Ethics in Science
course requirements.

 

Reading response essays:  For 3 of the reading assignments, you will be asked to write a short essay (500 words, approximately 2 typed, double-spaced pages) engaging with some issue or issues in the reading.  (Specific instructions for each reading response essay will be distributed in class.)  The goal of these assignments is to help you read in an active, engaged way, and to encourage you to develop your own views about these issues.  Reading response essays will be assessed for correctness, clarity, and conciseness and returned to you promptly.  You are encouraged to make use of the tutors in the Logic and Philosophy Lab (FOB 231) for additional help with writing for this course.  Reading response essays are due at the beginning of class on the dates listed in the program.  No late reading response essays will be accepted, but I will drop your lowest reading response essay grade before calculating your final grade.  Taken together, the reading response essays will count for 20% of your course grade.

Case study responses:  Over the course of the term, you will write detailed responses (of approximately 300 words) to 5 case studies.  After reading the case, you will defend a course of action for the protagonist, participate in a discussion about the case, and then write a strengthening or reformulation of your original position.  Four of the case study responses will be done in class.  The fifth will be done as an assignment outside of class, making use of WebCT for an online discussion of the case.  I will drop your lowest case study response grade before calculating your final grade.  Taken together, the case study responses will count for 20% of your course grade.

Research reports:  Over the course of the term, each student will locate two articles on a topic relevant to the class and report to the class on each of these articles.  One article must be from the popular press and the other must be from the scholarly scientific press.  The research report should highlight the assumptions the article makes about science and the norms these assumptions reflect.  The first research report must be posted to Desire2Learn no later than Friday, March 23, 2012 and the second must be posted no later than Friday, April 27, 2012.  The two research reports will count for 15% of your course grade.

Longer essay:  You will write one longer essay (900 words, approximately 3 typed, double-spaced pages) on the general topic of "scientific norms as cultural norms".  (Complete details about this essay will be distributed in class.)  The essay will be due on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, and will count for 15% of your course grade.

Final exam:  The final exam is intended to evaluate your grasp of the material from assigned readings, lectures, and class discussions.  It will include shorter objective items (e.g., definitions of key terms) and longer essays that will require that you reflect critically on the course material.  More details on the format and content of the exam will be distributed later in the term.  The final exam will count for 20% of the course grade.

Class participation:  Dialogue and discussion will play an important role in our project of analyzing and assessing the central issues of the course raised in reading assignments and lectures.  Therefore, I expect that you will come to class with your books, having done the readings and thought about the issues they raise before our class meetings, and ready to participate in general discussion, in-class writing exercises, and periodic small group exercises. In addition, for two of the lectures (which will be delivered via streaming video online) you will be required to participate in online discussions of the lectures and the associated reading assignments in Desire2Learn. Your class participation will count for 10% of your course grade.

 

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