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Integrating Applied Ethics into a College-Level Non-Majors Biology Course
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Stutz, Jean C. |
| Copyright Year | 2011 |
| Abstract | The 21st century has been labeled by some as “the century of biology” most likely because of the explosion of new biological information and applications during the past 50 years and the subsequent need for people to make informed decisions about these new biotechnologies. One of the major challenges facing college-level instructors of introductory non-majors biology courses is how to synthesize all this new information into a traditional one semester introductory course as well as deal with the ethical issues that are a part of modern biology. Although many of the topics that are covered as part of a non-majors introductory biology course have ethical dimensions including genetic testing, stem cells, cloning, genetic engineering and gene therapy, global warming, preserving biodiversity, evolution, human population growth and modern food production the inclusion of ethical content in a non-majors introductory biology course could be problematic because of time constraints involved. One common reason science faculty give for not including discussions of ethics in science courses is that “there is no room” (Davis 2006). A second major challenge facing college-level instructors of introductory non-majors biology courses is engaging undergraduate students in the course material when they may have little prior interest in science. Many students enrolled in college-level introductory non-majors biology courses are fulfilling some type of science general studies requirement and often view the selection of biology as the least or easiest of the possible alternatives. Introducing students to the important applied ethical dimensions of modern biology could serve as a method of engaging students by helping students understand why it is important to understand basic biological concepts and by making biology learning more relevant (Chamany et al., 2008). Although most of the published |
| Starting Page | 47 |
| Ending Page | 56 |
| Page Count | 10 |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| DOI | 10.5840/tej20111126 |
| Volume Number | 11 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://www.uvu.edu/ethics/seac/Stutz_Integrating_Applied_Ethics_into_a_College-Level_Non-Majors_Biology_Course.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
