Goller Carlos C
Biotechnology Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695.
J Microbiol Biol Educ. 2014 Dec 15;15(2):229-31. doi: 10.1128/jmbe.v15i2.771. eCollection 2014 Dec.
Historical ethical dilemmas are a valuable tool in bioethics courses. However, garnering student interest in reading and discussing the assigned cases in the classroom can be challenging. In an effort to actively engage undergraduate and graduate students in an Ethical Issues in Biotechnology course, an activity was developed to encourage reflection on a classical ethical dilemma between a patient, St. Martin, and his employer/caretaker, Beaumont. Two different texts were used to analyze the ethical ramifications of this relationship: a chapter in a popular press book and a short perspective in a medical journal. Participants read the book chapter for homework and discussed it in class. This easy read highlights the fundamental ethical issues in the relationship between two men. Students were then provided with a second text focusing on the scientific accomplishments achieved through Beaumont's experimentation on St. Martin. A structured worksheet prompted participants to reflect on their feelings after reading each text and create a concept map depicting the dilemma. Student-generated concept maps and written reflections indicate participants were able to list the ethical issues, analyze the situation, and evaluate the information provided. This activity not only encouraged higher-level thinking and reflection, it also mirrored the course's structured approach of using concept mapping and reflection to dissect ethical dilemmas.
历史上的伦理困境是生物伦理学课程中的一种宝贵工具。然而，要激发学生对在课堂上阅读和讨论指定案例的兴趣可能具有挑战性。为了让本科生和研究生积极参与生物技术伦理问题课程，开发了一项活动，以鼓励学生思考患者圣马丁与其雇主/护理人博蒙特之间的经典伦理困境。使用了两篇不同的文本分析这种关系的伦理影响：一本大众读物中的一章和一篇医学杂志上的简短观点文章。参与者将阅读书中章节作为家庭作业，并在课堂上进行讨论。这篇通俗易懂的读物突出了两人关系中的基本伦理问题。然后，向学生提供第二篇文本，重点讲述博蒙特对圣马丁进行实验所取得的科学成就。一份结构化的工作表促使参与者在阅读每篇文本后反思自己的感受，并创建一个描绘该困境的概念图。学生制作的概念图和书面反思表明，参与者能够列出伦理问题、分析情况并评估所提供的信息。这项活动不仅鼓励了更高层次的思考和反思，还反映了该课程使用概念图和反思来剖析伦理困境的结构化方法。
