Motivated by the belief that, as responsible educators, we must address the human dimensions of scientific endeavors with the same rigor as the scientific dimensions, the Massachusetts Corporation for Educational Telecommunications (MCET) and a community of academics, researchers and practitioners voluntarily have committed their time and talent to the design and delivery of an interdisciplinary educational program about the ethical, social, and legal implications of the Human Genome Initiative. Using multiple telecommunications networks -- including satellite, computer, and audio -- as well as manipulatives and print materials, MCET and the project team will provide a comprehensive series of programs for the general public, including students, their families, teachers, health care providers and other constituents. The cornerstone of this project will be a one-semester, bi-weekly elective biology telecourse for senior high students on The Human Genome: Exploring the Human and Scientific Dimensions. The course, to be offered in the fall of 1992 and 1993, will be developed from MCET's prototype course on the Human Genome to be piloted fall 1991. Through its satellite and computer networks, MCET is currently linked to 120 school districts in Massachusetts and the New England states. We anticipate that this number will be 150 sites by the fall, thereby reaching approximately 34,000 teachers and one million students overall. The project design also includes laboratory placements for students, two week-long summer institutes for teachers, public forums and family teleconferences, field trips to laboratories, research sites, and counseling centers, and national teleconferences featuring leaders in the field of genetics research, counseling, bioethics, jurisprudence, and public policy. Formative and summative evaluation by an independent team will be conducted at several stages of the three-year project. Anticipated outcomes of the project include: 1) increased public awareness of and discussion about the human dimensions of this research initiative; 2) development and evaluation of a telecommunications-based, interdisciplinary approach to the high school biology curriculum; and 3) extended learning opportunities for teachers, families, community groups, and professionals in the field.
