Slides from my invited presentation at the Heads of University Centres of Biomedical Science (HUCBMS) conference at the University of East London on 1st September 2014.

1. Dr Chris Willmott Dept of Biochemistry, University of Leicester cjrw2@le.ac.uk
Use of Multimedia for Bioethics Teaching
HUCBMS (September 2014)
University of
Leicester

2. Overview
•Multimedia (esp visual media) can be integrated into teaching about bioethics in variety of ways
Use of broadcast clips
Video production
News analysis

3. Context: Leicester
•University of Leicester School of Biological Sciences
•Second Year Undergraduates - Medical Biochemistry (n=40) - Other Biologists (n= 180)

4. Why bioethics?
•Emerging technologies in biomedicine have impact on society “just because we can, does that mean we should?”
•Equipping students to discuss key issues with others
•Relevance to future work?
•It’s interesting
•The QAA says we should
http://tinyurl.com/ethicsmaze1

5. “Students should expect to be confronted by some of the scientific, moral and ethical questions raised by their study discipline, to consider viewpoints other than their own, and to engage in critical assessment and intellectual argument”
“Recognising the moral and ethical issues of investigations and appreciating the need for ethical standards and professional codes of conduct”
QAA Benchmarking: Bioscience

6. All students should: “Have some understanding of ethical issues and the impact on society of advances in the biosciences”
Good students should: “Be able to construct reasoned arguments to support their position on the ethical and social impact of advances in the biosciences”
QAA Benchmarking: Bioscience

7. “Final-year students will be equipped with the skills necessary to enable them to plan and perform a research project and be aware of the need for good laboratory practice, health and safety, and legal and ethical considerations”
“There are a range of skills which a biomedical science graduate will have the opportunity to acquire during the programme of study… research skills, including ethics, governance, audit, experimental design, statistical analysis, literature searching, critical appraisal of literature, scientific communication”
QAA Benchmarking: BioMed Sci

8. QAA Benchmarking: BioMed Sci
On graduating with a bachelor's degree with honours in biomedical science, students should be able to:
Threshold standards: “have some understanding of ethical issues and their impact on advances in biomedical science”
Typical standards: “construct reasoned arguments to support their position on ethical issues which impact on advances in biomedical science”

9. Clips in teaching
• There is huge pedagogic value in the use of broadcast media
• Video (and audio) clips: - familiar and engaging medium - to help scene-setting - to convey factual information - as discussion starters - clips more efficient than full programme

10. Clips for Scene-setting
South Park: “Kenny Dies” (Paramount Comedy, 16th January 2006)

11. Clips for Factual Content
A Child Against All Odds (BBC1, 14th November 2006)

12. Clips as Discussion Starters
Holby City: “Better The Devil You Know” (BBC1, 6th September 2006)

13. Holby City - xenotransplantation
• Pete has kidney failure and is being offered the last opportunity of a transplant, using a kidney from a pig
• What ethical arguments might there be for/against this operation?
• What scientific concerns might there be about an operation of this sort?
• If you were Pete’s friend would you suggest that he accepts the doctor’s offer? Why/why not?

14. News analysis
•Research Skills module
•Second year (second semester), n = 180
•Students write 1000 word commentaries on current news story that raises bioethical issues
•Max 200 words summarising content, rest focussed on ethical arguments
•Appropriately referenced

15. News analysis

16. News analysis
•Story must be from previous calendar year (i.e. Jan 2013 to Dec 2013 for 2014 cohort)
•Story must be available as video clip on BBC website (max 5 mins, not clip from longer programme)
•Best summaries made available as resources for wider community
•Authentic Assessment

17. Film production
•Some work producing our own films
What’s so controversial about pharmacogenomics?
Model organisms in biomedical research
Power of comparative genomics

18. Film production
•Since 2008
•Require students to produce films
•Work in teams of ~ 4 (set by me)
•Make 3-5 min video on allocated topic
•Best films are made available more broadly via YouTube (linked from Bioethicsbytes)

19. Film production
•Concerns that “you cannot say anything meaningful in 5 minutes” not substantiated
•Rare opportunity within biology curriculum for students to express creativity
•Genuine team activity rather than just “group work”
•Authentic Assessment

20. Teamwork ≠ Groupwork
•Although “groupwork” and “teamwork” often used interchangeably there are differences in meaning
Groupwork = Multi-person task, but might have been completed relatively easily by individual
Teamwork = task would be hard or impossible for one person on their own

21. Authentic Assessment
•Characteristics of authenticity include:
•Real-world relevance
•Meaningful
•Challenging
•Involve students in own research
•Knowledge construction
•Opportunity for “ownership”
•Collaboration/Teamwork
•Generates product or performance “Students as Producers”

22. Topics covered
Bioethics and Sport
Neuroimaging
Egg donation
3-parent IVF
Gene therapy
Genetic enhancement
Transhumanism
Use of animals in research
Xenotransplantation
Organ trading
Forensic use of DNA
Cognitive enhancement
Use of human material
Pharmacogenetics
Ethical issues in public health

23. Student films (1)
Forensic Uses of DNA (2010, http://youtu.be/NLpwVpuLIac)

24. Student films (2)
Mitochondrial Diseases and 3-Parent IVF (2013, http://youtu.be/7xJcKa6QrBc)

25. Student films (3)
Ethical Issues in Public Health (2011, http://youtu.be/r3a7qAZvAsU)

26. Student films: Genre
Interviews
24hr News

27. Student films: Genre
Role-play

28. Student films: Genre
Animation

29. Student films: Genre
Finger puppets
VideoScribe

30. Student self-evaluation

31. Positive
• “Video project allowed us to research areas and topics of science that were different, new, and exciting, and also challenged us to using new equipment and computer software”
• “The video project was interesting way of presenting ideas on ethical issues and made sure preparation was not last minute as with essays”
• “A positive, enjoyable experience – was something different than writing essays etc, and allowed us some creativity, something I miss doing the ‘sciency’ (sic) course that we do”
Student evaluation of exercise

32. Positive • “Enjoyable doing video project as it was quite a novel, creative form of assessment”
• “The video project was a good learning experience” • “Video gave good and varied experience of working in teams” • “Video production was different and enjoyable” • “The bioethics video was interesting and has I feel helped me to obtain skills I did not have before as I had never had to make and edit a video” • “Video project was ace”
Student evaluation of exercise

33. Mixed
• “Whilst doing it I thought it was a bit of a pain to be honest! But by the end I was quite pleased with the result!”
• “Fun to do and spend time on, however… the marks allocated for this project were disproportionate to the amount of time and effort we had put in.” Negative
• “No more video assessment (we’re scientists not media students)”
Student evaluation of exercise

34. • Digital video: - Excellent way to boost engagement - Develops transferable skills - Produces resource for wider community
• Recommended equipment: - HD quality cameras recording to SD card - Tripods and external microphones
• Decide if you will accept submissions made using GoAnimate or Videoscribe
• Don’t use their own names in role-play
• Award appropriate credit – this is not an easy task
If you wish to run this activity...

35. Bioethicsbytes
•www.bioethicsbytes.wordpress.com
•Set up in 2006
•A hub for sharing multimedia resources for teaching about bioethics
•Variety of formats

36. Bioethicsbytes
Suggested sections of films & TV programmes

37. Bioethicsbytes
In depth reviews

38. Bioethicsbytes
Recommendation of external resources

39. Bioethicsbytes
Book Reviews

40. Further reading
Willmott CJR (2014, in press) Teaching bioethics via the production of student-generated videos Journal of Biological Education DOI: 10.1080/00219266.2014.897640
Willmott C (2013) Headline Bioethics: Engagement with Bioethics in the News Bioscience Education 21(1), 3-6 DOI: 10.11120/beej.2013.00017
Willmott C (2014) Boxing clever: television as a teaching tool Times Higher Education http://tinyurl.com/TV4Teaching

41. Any Questions?
E-mail: cjrw2@le.ac.uk
Twitter: cjrw
Slideshare: cjrw2
Delicious: chriswillmott
Blogs: www.bioethicsbytes.wordpress.com www.biosciencecareers.wordpress.com www.lefthandedbiochemist.wordpress.com
University of
Leicester