Perhaps now more so than in any other time in human history, science and technology play a central role in our lives. With this comes the potential for both great benefit to society, and great harm. In this collaborative, workshop-focused unit students critically examine the nature of science, and its role in society via a mixture of discussion and written activities that integrate concepts and ideas from philosophy of science, bioethics, science communication, sociology of science and science itself. Students in this course engage with various real-world challenges, such as climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, cloning, genetic engineering, space exploration and animal testing, the following ethical and philosophical questions will be considered: (1) What is science?; (2) What sort of research should we be doing in science?; (3) Who should decide what research we undertake?; (4) What role should science and scientists play in society?; and (5) What ethical responsibility do scientists have to society?

Learning Outcomes

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

1. examine and describe the major philosophical issues relating to the role of the sciences in contemporary society to an intermediate standard;
2. critically evaluate and think about arguments concerning the appropriate place of science in society and analyse their core concepts, assumptions and implications to an intermediate standard;
3. articulate and defend written arguments for and against positions on contemporary issues and problems relating to science in society using rationally persuasive argumentation to an intermediate standard;
4. be able to apply theories, tools and concepts from philosophy of science, bioethics, science communication, sociology of science and the sciences to devise solutions to real-world issues;
5. engage in well-reasoned oral discussion and debate, substantiating viewpoints with justified arguments on contemporary issues and problems relating to science in society using rationally persuasive argumentation to an intermediate standard; and
6. collaborate with others from diverse disciplinary backgrounds to an intermediate standard.

Required Resources

All required resources will be accessible through the unit Canvas page.

Recommended Resources

Whether you are on campus or studying online, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos 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/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

Staff Feedback

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

• Written comments to whole class and individuals
• Verbal comments to whole class and individuals
• Use of marking rubrics for assessments

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). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Other Information

Other referencing requirements:

Please use Chicago in-text referencing for your work. See the “how referencing works tab” at http://www.anu.edu.au/students/learning-development/academic-integrity for more detail. 

Appeals:

If you genuinely believe you have received an inappropriate or incorrect result, there are steps you can take to have that result reviewed. This must be done within 30 working days of the formal notification of results. Your first point of contact should always be your tutor or the course convener. http://cass.anu.edu.au/current-students/rules-and-policies/appeals for more detail.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction to Course
2	Animals as Research Subjects
3	Humans as Research Subjects
4	Dual-Use Dilemmas	1500 word written assessment due
5	Socially Risky Science I
6	Socially Risky Science II
7	Good Science, Bad Science and Misconduct
8	Replication Crisis: Should we trust science?
9	Does good science have to be value-free?
10	Inductive Risk: Should the risk of costly error change what we think is true?
11	Who Owns Science? Is Open Access the Future?
12	The Science Wars: The public role of scientists in contemporary political debates	Podcast assessment due

Tutorial Registration

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Learning Outcomes
Written Assessment	30 %	11/08/2025	1,2,3,4
Podcast (Group work)	50 %	24/10/2025	1,2,3,4,5,6
Workshop Participation	20 %	*	1,2,4,5,6

* 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 Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Extenuating Circumstances Application
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

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 Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Canvas’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

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

Written Assessment

Students will write a structured response that provides a careful critical examination of a set topic based on reasons, argumentation and evidence. Questions to be answered, guidelines, and a marking rubric will be made available on Canvas before end of Week 1.

Grading

Students will receive a grade out of 100. A rubric will be provided and used.

Assessment Task 2

Podcast (Group work)

In groups, students will write, record, and produce a podcast on a topic from the course. Instructions for this assessment will be provided in Week 5 and groups will be established in via Canvas by end of Week 6.

Grading

Each student will receive a grade out of 100. A rubric will be provided and used. Please note that, given the centrality of group work to this assessment, peer evaluation will form part of the grade for this assessment to ensure fairness.

Assessment Task 3

Workshop Participation

Workshop participation forms a fundamental part of this class. Students are required to prepare for workshop, to participate in discussion of required readings and other material and undertake activities in-class such as quizzes, short answer questions and practical exercises. This is worth 20% of their overall grade for the course.

Grading

Each student’s participation mark is based in part on the extent to which they come to class well prepared, having done the required reading and having considered the weekly set readings/questions/exercises. It is also based on the extent to which students make a constructive contribution to classroom discussion. Materials produced in class are also used to assess participation.

Class participation marking criteria:

Outstanding contributor: Contributions in class reflect extensive preparation. Ideas offered are usually substantive; provide major insights and direction for class discussion. Challenges are substantiated and persuasive. Makes an important contribution to class discussion overall. 

Good contributor: Contributions in class reflect thorough preparation. Ideas offered are often substantive; provide useful insights and some direction for class discussion. Challenges are substantiated and often persuasive. Makes a significant contribution to class discussion overall.

Adequate contributor: Contributions in class reflect adequate preparation. Ideas offered are sometimes substantive; provide some insight but rarely offer direction for class discussion. Challenges are sometimes presented, substantiated and persuasive. Makes a contribution to class discussion overall.

Unsatisfactory contributor: Contributions in class reflect inadequate preparation. Ideas offered are rarely substantive; rarely provide insight but do not offer useful direction for class discussion. Contributions may be distractions rather than constructive. Does not make a positive contribution to class discussion overall.

Non-participant: This person says little or nothing in class. There is not an adequate basis for evaluation. Makes no contribution to discussion.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

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

The University policy stipulates 5% penalty per working day for late submission. Please refer to the Late Assessment Task Submission section of the Student Assessment (Coursework) Procedure.

Re. Extensions

Extensions to submission deadlines may be granted where a student was not able to complete an assessment task by the due date was due to exceptional circumstances beyond a student’s control. Exceptional circumstances that may warrant approval of an Assessment Extension include, but are not limited to:

• medical reasons (student injury, illness or medical condition) of such significance that completion of the assessment task was not possible;
• family/personal reasons (family injury or illness, bereavement) of such significance that completion of the assessment task was not possible;
• employment related reasons: where a student's employment status or employment arrangements change unexpectedly due to circumstances beyond their control of such significance that completion of the assessment task was not possible.

A student seeking an extension must contact their tutor or the course convenor at the earliest opportunity and must initiate an assessment extension request using the Assessment Extension Request Form

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material. Any use of artificial intelligence must be properly referenced. Failure to properly cite use of Generative AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted 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.

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 Accessibility 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 supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students