Ethics in Science
announcements.

 

 

Thursday, May 1, 2008:

The "lecture" for today is now posted . Don't be shy about leaving comments on it

Wednesday, April 30, 2008:

*The deadline for Research Report #2 has been pushed back to Tuesday May 13. Also, if you somehow missed posting Research Report #1, I've declared an amnesty on late submissions -- just make sure both of them are posted to Blackboard by May 13. (Those who turned in #1 on time will get extra points added to their "participation" grade.)

*Don't forget the Longer Essay (all 900 words of it) also comes due on Tuesday, May 13.

*The review materials for the Final Exam have been posted on the handouts page.

*Finally, remember that there will be no class meeting on Thursday May 1. I'll be delivering my "lecture" as a post on my blog. Do read it (once it's posted), and feel free to leave comments on it.

 

Tuesday, March 18, 2008:

*The deadline for the first research report has been shifted to Thurs., April 3 (which is after Spring Break). Remember, you have your choice whether to do the first one on a popular source or a scholarly scientific source. You'll be posting your report (plus a link to the article) in the discussion area of Blackboard.

*For Reading Response #3, some advice in tackling the question:

1. Be sure to identify the main emphasis of each of the documents (Nuremberg Code, Declaration of Helsinki, Belmont Report). Say a bit about how this emphasis comes through (e.g., what's the first item a document addresses, or what consideration turns up more than once, etc.). And, make sure you say something about how the three documents have different emphases.

2. For each document, be sure to spell out how what the people who wrote it seem to be assuming about scientists, about human research subjects, and about the nature of scientific research. Drawing on particular details from the documents to support your interpretation would be a good idea.

3. Finally, here's some useful information for you in coming up with an interpretation of how historical context might have shaped the emphases you talk about in (1): The Nuremberg Code was a direct response to the trials of the Nazi doctors after World War II. The Belmont Report was a direct response to public outcry about the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment. The Declaration of Helsinki (originally formulated in 1964) was not a direct response to an atrocity, but rather a document formulated by physician-scientists in an era when medical treatments and technologies seemed to be undergoing rapid improvements.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008:

I've posted a handout with the highlights of Kitcher's argument (from the reading assigned for Tue., Feb. 12) on the handouts page.

If you want to get started on the "Bob Bailey Case", the assignments page has a link to download the case and a link to download the case study response form. Remember that you will be discussing the case on Blackboard/WebCT, and that your response to the case (initial+final) is due by 6 PM on Saturday, February 23.

 

Monday, February 11, 2008:

Don't forget that today is the last day you can add classes -- so if I gave you an add code, please use it!

My office hours have changed slightly. Now they are Mondays 9:30 am - 11:30 am and Wednesdays 10:00 am - 11:45 am. (If these times don't work for you, you can make an appointment to see me at a time that does work for you.)

Please take the "Ethics Survey" in our Blackboard/WebCT shell. It's not fo a grade and it's anonymous, so what do you have to lose?

Monday, February 4, 2008:

Blackboard/WebCT login: the eCampus folks say you're all starting with "spring" as your password (and that you should change that to something more secret and secure ASAP). If "spring" doesn't work as a password, or if you changed your password and then forgot what is was, you need to contact the IT Support Services Help Desk (408-924-2377 or helpdesk@sjsu.edu) and they will rest your password to "spring".

Reading Response essay #1 (on Shrader-Frechette chapter 2) is due Feb. 7th in class (i.e., you're printing it out and turning it in, just like a normal essay). Remember that general guidelines for the essay can be found here.

 

Thursday, January 31, 2008: The Shrader-Frechette readings for Feb. 7th that were supposed to be up on Blackboard/WebCT weren't. Now they are -- in the "Online Readings" folder, labeled as "Shrader-Frechette chapter 2" and "Shrader-Frechette chapter 4". Sorry for the delay.

I've been informed that if you access this course website by way of Blackboard/WebCT and try to print stuff out, it will use way more paper than it should. If you're planning to print handouts and such, access this website directly and save some trees.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008: Both sections of the course are now full. (If you got an add code from me yesterday, please use it ASAP!)

For Blackboard/WebCT logins, see the information here, but note that your password may have been set to "spring". If neither "spring" or the mmdd password works, let me know via email and I'll reset your password by hand.

Remember that the Shrader-Frechette reading for Thursday, Feb. 7 (the reading you'll be writing about in your first reading response essay) can only be found in our Blackboard/WebCT course shell.

I'm told that the Spartan Book Store has sold out of the required texts. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or other online booksellers might be the best way to go at this point.

 

Monday, January 14, 2008: According to My.SJSU, section 02 (TuTh 1:30 PM-2:45 PM) has already filled, and section 01 (TuTh 10:30-11:45 AM) still has some available seats. Experience suggests, though, that enrollments are pretty fluid the first week or two. If you'd like to add the class, please email me (jstemwed@email.sjsu.edu) and I'll put you on my waiting list. In case there are more people than we have room to add, I will give priority to students required to take Phil 133 as part of the MARC program or to fulfil the requirements of the Chemistry major

The Spring 2008 reading and assignment schedule is still tentative! I'm hoping to have it finalized by the first day of class (Thursday, January 24, 2008).

 

 

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