GENETHICS II

GENETHICS II is a project designed for the secondary school general biology teacher who needs to be updated in the field of human genetics and wants to develop the ability to teach bioethical decision-making skills to his/her students.

Contact: Jon R. Hendrix, 01JRHENDRIX@bsuvc.bsu.edu

or send from here

NOTE: All data pending Funding from NSF for the 1996-99 AYs

The model workshops on human genetics and bioethical decision-making are components of a national project conducted by the staff of the Human Genetics and Bioethics Laboratory (HGABEL) at Ball State University, Muncie, IN.

The project is directed by Dr. Jon R. Hendrix who also serves as administrator of the project. Teams of outstanding secondary biology teachers [Mentor Teachers] who have completed a Ball State University intensive four-week summer component and an academic year follow-up, as well as having been Mentor Teachers in Project Genethics I will serve as instructors of the model workshop. The workshop was developed and tested by National Network Members (former participants of the leadership projects held at Ball State University) in conjunction with HGABEL staff.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

DEVELOPMENTS IN MODERN BIOLOGY [3 sem hrs. credit, awarded in August, 1996 (97 & 98)]

To facilitate earning graduate credit applicable to masters degree programs, all participants will enroll in a special section of Biology 501, Developments in Modern Biology. The nature of the model workshop is expected to necessitate four to five hours of classroom instructional activities each day followed by a one to two hour laboratory.

These activities are designed to bring personal meaning to the scientific concepts presented as well as to enhance the teachers ability to instruct his/her students in the basics of transmission, molecular and population genetics as they relate to the goals of National Science Education Standards. Specifically the standards that address:

) "... use scientific principles and processes in making personal decisions"
.) "... be able to participate in debate about scientific issues that affect society"
) "...understand the chemical basis of life not only for its own sake, but because of the need to take informed positions on some of the paractical and ethical implications of humankinds capacity to tinker with the fundamental nature of life" (National Standards, 1994).

Teaching topics: Possible Topics (note: course may change due to needs of specific participants) to be Included: Sickle cell anemia, an error in protein synthesis; genetic disease and Mendelism--phenylketonuria, cystic fibrosis, Huntingtons disease; gene linkage; epistasis; the ethics of mass genetic screening (e.g., AFP screening); genetic load--the ethical implications of societal control of the "right to reproduce"; ethics of genetic counseling; human blood group inheritance--medical, ethical, anthropological and legal implications; sex chromosomes and sex determination; karyotyping; X-and Y-linked genes; the Lyon hypothesis; hemophilia and equal access to medical care; human chromosomal aberrations and prenatal diagnosis; human pedigrees and the ethics of genetic counseling; truth-telling and informed consent; polygenes, nature/nurture, ethical implications of the Human Genome Project; population genetics; ethical implications of human genetic engineering; potentials for controlling human evolution; recombinant DNA paternity determination; DNA and the Human Genome Project; Laboratory: Possible Labs to be Included: Human sex chromatin; karyotyping, pedigree development and analysis; isolation and quantification of DNA; population genetics and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium; hemoglobin electrophoresis; DNA spooling, and transformation; probability principles; "myths" concerning human heredity; development and evaluation of bioethical teaching strategies; Fingerprint lab.

PRACTICUM IN SCIENCE EDUCATION [1 sem. hr. credit, awarded in August 1997 (98 & 99)]

The Academic Year Component is designed to foster the implementation of project goals and objectives and to build enduring liaisons that experience has shown continue well beyond the termination of the project. During the academic year subsequent to the model workshop, each participant will be enrolled in Bio 694, Practicum in Science Education, for one hour of graduate credit. Requirement for this course will include:

) implementation of human genetics concepts and bioethical decision-making skills with your secondary school students in your classrooms
) the sharing of the information learned through peer inservice activities
) the attendance at two Saturday follow-up workshops. Exprerience leads one to expect some uniformity in the implementation process since all participants will be attempting to meet the same goals and objectives with their secondary school students.

To assess the attainment of these objectives, a standardized, 25-item pre/post test (previously validated with over 6000 secondary school students) will be administered to the participants secondary school students. These tests will be returned to the HGABEL staff for evaluation and analysis. Results of this analysis will be furnished to each participant. (Note: To assure secondary school student anonymity, the project staff will employ a procedure that does not allow us to identify students by name.) Throughout the academic year, participants will be encouraged to consult with their Mentor Teachers personally or by telephone and with HGABEL staff via an 800 telephone line, which rings directly into the HGABEL office and via internet computer e-mail. These consultations are designed to help you with implementing human genetics content and bioethical decision-making strategies. During the academic year, two all-day Saturday sessions (one per semester) will be conducted by HGABEL staff, and Mentor Teachers via T.V. satellite down-linked sites for the participants in each workshop. The Saturday sessions are designed to (1) identify and solve implementation problems; (2) provide content updates; (3) provide input for the Genetic Messenger, the project newsletter; and (4) complete assessment/evaluative instruments designed by project staff. Selected on-site classroom visitations will be made by HGABEL staff and/or Mentor Teachers.

ACADEMIC CREDIT

Participants will enroll in special sections of Biology 501, Developments in Modern Biology and Biology 694, Practicum in Science Education for a total of 4 semester hours of graduate credit. Enrollment will be limited to 24 participants at each site. Ball State University has an outstanding reputation in teacher education and experience has shown that participants can readily transfer these graduate hours to other universities where they may be applied to advanced degree programs or to continuing certification units.

ELIGIBILITY

First and foremost, applicants must have a demonstrated need for the educational content of the workshop and a willingness to participate in all phases of the project--including the two week summer workshop and the academic year component. Applicants who demonstrate the strongest need for the project and who instruct students from historically underrepresented minority populations will be given first consideration. In addition, applicants must be certified to teach biology/life science as a primary endorsement in their state, and have assurance from an appropriate school administrator of: 1) continuing assignments as biology and or integrated science teachers [at least two classes of introductory general biology or introductory science in which genetics will be a component] and 2) support in implementing project objectives. Teachers applying for the project should have a minimum of two years teaching experience.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Participants will be awarded with 4 semester hours of graduate credit, three for the summer workshop and one for the academic year component both of which are tuition free. In addition a stipend of $300 per week for a total of $600 which will be awarded each participant for the two-week workshop. Four hundred dollars will be awarded at the end of the summer workshop the remaining two hundred dollars plus travel reimbursement will be awarded at the end of the academic year implementation phase of the project. If local room and board expenses are required of the participants, they will be awarded on the basis of $75.00 per day for a maximum of $750.00.

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