Teaching and learning about bioscience ethics with undergraduates

Bioscience ethics acts as a practical interface between science and bioethics. It links scientific endeavour and its application into adaptive forms of bioethical consensus. Its major elements are increased understanding of biological systems, responsible use of technology, and curtailment of ethnocentric debates in tune with new scientific insights. This paper briefly describes the students' learning experience gained from the vacation unit BIOL 240, Introduction to Bioscience Ethics, as taught in biology, Macquarie University. On the basis of our evidence students were overwhelmingly positive about their learning because the unit assisted them to better face dilemmas that arise from the application of science and technology. The structure also provided active engagement with the subject matter and preferred learning environments that supported and contested their understanding of concepts relevant to bioscience and bioethics.