Honors Intro to Bioethics

COURSE OBJECTIVE

Honors Intro to Bioethics introduces you to the range of issues that define bioethics, together with core concepts and skills. This course explores some of the most difficult – and fascinating – moral challenges we face in health, medicine, and emerging technologies.

• Should we clone humans?

• What should we think of the coming genetic revolution?

• How much control should we have over how and when we die?

• When does medical treatment turn into medical enhancement – and should we care? Is rationing health care good, bad, necessary – or all of the above?

This course will explore fundamental moral issues that arise in medicine, health, and biotechnology. Some are as old as life itself: the vulnerability of illness, the fact of death. Some are new, brought on by a dizzying pace of technology that can unsettle our core ideas about human nature and our place in the world. And nearly all intersect with issues of racial and gender equality, as well as policies affecting the world’s most vulnerable populations.

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COURSE FORMAT

The class meets 90 minutes twice a week (M/W or T/Th) for 20 weeks.  Like all other courses in our curriculum, Honors Intro to Bioethics consists of two components:  asynchronous and synchronous learning.

1. The asynchronous flipped classroom portion of the course makes up 30% of your overall grade. It is based on the UExcel Bioethics: Philosophical Issues course developed by Study.com, which we have supplemented with content from their Bioethics course.

2. Your academy instructor will facilitate the virtual in-person synchronous portion of the course. This makes up 50% of your overall grade.

Asynchronous Learning

Both the UExcel Bioethics: Philosophical Issues and the Bioethics courses developed by Study.com were created by panels of expert instructors who break down concepts with bite-sized, animated video lessons organized into topical chapters that improve comprehension and retention, making learning fun and engaging.  Each video is approximately 5-8 minutes long and comes with a quick quiz to help you measure your "first exposure learning" during the pre-work phase before the actual class. At the end of each chapter, you will complete a chapter test to see if you're ready to move on or have some material to review.

You should expect to spend 40-60 minutes per week on these homework assignments. The academy intentionally schedules no classes on Fridays to provide dedicated time for homework assignments and out-of-class projects.

Synchronous Learning

Our academy instructor, who will also serve as your Gamemaster, will facilitate the live, virtual classroom sessions, which will supplement and build upon the content introduced in the asynchronous portion of the course. Additionally, they will answer any questions you may have about the asynchronous material.

Our in-person sessions are designed to make learning fun and interactive! Here's what you can expect:

• Interactive discussions:  We will delve deeper into key concepts from the asynchronous material and address any common misconceptions.

• Game-based activities:   Earn points and badges, and climb the leaderboard as you embark on edventures through grammar and !

Exams

There will be a comprehensive mid-term exam over all content covered during the first quarter and a comprehensive final exam over all content covered during the second quarter. Both of these exams are weighted equally, and the combined average will make up 10% of your course grade.

COURSE TOPICS

Chapters: 13; Lessons: 109

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INTERACTIVE DISCUSSION BOARD

Each module features an interactive discussion board powered by Discussion Hero, a gamified platform developed by Northwestern University. Students choose between "hero" and "villain" roles and avatars, earning points for their contributions. This fosters a sense of competition and engagement, making discussions even more rewarding.

Benefits of Participating in Discussions:

1. Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills:  Go beyond memorization and passive learning by analyzing information, evaluating different perspectives, and forming your own conclusions.

2. Enhance communication skills:  Practice clear communication, learn to articulate your ideas effectively, and develop respectful listening and rebuttal skills.

3. Fosters a collaborative learning environment:  Learn from each other, share knowledge, and collaborate on problem-solving, creating a dynamic and enriching learning community.

4. Deepen your understanding of the content:  Actively engaging with the course material through discussion solidifies and expands your understanding beyond lectures and readings.

5. Provides diverse perspectives:  Discussions expose you to different viewpoints and interpretations, encouraging critical thinking and broadening your understanding of the subject matter.

6. Offers opportunities for self-reflection:  Examining your own thoughts and arguments in response to prompts and engaging with others' perspectives helps solidify your learning and identify areas for further exploration.

7. Apply knowledge to real-world scenarios:  Apply course concepts to real-world situations through discussions, enhancing the material's relevance.

8. Build a digital learning portfolio:  Discussions serve as a reference for your learning journey, allowing you to revisit key concepts and track your progress.

9. Develop digital literacy:  Discussions provide a platform to practice online communication etiquette, including respectful disagreement, constructive argumentation, and responsible information sharing.

To actively engage in meaningful learning and reap the benefits mentioned above, participation in each module's discussion board is expected and will contribute to your overall grade. Your instructor will provide a clear rubric within Discussion Hero outlining the expectations for participation and how your contributions will be evaluated. This ensures consistent and transparent assessment while allowing you to showcase your understanding and critical thinking skills throughout the course.

DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENTS

Throughout this course, you will engage in 10 discussion assignments, each contributing to your overall course grade. These assignments are designed to encourage meaningful interactions and the exchange of ideas, as well as to develop critical thinking about the hotly debated contemporary issues covered in each module. Prior to each assignment, you will have ample opportunities to collaborate and brainstorm with your fellow teammates.

For every assignment, you will be presented with a set of “reflection questions.” These questions are intended to guide you in deepening your understanding of the topics covered in the respective module and to promote interactions with fellow learners. Keep in mind that these questions are designed to stimulate your reflection on the acquired knowledge, and there are no right or wrong answers.

To address each assignment, you are expected to respond in the form of a 250-word essay. To further enhance your learning experience, you will have the chance to receive constructive feedback on your initial draft of each essay. Your peers and instructor will provide feedback, helping you refine your ideas and improve your writing before its final submission.

COURSE OUTCOMES

After completing this course, you will be able to:

• Define bioethics and its relevance to modern medicine, healthcare, and biotechnology.

• Apply ethical principles like beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, and autonomy to evaluate medical practices.

• Differentiate among ethical theories such as utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics, explaining how each applies to healthcare.

• Assess ethical concerns related to patient confidentiality, informed consent, and medical paternalism.

• Evaluate the moral implications of genetic interventions, including prenatal testing, genetic counseling, and germline therapy.

• Explain key ethical and social debates surrounding reproductive technologies like IVF, cloning, and surrogacy.

• Critically discuss ethical and legal issues related to end-of-life care, including euthanasia, assisted suicide, and hospice.

• Examine the impact of race, gender, and socioeconomic status on access to healthcare and the ethical considerations involved.

• Analyze ethical concerns surrounding scarce medical resources, such as organ donation and access to healthcare technology.

• Discuss the significance of informed consent and autonomy in biomedical research, using real-world case studies.

• Understand and articulate ethical issues unique to HIV/AIDS treatment, including patient confidentiality and social stigma.

• Describe environmental ethics principles and how they relate to biodiversity, conservation, and human impact on ecosystems.

• Differentiate between animal rights and animal welfare, especially in the contexts of agriculture, science, and research.

• Analyze ethical questions related to pollution, resource management, and the transition from non-renewable to renewable energy sources.

• Discuss the ethical implications of population growth, environmental racism, and global sustainability.

PREREQUISITES

There are no prerequisites for this course.