Ethics in Science, Engineering and Technology: Jekyll and Hyde

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• be able to critically analyse the social, economic, and environmental factors that influence the ethical dimensions of scientific research
• be able to present and defend a position regarding the ethics of a scientific discovery or an intended new area of scientific research verbally and in a written format.
• have an understanding of the role of ethics in the pursuit of scientific discovery

Themes may include the following:

• Jekyll and Hyde – a discussion of science and ethics in the Victorian era
• Ethical theories – a presentation of the normative concepts and theories of ethics
• The obligations of scientists – a discussion of the scientific method and what constitutes scientific misconduct
• Science, pseudoscience, and the media- What is science? How do you know the difference between good and bad science? How does the media influence our understanding of these points?
• Funding of science – a discussion of how society influences which science gets done and how the source of the funding may in turn influence the scientist.
• Science as social policy – a discussion of how science influences society.
• Dual use of science – a discussion of the Jekyll and Hyde aspects of scientific research
• Agency – a discussion of who is responsible for the eventual outcomes of science
• Gender and science –

Teaching and learning methods

The module will consist of lectures, key-note speakers and group work that will improve students’ learning and their analytical skills.

The module is innovative in its delivery through the cross-faculty involvement of lecturing staff from the Faculties of Natural and Environmental Sciences and Humanities, and through the participation of external speakers.

Resources & Reading list

Textbooks

Robert Louis Stevenson. Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.