The rapid advance of biological technology challenges our society with some very difficult ethical questions. Should vaccination be compulsory or is this an infringement of personal rights? Is it ethical to edit a baby’s genes? What about the genes of a whole population? Should we let artificial intelligence drive our cars, help us make decisions about who to hire, or help us decide who to imprison? Do we owe future generations a liveable planet? This course will give you the tools to understand these questions and to make clear ethical arguments that point to the right course of action. In other words, this course will teach you how to argue well, and how to translate your scientific knowledge into good decisions both for yourself and for society.

 

This course examines the ethical and societal impacts of biological knowledge and medical practice. We will focus on a range of current issues, including the nature of bioethics; vaccination; animal ethics; cloning of humans and other animals; genetic screening; designer babies; organ and stem cell transplantation; artificial intelligence; and human enhancement. We will discuss issues affecting individual and societal decisions to accept or reject these technologies, such as risk/benefit assessments and regulation of new technologies. You will consider diverse perspectives through readings, tutorial discussions and lectures.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Discuss the science involved in new biotechnologies and the associated contextual issues.
2. Understand and employ a range of approaches to ethical and moral reasoning.
3. Evaluate facts, values, and arguments from a variety of information sources.
4. Assess the benefits, risks, and societal & ethical implications of biotechnologies.
5. Identify a personal view in the context of the debate about a biotechnology.

Research-Led Teaching

The lecturers in this course will share with you their own research and experience, as well as other relevant research that has made a contribution to the area.

Field Trips

None

Additional Course Costs

None

Required Resources

There is a required text for the course. This text will be required reading in the first few weeks of the course. This text is available for free as an ebook from the library, or can be purchased from the campus bookstore or online. If you buy a physical copy of the book, it will cost ~$15.

The required text is:

A rulebook for Arguments, Fifth Edition. Anthony Weston. 2017. Hackett publishing, USA.

The ebook is available to read online, for free, from the ANU library here:

https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/anu/detail.action?docID=5306285

Here are a few ways you can buy a physical copy if you would like. But please note that you will need the book in week 2 of the course, so if you plan to use a physical copy you should order it in plenty of time.

1. Harry Hartog book store, ANU
2. Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/A-Rulebook-for-Arguments-Anthony-Weston/9781624666544
3. Amazon.com.au: https://www.amazon.com.au/Rulebook-Arguments-Anthony-Weston/dp/162466654X/

Recommended Resources

Recommended student system requirements 

ANU courses commonly use a number of online resources and activities including:

• video material, similar to YouTube, for lectures and other instruction
• two-way video conferencing for interactive learning
• email and other messaging tools for communication
• interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities
• print and photo/scan for handwritten work
• home-based assessment.

To fully participate in ANU learning, students need:

• A computer or laptop. Mobile devices may work well but in some situations a computer/laptop may be more appropriate.
• Webcam
• Speakers and a microphone (e.g. headset)
• Reliable, stable internet connection. Broadband recommended. If using a mobile network or wi-fi then check performance is adequate.
• Suitable location with minimal interruptions and adequate privacy for classes and assessments.
• Printing, and photo/scanning equipment

For more information please see https://www.anu.edu.au/students/systems/recommended-student-system-requirements

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

Remote Participation: The lectures will be recorded. An online Tutorial will be convened for those unable to attend in person only. Online workshops will also be convened.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	An Introduction to Bioethics: History and Methods
2	Ethics at the End of Life: Euthanasia
3	Animal Ethics	Tutorial
4	Ethics and Economies of Transplantable Organs	Tutorial, Argument assignment
5	Ethics and Vaccination Policy	Tutorial
6	Abortion and feminist ethics	Tutorial
7	Choosing children: Personhood and the non-identity problem	Tutorial; Short Essay Due
8	Treatment and Enhancement	Tutorial
9	The Biomedically managed self: Drugs for Love	Tutorial
10	GM Food	Tutorial
11	Veganism	Tutorial
12	Precision Medicine: Genomic Futures	Tutorial Final essay deadline, first Monday after the end of semester

Tutorial Registration

Registration for tutorials will open during week 1. Registration is required, and instructions will be given during the lectures of week 1.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Tutorials (attendance is mandatory)	10 %	*	*	1, 4, 5
Understanding Arguments	20 %	23/08/2021	06/09/2021	2, 5
Short Essay	30 %	06/09/2021	27/09/2021	3, 4, 5
Long essay	40 %	29/10/2021	12/11/2021	2, 3, 4, 5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Tutorials (attendance is mandatory)

The tutorials are arguably the most important part of this course, and so preparing for the tutorials by doing the readings carefully and giving yourself enough time to think about them is really the key to getting the most out of this course.

Because of their importance, attendance at tutorials is a course requirement and is recorded. Failure to attend at least 8 tutorials will result in the grade NCN. To be perfectly clear, you must be physically (or, for those unable to attend in person in Semester 2 2021, virtually) present in at least 8 tutorials. The only exception that will be made is when a student has no unexplained absences (i.e. no absences that are not supported by medical documentation) and has missed more than three tutorials, all of which are supported by medical documentation which was submitted on time. In these cases an additional assessment may be assigned in place of the missed tutorials.

Grading: For each tutorial, you will be given a score of 2, 1, or 0. To achieve a score of 2, you must:

1.    Submit to your tutor at the start of each tutorial one question that was raised in your mind by each of the readings you were assigned (e.g. if there are four readings, you need to submit four questions). These questions do not need to be detailed or long-winded. But they must be non-trivial, and demonstrate that you have thought about the reading. A single sentence is fine. A good question is one that you can ask during the tutorial, and that might spark discussion about an aspect of one or more of the readings.

2.    Attend the tutorial and contribute to the discussion. At a minimum, this could involve asking to the group one of the questions you submitted to your tutor at the start of the tutorial. Another useful thing to do is to ask someone else their opinion.

3.    Provide a succinct verbal summary of any one of the readings if you are asked to do so. You do not have to have understood everything in the reading, but you should be able to describe in a few sentences what the reading was about, what you understood from it, and what you struggled with or were confused by.

Your final tutorial grade (out of 10%) will be calculated as the mean of all of your tutorial grades. If you had to miss tutorials for documented medical reasons (for which documentation was provided as outlined in the handbook), the mean will be calculated only from the tutorials you were able to attend. For example, if you missed one tutorial for medical reasons, and your remaining 9 grades consisted of two ones and seven two's, your mean grade would be 16/9 = 1.77 and your final grade out of 10% would be 1.77x10/2 = 8.85%.

Due: Every Friday in weeks 3-12 inclusive

Returned: Throughout the semester

Students are expected to contribute on an on-going basis throughout the semester.

Assessment Task 2

Understanding Arguments

This assessment will build on your reading of the course text (A Rulebook for Arguments) and particularly on the lectures and workshop in weeks 1-4. The assessment is designed to help you better understand and review what an argument is, what makes a good argument, and what makes a bad argument. This assessment is a building block on the way to writing argumentative essays, which will require you to have a solid understanding of arguments.

You will be given three written arguments, and asked to decompose them into their premises and conclusion(s). The assessment will let you know how many premises and conclusions you are expected to find for the first two arguments, but you will be expected to figure this out yourself for the third argument.

You will then be asked to answer a few short-answer questions about the arguments you have read.

Finally, you will be asked to decide which is the most compelling of the three arguments, and to explain why you reached this conclusion.

Grading: each of the three tasks above will be graded out of 5, such that the sum of the grades adds up to a maximum of 15, which is the total number of percentage points that this assessment is worth for the course.

Due: Monday of week 5

Returned: Two weeks later

Assessment Task 3

Short Essay

You will write an essay by choosing from a list of potential essay questions. The list of potential essay questions will be made available to you at the start of the course, so that you can study it and take time to consider which question would be most interesting for you, and so that you have time to do additional research and reading throughout the semester.

Deadline: The due date for the essay is 2355 on the first Monday of the mid-semester break, the 6th of September. You are very welcome to submit your essay ahead of the deadline if you like. We will endeavour to mark it and get it back to you quickly if you do so.

Note: you will have the opportunity to submit a second short essay with a due date of 2355 on Friday the 1st of October (week 8) if you wish. You may submit this second essay any time before the deadline. If you take this option, we will simply keep the best of your two short essay marks as your short essay grade.

Details: A tutorial essay means that you are being asked to think deeply about the topic and write about your thoughts and opinions. The essay is NOT a summary of the topic. Attribute ideas of authors of readings provided by referencing them with the APA referencing style. You must reference all your information/ideas appropriately. Structure your essay with an introduction, body, and conclusion. And remember: state your contention clearly at the start of the essay, as the first sentence.

These essays are not a summary or review of information from the readings or the discussions in the tutorials, and no marks will be given for this content of an essay. Note that your tutors will mark your essays, so you must be careful not to simply repeat the opinions of others that you heard in the tutorial. You need to make on your conclusions, and on making clear, concise, logical, and ethical arguments for why you arrived at those conclusions.

More information on writing essays will be given during course.

Grading: The essay is graded according to the rubric given to you at the end of the course handbook. Pay particular attention to: answering the question by clearly stating your contention at the start; presenting clear logical arguments (avoiding logical fallacies!!) for your contention.

The rubric is useful guide, but a simple version of it can be stated very easily. A good essay:

·      Demonstrates a clear understanding of the material, and of the question

·      Makes clear, cogent, and ethical arguments that support your contention

·      Is written clearly and concisely, without unnecessary jargon

·      Shows accurate spelling, grammar, and formatting

·      Is compelling

Here are some practical tips that should help you:

1.    Read the question carefully.

2.    Answer the question clearly in the first sentence of your essay.

3.    Consider all relevant readings you have been assigned, and consider doing additional reading (though additional research is not a requirement for the short essay).

4.    Study the marking rubric – we include it to help you.

5.    Reference all sources using the APA referencing style.

6.    Do not use footnotes.

7.    Do not include your name on anything you submit, only your U number.

8.    Avoid quotes unless absolutely necessary (hint: the best essays almost never use quotes).

9.    Write clearly and succinctly.

10. Write a clear topic sentence at the start of each body paragraph.

11. Re-read your essay once it’s done – ask yourself whether each paragraph, sentence, and word helps to answer the question. Delete paragraphs, sentences, and words that do not help.

12. Do not exceed the word limit – we will only consider the first 800 words of your essay, and will mark it accordingly.

13. Make sure you know the ANU’s rules and penalties for plagiarism. The penalties are very severe (e.g. in most cases you will be given zero for the assignment with no chance to resubmit, and the penalties can be worse than that). It’s your responsibility to know what plagiarism is. Do not rely on Turnitin to let you know if your essay is free of plagiarism. Turnitin identifies some cases of plagiarism, but by no means all cases.

14. Start early, and submit your essay well ahead of the deadline.

15. Talk to your tutors, lecturers, and classmates about your thoughts, plans, and research – we’re here to help, and we want to help you get the most out of this course. Use the online forums. Use office hours. We want you to do well. And the more you talk to us, the more we can help you.

16. Follow the essay-writing tips and guidelines presented to you in class. We’ve marked a lot of these essays, and we know what tends to work.

Word limit: 800 words (including every word (i.e. including in-text references) after the title and before the bibliography)

Value: 30% of final mark.

Presentation requirements: Typed, double-spaced. Submit on Turnitin. Do not include your name on anything you submit, only your U number. This allows us to mark anonymously

Estimated return date: 2 weeks after submission

Assessment Task 4

Long essay

Details of task:

The long essay should illustrate and explore your understanding of the societal and ethical issues pertaining to that week’s readings in more depth than the short essay. Consider using case studies or examples, in order to focus your discussion and arguments. Be sure to consider a variety of views on the issues raised by a rebuttal of some opposing views, not just arguments that support your views. Your long essay should not rely on solely on the tutorial readings and discussion, but should instead show evidence of extra research.

Assessment Rubric

Long essays use the same assessment rubric as the short essay, but also require:

·      a consideration of opposing viewpoints

·      more depth than the short essay

·      evidence of further research beyond the readings

In the long essay, be sure to pay extra attention to structure and synthesis, weaving the elements of your piece into a clear and engaging argument, relevant to the question.

Word limit: 2000 words (including every word (i.e. including in-text references) after the title and before the bibliography)

Value: 40% of final mark.

Presentation requirements: Typed, double-spaced. Submit on Turnitin. Do not include your name on anything you submit, only your U number. This allows us to mark anonymously

Due: Friday week 12

Estimated return date: 2 weeks after submission

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 5 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Below is an example of how the late penalty will apply, based on an essay that is due by 9AM Monday:

Handed in on Tuesday, 1 day after due date, 5% penalty

Handed in on Wednesday, 2 days after due date, 10% penalty

Handed in on Thursday, 3 days after due date, 15% penalty

Handed in on Friday, 4 days after due date, 20% penalty

Handed in on Monday, 5 days after due date, 25% penalty

Handed in on Tuesday or later, 6 or more days late, Student will receive a zero on the assignment

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Assignment marks and feedback for essays will be available on Wattle on Turnitin two weeks after the due date. Late assignments will not be marked within these timeframes. Our priority will be to mark the assignments that were handed in on time.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

If you feel like you have not been graded fairly, you may request a remark. Once your assignment is available on Turnitin, you have one week in which to request a formal remark if you so choose. When you get your assignment back, read through the comments and look at the mark. If you think your assignment deserves a higher mark, you should do the following things, in the following order:

1.    Arrange to meet with your tutor and discuss your mark (this must be done within one week of receiving your grade). Based on this discussion, your tutor may decide to adjust your grade, or you may gain an understanding of your existing grade that you accept.

2.    If, following this meeting, you are still not happy with your grade, please inform the convenor, and we will arrange for your essay to be re-marked anonymously by an independent assessor. The mark awarded by the second marker for your assessment becomes your final mark, regardless of whether it is higher, lower or the same as the original mark.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students