived during three years of usage.
Slides from a presentation "Tackling Plagiarism in Biology" given at a meeting of the Association for Science Education conference at Reading University in January 2004. The talk was given on behalf of the Institute of Biology (now the Society of Biology).
The slides have recently been uploaded here as the site where they were previously located has gone offline.
A Decade of CABS: Reflections on the first ten years of the Careers After Bio...Chris Willmott
Slides from a presentation given at the Society for Experimental Biology annual meeting in Brighton (UK). Very similar to a presentation given the previous week at the STEM Horizons event, this version includes an additional feedback slide.
Students as Partners: Three Leicester vignettesChris Willmott
Slides from my talk prepared for the Working as Partners conference, November 2013. The event was held at the Students' Union of the University of Leicester and looked at a variety of models of collaboration between students and staff in educational developments.
My talk picks up on three areas of my work - in the development of a Code of Practice for Student-Staff Committees, and two different assessed activities in which students produce resources about bioethics. The best examples of the latter are made available online for the benefit of the wider community, and hence the students are bona fide developers of new teaching materials.
Slides from my presentation "Video production as a pedagogic tool: an example from the biosciences" at the 2010 Higher Education Academy conference "Shaping the Future". The slides describe an activity in which second year undergraduates produce short films on bioethics topics.
www.lefthandedbiochemist.wordpress.com
Scientific research is a journey into the unknown, so teaching science with tried and tested practicals does not prepare students for the excitement and uncertainty of scientific discovery. Undertaking actual scientific research provides considerable learning opportunities for pupils and provides researchers with the opportunity to engage young people with their work in a rich and rewarding manner. Partnerships between researchers and young scientists can contribute to scientific breakthroughs and provide real insights and skills for aspiring young scientists. However, such approaches are not without their challenges. You will be presented with cases studies from space science and plant pathology research followed by the chance to engage in round table discussions with teachers, researchers, funders and science communicators involved in these projects. This will provide you the opportunity to discuss how you can involve schools and young people in research or support them to carry out their own scientific investigations.
Speakers: Becky Parker (Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys), Paul Nicholson (John Innes Centre), Sarah Calne (Wymondham High Academy), Chair: Tristan Maclean (BBSRC Inspiring Young Scientists)
This event featured an update from the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues delivered by Michelle Groman (HLS '05), Associate Director at the Bioethics Commission. Since its inception in 2009, President Obama's Commission has issued reports on synthetic biology, human subjects research, whole genome sequencing, pediatric medical countermeasure research, and incidental findings. Currently, the Commission is examining the ethical implications of neuroscience research and the application of neuroscience research findings as part of the federal government’s BRAIN Initiative. The Commission also has developed educational materials to support teaching of bioethics ideas, principles, and theories in traditional and non-traditional settings.
The final half-hour of the event featured a discussion of career opportunities in law and bioethics, led by Ms. Groman and Holly Fernandez Lynch, Petrie-Flom Center Executive Director.
Univ of Miami CTSI: Citizen science seminar; Oct 2014Richard Bookman
The University of Miami's Clinical & Translational Science Institute runs a seminar course for MS students.
This talk surveys 8 citizen science projects, reviews NIH's current activities, and identifies issues for attention, particularly with ethical, legal and social implications.
Looking for a Needle in Video Haystack #appsummit14US-Ignite
As the fastest-growing type of content on the Internet, consumer produced videos are a wealth of information about the world that's essentially untapped. We present ICSI's research on the large-scale video search methods using an application that reveals the geo-location of a consumer- produced video based on its content. Gerald Friedland, University of California, Berkeley.
This presentation, delivered at the 3rd Cambridge Consortium on Bioethics Education in June 2013, looks at three ways multimedia are being used in teaching bioscience students about bioethics at the University of Leicester, UK. Visual media, primarily short clips, are used in teacher-led sessions. Secondly, students are required to produce their own short films. Thirdly, students write an analysis of a recent news story, which must be available as an online news clip.
Personal Adds: making improvements to the personal tutoring schemeChris Willmott
Slides from a presentation at Enhancing Student Learning Through Innovative Scholarship Conference (University College London, 28th June 2016). This was the second annual conference for teaching-dominant academics. #ESLTIS16
Slides from a talk given at the University of Dundee describing a series of activities used at the University of Leicester to promote skills development amongst (medical) bioscience students.
www.lefthandedbiochemist.wordpress.com
Slides from a presentation given at the Innovations in Molecular Biology Education conference, Cambridge, December 2012. The presentation describes careers awareness and careers planning interventions in Biological Sciences at the University of Leicester, UK.
Teaching Innovations as Career Development: turning new teaching ideas into e...Chris Willmott
Slides from a workshop for new teachers, run on behalf of the Society of Biology and the Higher Education Academy at Charles Darwin House, London, in May 2014.
Treasure or Trash? Helping students distinguish online gold from online guffChris Willmott
These are the slides for a short talk to be given at the Higher Education Academy STEM conference in Birmingham (UK) on 18th April 2013. They describe a blended-learning activity in which students evaluate a series of online sources prior to a group tutorial. Reflections on the merit of the task are given, including data derived during three years of usage.
Slides from a presentation "Tackling Plagiarism in Biology" given at a meeting of the Association for Science Education conference at Reading University in January 2004. The talk was given on behalf of the Institute of Biology (now the Society of Biology).
The slides have recently been uploaded here as the site where they were previously located has gone offline.
A Decade of CABS: Reflections on the first ten years of the Careers After Bio...Chris Willmott
Slides from a presentation given at the Society for Experimental Biology annual meeting in Brighton (UK). Very similar to a presentation given the previous week at the STEM Horizons event, this version includes an additional feedback slide.
Students as Partners: Three Leicester vignettesChris Willmott
Slides from my talk prepared for the Working as Partners conference, November 2013. The event was held at the Students' Union of the University of Leicester and looked at a variety of models of collaboration between students and staff in educational developments.
My talk picks up on three areas of my work - in the development of a Code of Practice for Student-Staff Committees, and two different assessed activities in which students produce resources about bioethics. The best examples of the latter are made available online for the benefit of the wider community, and hence the students are bona fide developers of new teaching materials.
As Seen On TV: Using broadcast media in bioscience teachingChris Willmott
Slides from presentation given at the Society for Experimental Biology annual meeting in Brighton (UK). The presentation is similar to one given the previous week at the STEM Horizons conference. To reflect the more international audience, the content is slightly altered, with a little more emphasis on use of broadcast media in general and less emphasis on Box of Broadcasts (given that the latter is a UK-specific service).
These slides were part of a presentation given at the "Making Bioscience Education Fun!" symposium at Bioscience 2005 (Glasgow, 2005).
If you haven't got time to work through the slides, my "Es" are - enthusiasm, empathy, explanation, and engagement.
Various aproaches are discussed, including the use of case studies and revision bingo
As Seen On TV: Using broadcast media in bioscience teachingChris Willmott
Slides from a workshop conducted at the Higher Education Academy Science Technology Engineering and Maths conference in Manchester (UK) in February 2017.
The presentation included examples of ways TV can be used in teaching and introduced the Biology on the Box resource. For the first time it also walked delegates through the new version of the Box of Broadcasts "On Demand" service and TRILT, the associated Television and Radio Index for Learning and Teaching.
This talk "Web authoring as a pedagogic tool: an example from the biosciences" by Chris Willmott and Jane Wellens was given at the Pushing the Boundaries event in January 2006. The slides describe an activity in which second year undergraduates were asked to produce websites about various bioethical issues. This activity was also described in a paper Willmott CJR and Wellens J (2004) Teaching about bioethics through authoring of websites Journal of biological Education 39:27-31.
More recently we have actually replaced this task with an activity in which students produce videos on bioethical topics (see other slideshare presentations or a chronological list at http://lefthandedbiochemist.wordpress.com/talks/). These slides have recently been added here for completion - the site where they were previously available having gone off-line.
Lights, Camera, Action! Engaging students in digital video productionChris Willmott
Slides from a talk given at the Enhancing Student Learning conference in Durham (UK), July 2015.
This is a lightly revised version of a presentation listed here previously.
Making the Most of Broadcast Media for TeachingChris Willmott
Slides shown as part of a workshop on the use of "off-air recordings" in teaching. The session looked particularly at copyright exceptions for non-commercial, educational use of recordings for institutions in possession of an Education Recording Agency licence and at the Television and Radio Index for Learning and Teaching. TRILT is an excellent resource for UK-based educators.
www.lefthandedbiochemist.wordpress.com
AudioVisuals In the Disciplines: Developing libraries of recommended TV and r...Chris Willmott
Slides from a presentation given at the Enhancing Student Learning Through Innovative Scholarship Conference (Durham, July 2015) about the AudioVisuals In the Disciplines (AVID) project. #ESLIS15
The presentation describes the rationale and initial outcomes of a project to develop libraries of subject-specific recommendations of TV and Radio broadcasts available to UK Universities via the Box of Broadcasts service.
The Chinese half of my Ricci Scholar project and the basis for a 45 minute lecture. Personally, I think the pictures in it (also by me) are way more interesting than the presentation.
Vladimir Trajkovski-Ethics and Human Genetics-Lithuania-27.10.2023.pdfVladimir Trajkovski
Prof. Dr. Vladimir Trajkovski presented "Ethics in Human Genetics" at the conference at Klaipeda University in Lithuania on 27.10.2023 via ZOOM platform
Ethical issues associated with fertility treatmentChris Willmott
These slides are from a talk I was invited to give at the Teacher Scientist Network (www.tsn.org.uk) Master Class on Reproductive Technologies.
This turns out to be a series of CPD events for science teachers from East Anglia, hosted on the Norwich Research Park. The aim of the events is specifically to inform teachers about cutting edge developments in biology and biomedicine (rather than, say, discuss suitable classroom activities). It looks like they've got a really good thing going - congratulations to Phil Smith who organises the TSN.
Details of the day can be found at http://tinyurl.com/tsnfertility My slides are presented her unaltered from the version I used on the day. With hindsight, on the basis of discussion after the talk, I might have added in a couple of things. For example, I gather that from an Islamic perspective the soul is not believed to have entered the body at the time when PGD would be conducted and hence this is culturally acceptable (and preferable to, for example, a later termination).
see more resources at bioethicsbytes.wordpress.com
1 Chapter 3 The Moral Status of Gametes and Em.docxjeremylockett77
1
Chapter 3
The Moral Status of Gametes and
Embryos: Storage and Surrogacy
3
Technology Changes Things
• It changes options for reproductive choices.
• It can separate roles of genetic mother and
gestational mother.
• The social mother may be different from
either of the above.
• Babies might have 5-6 parents (see Table 3-1)!
4
Technology Changes Things
• Decision points have also multiplied.
• Many steps can be completed in the lab which
allows different decision points about having a
baby.
• We are not prepared to deal with all of the
changes conceptually, emotionally or ethically.
• Yet, we must be prepared to make decisions.
5
There is a need to Examine the Moral
Community
• There is a need to decide the boundaries of
the moral community.
• Who counts in the moral community?
• One must take the members of this
community into account as we make
decisions.
• The issue goes beyond deontology or
utilitarianism.
6
Thinking about Moral Standing
• Moral standing goes beyond cruelty.
• It addresses moral dignity and respect.
• Are children full members of the moral
community?
• What is the actual moral standing of children?
• Uncertainly exists about the moral standing of
embryos.
7
Technology and Attitudes
• Technology changes our attitude about the
embryo.
• It may also change levels of commitment,
emotional attachment, and parenting.
• Is there a difference between attitudes toward
genetic and adopted children in light of
technology?
8
Questions about Attitudes towards
Embryos and Babies
• What is the status of a frozen pre-embryo?
• Should a pre-embryo be given the same status
as a human being?
• When does a baby become a member of the
moral community?
9
Table 3-2 Moral Reference Groups
What About Surrogate Contracts?
• Should surrogate contracts be held in the
same level of trust as any contract?
• What if a surrogate’s life is endangered by the
pregnancy?
• What about those surrogates who want
contact with the child?
• Courts are struggling with these difficult
issues.
11
The Need to Stretch Our Thinking
• It is too heavy handed to stop technology
progress because we do not have defined
ethics.
• But it is not enough to leave it to the status
quo.
• Therefore, we must explore the issues and try
to come to consensus.
12
In Summary…
13
Slide Number 1Chapter 3Slide Number 3Technology Changes ThingsTechnology Changes ThingsThere is a need to Examine the Moral CommunityThinking about Moral StandingTechnology and Attitudes Questions about Attitudes towards Embryos and BabiesTable 3-2 Moral Reference GroupsWhat About Surrogate Contracts?The Need to Stretch Our ThinkingIn Summary…
WGS 3123
Social Justice and Social Change
Film Response 3
Watch the documentary Before the Flood (Fisher Stevens 2012). It can be access online through
the library. Log into your account. Searc ...
Psychology Seminar Series 2013 - Ruth LaidlerSalfordPsych
14th February 2013: Young children’s naïve biological knowledge Ruth Laidler (University of Salford)
Event Information here: http://hub.salford.ac.uk/salfordpsych/news-and-events/seminar-series/
Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART)
First Successful IVF: Birth of Louise Brown in 1978
Rapid developments in the field of ART
Moral panic
Ethics
Ethical issues
Ethical concerns
Moral issues
Social issues
Religion
Case study
How the use of multimedia enhances teaching, learning and researchChris Willmott
Slides from a webinar delivered by Dr Chris Willmott (University of Leicester) on behalf of Learning on Screen and Association of Learning Technologists (ALT).
Chris discussed the use of Box of Broadcasts (BoB) in university teaching, illustrating the potential with examples from his own practice. He also discussed the emerging potential of BoB as a tool for multimedia research
Slides from a presentation given by Holly Large, Emma Sewell (in absentia) and Dr Chris Willmott at the launch of our guide on the use of BoB ("Box of Broadcasts" and TRILT (the Television and Radio Index for Learning and Teaching) as tools for academic research. The launch event took place in London on 23rd September 2022.
"Discussion boards don’t work": Evaluation of a course blog for teaching with...Chris Willmott
Slides from a presentation given at the Horizons in STEM Higher Education (Virtual) Conference, 30th June 2021. I discussed an initiative in which students had been asked to contribute to a "Shared Resource Collection" instead of a terminal exam paper. The trial was only partially successful, as demonstrated by the data in the presentation (and additional data after the final "Any Questions" slide, which was not shared at the event.
Journal Club: Role of Active Learning on Closing Attainment GapChris Willmott
Slides from a Biological Sciences Scholarship of Learning & Teaching journal club held at the University of Leicester (UK) in May 2021. We discussed Theobald et al. (2020) Active learning narrows achievement gaps for underrepresented students in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math PNAS 117:6476-6483. Note slides relating to Fig 2 have been edited after the meeting to better reflect the discussion on the day.
Turning teaching innovations into education publicationsChris Willmott
Slides from a workshop run [online] on behalf of colleagues within Biological Sciences at the University of Leicester (UK). One or two of the slides are specific to local context, but most are pertinent for anyone wanting to get started in educational research by looking to make evaluation of their existing or future teaching initiatives more robust.
Analysis of Broadcast Science as a Capstone ProjectChris Willmott
Slides from a presentation delivered virtually (via Zoom) on 20th May 2020, in the #DryLabsRealScience series as UK Universities seek to adapt some of their teaching and projects to online formats
Measuring actual learning versus feelings of learning (Journal Club)Chris Willmott
Slides from Bioscience Pedagogic Research Journal Club meeting at the University of Leicester, UK. The meeting discussed "Measuring actual learning versus feeling of learning in response to being actively engaged in the classroom" a study by Louis Deslauriers and colleagues at Harvard University.
Do you know Bob? Adventures with technology-based resources for teaching (and...Chris Willmott
Slides from a presentation about the Box of Broadcasts resource, and creative uses of lecture capture technology. Talk given at the Dept of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester in April 2019.
Adventures in Flipping the Teaching: A bioethical exampleChris Willmott
Slides from a presentation given at the AdvanceHE STEM Teaching and Learning Conference in January 2019. The talk is a warts and all description of a four year journey trying to develop flipped lectures for teaching core bioethics to second year undergraduates at the University of Leicester, UK
Teaching ethics in the UK: A Bioscience perspectiveChris Willmott
Slides from a presentation given via Skype to the First International Bioethics Conference, on Teaching and Learning in Bioethics. The meeting was organised by Víctor Grífols i Lucas Foundation and held at the Universitat de Vic - Universitat Central de Catalunya in January 2019. The talk was a personal reflection on the teaching of ethics to bioscience students as it has occurred over the past 17 years or so.
A back-up version of the talk (in case of technical difficulties) was recorded and is available at https://youtu.be/JS--0SDAYTk.
Pedagogy Involving Capture Technology: Uses of Panopto beyond the recording o...Chris Willmott
Slides from a presentation given at the Advance HE STEM Conference at Millennium Point, Birmingham in January 2019. The talk described the current status of the Pedagogy Involving Capture Technology (PICT) project, looking at innovative ways of using Lecture Capture tools for purposes over and above standard lecture recording.
As Seen On TV: Using broadcast media in university teachingChris Willmott
Slides from a presentation given at Lights, Camera, Learning: Teaching with the moving image - a conference held at Birkbeck, University of London in November 2018. The event marked the 70th anniversary of the setting up of the organisation known now as Learning on Screen (http://bufvc.ac.uk)
Not so flippin' easy: Adventures in "flipped teaching" in the biosciencesChris Willmott
Slides from a presentation given to the Biological Sciences Scholarship of Teaching and Learning group at the University of Leicester (November 2018). The talk gave a step-by-step reflection on the evolution of bioethics teaching via a combination of online videos and face-to-face discussion of case studies. As noted, aspect of the process remain problematic.
As Seen On TV: Promoting the use of broadcast media in HEChris Willmott
Slides from a presentation given at Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia) in May 2018. The talk discussed work on developing resources to promote the use of television and radio in teaching.
Developing WordPress blogs as shared educational resources: some practical tipsChris Willmott
These are the slides I prepared for an innovative Twitter conference held on 29th March 2018. The #PressEDconf18 event organised by Natalie Lafferty (@nlafferty) and Pat Lockley (@pgogy) focused on educational uses of WordPress. Each speaker had 15 tweets, one per minute for 15 minutes. I chose to plan my contribution out as a standard PowerPoint presentations for which I turned each slide into a separate JPG to embed in my tweets.
As Seen On TV: Using broadcast media in university teachingChris Willmott
Slides for a presentation promoting the use of "BoB", an online repository of TV and radio programmes for education. This presentation was given at the Education in a Digital Age event at the University of Lincoln, UK, in November 2017.
RSB CPD PDG IMHO: A mechanism for capturing your “evidence”Chris Willmott
Slides from a presentation describing the merits of the Royal Society of Biology's CPD scheme. I can take no credit for the creation of the scheme, but have found it an extremely helpful way to capture the kind of "evidence" of ongoing professional development which is required for appraisals, awards and applications. This talk was given at BioSummit2017, an annual gathering of teaching-dominant UK Bioscience academics.
Slides from a presentation about her role as a teacher of the deaf, given by Deb Kent as part of the Careers After Biological Science programme in 2016.
June 3, 2024 Anti-Semitism Letter Sent to MIT President Kornbluth and MIT Cor...Levi Shapiro
Letter from the Congress of the United States regarding Anti-Semitism sent June 3rd to MIT President Sally Kornbluth, MIT Corp Chair, Mark Gorenberg
Dear Dr. Kornbluth and Mr. Gorenberg,
The US House of Representatives is deeply concerned by ongoing and pervasive acts of antisemitic
harassment and intimidation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Failing to act decisively to ensure a safe learning environment for all students would be a grave dereliction of your responsibilities as President of MIT and Chair of the MIT Corporation.
This Congress will not stand idly by and allow an environment hostile to Jewish students to persist. The House believes that your institution is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and the inability or
unwillingness to rectify this violation through action requires accountability.
Postsecondary education is a unique opportunity for students to learn and have their ideas and beliefs challenged. However, universities receiving hundreds of millions of federal funds annually have denied
students that opportunity and have been hijacked to become venues for the promotion of terrorism, antisemitic harassment and intimidation, unlawful encampments, and in some cases, assaults and riots.
The House of Representatives will not countenance the use of federal funds to indoctrinate students into hateful, antisemitic, anti-American supporters of terrorism. Investigations into campus antisemitism by the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Ways and Means have been expanded into a Congress-wide probe across all relevant jurisdictions to address this national crisis. The undersigned Committees will conduct oversight into the use of federal funds at MIT and its learning environment under authorities granted to each Committee.
• The Committee on Education and the Workforce has been investigating your institution since December 7, 2023. The Committee has broad jurisdiction over postsecondary education, including its compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, campus safety concerns over disruptions to the learning environment, and the awarding of federal student aid under the Higher Education Act.
• The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating the sources of funding and other support flowing to groups espousing pro-Hamas propaganda and engaged in antisemitic harassment and intimidation of students. The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is the principal oversight committee of the US House of Representatives and has broad authority to investigate “any matter” at “any time” under House Rule X.
• The Committee on Ways and Means has been investigating several universities since November 15, 2023, when the Committee held a hearing entitled From Ivory Towers to Dark Corners: Investigating the Nexus Between Antisemitism, Tax-Exempt Universities, and Terror Financing. The Committee followed the hearing with letters to those institutions on January 10, 202
Honest Reviews of Tim Han LMA Course Program.pptxtimhan337
Personal development courses are widely available today, with each one promising life-changing outcomes. Tim Han’s Life Mastery Achievers (LMA) Course has drawn a lot of interest. In addition to offering my frank assessment of Success Insider’s LMA Course, this piece examines the course’s effects via a variety of Tim Han LMA course reviews and Success Insider comments.
Read| The latest issue of The Challenger is here! We are thrilled to announce that our school paper has qualified for the NATIONAL SCHOOLS PRESS CONFERENCE (NSPC) 2024. Thank you for your unwavering support and trust. Dive into the stories that made us stand out!
A Strategic Approach: GenAI in EducationPeter Windle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI, Image Generators and Large Language Models have had a dramatic impact on teaching, learning and assessment over the past 18 months. The most immediate threat AI posed was to Academic Integrity with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) focusing their efforts on combating the use of GenAI in assessment. Guidelines were developed for staff and students, policies put in place too. Innovative educators have forged paths in the use of Generative AI for teaching, learning and assessments leading to pockets of transformation springing up across HEIs, often with little or no top-down guidance, support or direction.
This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
Palestine last event orientationfvgnh .pptxRaedMohamed3
An EFL lesson about the current events in Palestine. It is intended to be for intermediate students who wish to increase their listening skills through a short lesson in power point.
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
Operation “Blue Star” is the only event in the history of Independent India where the state went into war with its own people. Even after about 40 years it is not clear if it was culmination of states anger over people of the region, a political game of power or start of dictatorial chapter in the democratic setup.
The people of Punjab felt alienated from main stream due to denial of their just demands during a long democratic struggle since independence. As it happen all over the word, it led to militant struggle with great loss of lives of military, police and civilian personnel. Killing of Indira Gandhi and massacre of innocent Sikhs in Delhi and other India cities was also associated with this movement.
1. FEBS, Prague, July 2009
Different Approaches to
Ethics Teaching
Dr Chris Willmott
Dept of Biochemistry
University of Leicester
cjrw2@le.ac.uk
University of
Leicester
THE University of the Year 2008
2. Why teach ethics to bioscientists?
• Explosion of new issues
“Modern Science has placed in our hands
capabilities that have aggravated long-standing
ethical problems as well as introducing new
quandaries”.
Stanley Grenz (moral philosopher)
3. Why teach ethics to bioscientists?
• Explosion of new issues
• Equipping students to explain key issues to friends
1999 Eurobarometer survey:
“Ordinary tomatoes do not contain genes
while genetically-modified tomatoes do”
35% agreed with the statement
30% “do not know”
4. Why teach ethics to bioscientists?
• Explosion of new issues
• Equipping students to explain key issues to friends
• Relevance to future careers
- research?
- teaching?
- medicine?
- science communication?
5. Why teach ethics to bioscientists?
• Explosion of new issues
• Equipping students to explain key issues to friends
• Relevance to future careers
• It’s interesting
6. Why teach ethics to bioscientists?
• Explosion of new issues
• Equipping students to explain key issues to friends
• Relevance to future careers
• It’s interesting
• In the UK, the QAA says we should
Quality Assurance Agency “Benchmarking statements”
- first edition, 2002
- second edition, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/QAAbioscience07
7. QAA Benchmarking for Bioscience
“Students should expect to be confronted by some
of the scientific, moral and ethical questions
raised by their study discipline, to consider
viewpoints other than their own, and to engage
in critical assessment and intellectual argument”
“Recognising the moral and ethical issues of
investigations and appreciating the need for
ethical standards and professional codes of
conduct”
8. QAA Benchmarking for Bioscience
All students should:
“Have some understanding of ethical issues and
the impact on society of advances in the
biosciences”
Good students should:
“Be able to construct reasoned arguments to
support their position on the ethical and social
impact of advances in the biosciences”
9. Ethical issues for Bioscientists
Can consider issues in three categories:
1. Research integrity
2. Biomedical ethics
3. Environmental bioethics
10. Approaches
• Case studies/ scenarios
• Debate and role-play
• Newspapers
• Book extracts
• TV programmes/Films/News
• Clips to convey information
• Clips as discussion starters
• Student-generated videos
11. Bioethics = Bio- and ethics
• Science – could it be done?
• Ethics – should it be done?
Important that both are being considered:
Science without ethics may be immoral
Ethics without science may be impossible
12. Case studies & scenarios
• Case studies allow real-world framing of
otherwise abstract ideas
• Can have a key role in opening up complex
issues for students
• May be genuine or fictional (though latter work
best when as close to real as possible)
13. Case study (1) – Carl and Julie
Carl is a twenty-one year old builder. He is engaged to Julie,
and she has recently discovered that she is expecting their
first child. In 2001, Carl’s maternal grandfather died from
Huntington’s disease (HD), a late-onset degenerative disease
of the nervous system. HD is inherited in a dominant fashion;
if you do have HD, you have a 50% chance of passing it on to
your children. Carl’s mum has decided not to take the test to
find out if she got the faulty copy from her father, but now
that he is expecting to be a father himself, Carl is keen to find
out if there is any risk that he has passed on the condition.
What are some of the issues at stake for Carl and Julie? What
are the consequences of taking the test, or deciding not to?
If you were Carl, what would you do?
14. Genetic screening
Carl can know his status and prepare accordingly
But his mum has made a conscious decision not to
know, hence potential harm to her
Other consequences:
- Carl’s relationship with Julie?
- Carl’s relationship with baby?
- Implications for Carl’s work?
- Insurance implications, etc
(Developed from episode of “Bitter Inheritance”)
15. Case study (2) – Wendy & Paul
Wendy and Paul Carter have been married for twelve years. They would
love to have children. Unfortunately, Wendy had breast cancer when
she was 28 and although the chemotherapy has brought total
remission from the disease it also caused damage to her ovaries that
has made her infertile.
Paul and Wendy have been on the waiting list at their local IVF clinic for
a number of months awaiting donated eggs to try and have a baby.
At present, however, there are 200 potential mothers seeking each
donated egg and the couple know that realistically they may never
receive a donated egg via the normal channels.
Researchers at the hospital attached to the IVF clinic have recently
gained permission to carry out experimental procedures using eggs
harvested from aborted foetuses. The technique is controversial, but
for Paul and Wendy it may represent their only chance to receive a
donated egg.
16. Case study (2) – Wendy & Paul
What are the issues involved in this case?
- Feel free to include aspects of the case that are
likely to be issues for other people, your
contributions need not be limited to your own
opinions.
17. Case study (2) – Wendy & Paul
• This case
- content is fictional but based on real ideas
and statistics
- used in Session 1 of 6 in bioethics series
- used as vehicle to introduce more
philosophical aspects
18. Case study (2) – example comments
Deontological (first principles, rights, duties)
• Does a foetus have any rights?
• Does the “mother” have any rights or say in the
upbringing of their “grandchild”?
• Should people be allowed to manipulate nature for
their own gain?
Consequentialist (outcomes)
• What would be the psychological effects on the
child?
• If the child turns out to be “defective” then who is
culpable?
• What is the likelihood of success?
19. Vehicle for introducing philosophy
Deontological (first principles, duties)
Consequentialist (outcomes)
Virtue ethics (importance of character)
Principlism
20. Making ethical decisions
Principles of Biomedical Ethics
(Beauchamp & Childress) propose 4 principles:
• Non-maleficence Don’t do harm
• Beneficience Do good, act in the best interests of
others
• Autonomy Maximise freedom for individual or
community
• Justice Treat equal cases equally and unequal
cases differently
Principlism
21. Genetic screening
Carl can know his status and prepare accordingly
(Autonomy, Beneficience)
But his mum has made a conscious decision not to
know, hence potential harm to her
Other consequences:
- Carl’s relationship with Julie?
- Carl’s relationship with baby?
- Implications for Carl’s work?
- Insurance implications, etc
(Adapted from episode from series “Bitter Inheritance”)
22. TV footage – why?
• Familiar visual medium
• Can be used to:
- convey information
- as discussion starters
• Clips save time over full programme
23. What sort of programmes?
• Documentaries, e.g.
- A Child Against All Odds (2006)
- DNA – The Promise & The Price (2008)
- The World’s First Face Transplant (2006)
• Drama e.g.
- Holby City (various, esp 2006)
- The Island (2005)
- Million Dollar Baby (2004)
• News clips
- topical
- pithy summary
- online?
24. Clips to raise issues – GATTACA
GATTACA (Dir: Andrew Niccol, 1997) is set “in the not
too distant future”. Having watched the clip, consider
the following questions:
• How realistic is the genetic screening process shown
in the film? Which aspects can already be done?
Which are likely to be more difficult?
• Screening of this type would be controversial. What
are some of the potential benefits, and what are
some of the potential problems?
• Consider your answers to Q2. What form of ethical
thinking does each represent?
• Does this film offer any insights into current
development in genetic screening?
25. GATTACA – Science issues
Technology shown could offer selection, but not
enhancement – gene can only be included if mum
or dad had it!
Current PGD? Future PGD?
Genetic determinism? How much of us as individuals
is down to our genes and how much down to other
factors (food intake, trauma, etc)?
26. GATTACA – Ethical issues
Genetic discrimination – ‘Valids’ v ‘In-valids’? A ‘made-
man’ v a ‘faith-birth’? A ‘vitro’ v a ‘utero’?
Insurance moratorium in UK (until 2011). Risk and
social exclusion?
What would it be suitable to check for? Diseases?
Gender? Physical features? Character traits?
What costs to the individual and to society are worth
paying in order to select-out diseases?
What do such attitudes say about people with
disabilities now?
Role of genetics in forensics?
27. News clip – structured activity
Therapeutic Cloning
Yo a g ingtos ea3m
u re o e w n une th 0 4
inutevid ofro FiveNe so J 16 2 0 ,
e m
dis us inga a
c s n pplic tio b ate mo s ie tsa Ne c s Unive ity fo
a n y a f c ntis t w a tle rs r
pe is io toc rry o “ ra uticc ning . Re dthro h the eq s ns
rm s n a ut the pe lo ” a ug s ue tio
be reyo s ethec s yo kno wha tolo k o fo
fo u e lip, o u w t o ut r.
From the video
Expla ho the pe
in w ra uticc ningw uldwo
lo o rk
Wha isthes urc o thee g tobeus din thisre e rc
t o e f gs e s a h?
Wha isthes te a o there e rc
t ta d im f s a h?
Thinking deeper
In thec P fe s r Murdo h s ys
lip, ro s o c a :
“Imagine a child, say a ten year old child, now
who is diabetic who’s cells that normally produce
insulin are not working properly, so that child
will have to take insulin injections for the rest of
their life. Possibly, in five or ten years time, we
could be in a situation where we could take a tiny
piece of skin fromthat child, do some work within
the laboratory to tell that skin cell to forget that
it was ever a skin cell, to learn to become a stem
cell, which means that it has no background
information about what it is going to be, and then teach that stemcell to become an insulin secreting
cell so that cell can be planted back into the child and then the diabetes theoretically would be cured.”
Co pa thisw thee
m re ith xpla tio o ho the pe
na n f w ra uticc ningw uldwo
lo o rk;
- in w t wa w sit d re a
ha ys a iffe nt, nd
- in w t wa w sit thes m ?
ha ys a a e
Wha o je tio tos mc ll re e rc a m ntio din thevide ?
t b c ns te e s a h re e ne o
Wha o r re s ns(no m ntio d) m y c us pe pletoo c tothe pe
t the a o t e ne a a e o bje t ra uticc ning
lo ?
Wha te hnic l diffic
t c a ultie m ht m kethiswo diffic toa hie ?
s ig a rk ult c ve
28. Using News stories in Bioscience
• Think of as many ways as possible that you might link one
or more of the following news stories to your teaching of:
(a) basic bioscience and/or
(b) bioethics?
Face transplant Cognitive
GFP Marmosets enhancement?
Images from http://news.bbc.co.uk/
29. GFP Marmosets
Science of
transgenics Ethical questions
What is GFP?
Is it OK to alter
How was the gene
monkeys in this way?
transferred in?
Does the fact that
Why was it transferred in?
alteration was inherited
make any difference?
What is the basis for
animal rights?
Wider debate about animals
Do animals have rights?
Abolitionists
Sentiency?
Welfarists
Justice?
3Rs (refine, reduce, replace)
Utility?
Image from http://web.princeton.edu/sites/ehs/biosafety/animalworker/pics/marmoset.jpg
30. Face transplants
Ethical
Technical Risks v Benefits
Availability of donor face? Motivation?
Functionality of transplant?
Plan B if rejected?
Lifestyle issues
Psychological Media intervention?
Cancer risk?
For patient?
For potential patients?
For wider society? Immunological
Face and identity? Rejection rates?
(30-50% over first 2-5 yrs)
Harmful effects of immunosuppressive drugs?
Image from http://news.bbc.co.uk/
31. Cognitive enhancing drugs?
Science of Arguments in favour
enhancement Autonomy
What drugs are people “if it’s ok for kids it’s ok for
taking? me”
What is the basis of Others get advantage from
their effect? genes or wealth
Legal = know medicine is
what it claims to be
Better productivity =
Therapy v economic benefit
Enhancement
Can a case be made that Arguments against
moving someone from poor
to normal is different from Safety: esp long term use
normal to superior? Fairness: will others need
to take enhancers to
compete
Image from http://freedocere.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/ritalin-sr-20mg-full1.jpg