This education project introduces novel science ethics coursework at the University of Houston (UH) that features three levels: theoretical, case studies, and experiential. The theoretical level identifies and explains central moral issues and principles relevant to research ethics. This is followed by dialectic investigation of famous cases in science ethics. The coursework culminates with the experiential level, an ethics practicum with an emphasis on topics of peer review, human subjects and animal experiments, which form cornerstones of modern research life. The practicum element involves student placement in participating labs or research groups, and is supported by an ever-expanding group of mentors from UH and local medical schools, as well as by conference committees and journal boards. In the introductory course the practicum lasts 2-3 weeks whereas in the advanced course students are immersed in the practicum throughout the semester; regardless of duration, concurrently with the practicum students are engaged in the classroom in a deeper philosophical investigation of relevant issues. Although it is challenging to incorporate a practicum into the field of ethics, the PI believes it is of immense value because it transforms the abstract into the concrete. A pilot version of the course offered by the PI allowed him to identify and to formulate processes for addressing major concerns relating to finding a placement for all students, the mechanics of peer review traineeship, and the mechanics of human/animal research traineeship. A diverse set of outreach activities complements the above, and includes the traditional (such as seminar and workshop organization and publication of a book) along with interaction via social media (e.g., blogging and Facebook), in order to engage young people in ethics discourse on an everyday basis.
Broader Impacts: The processes developed by the PI and his team in successfully implementing this challenging methodology will serve as an exemplar and be widely adopted, thereby transforming the preparation of young researchers. A minority institution (the University of Texas at Brownsville), several research labs, and a number of conferences and journals have already expressed support for this initiative and their intention to participate. This unique educational program links theoretical analysis to real ethical experiences gained via a practicum, a methodology the PI believes may prove particularly effective with blue collar student populations who have a technical orientation and a very practical view of the world. It advances "thinking aloud" as a strategy to help people deal with ethical drift, a ubiquitous cause of unethical behavior, by regularly soliciting feedback from friends. It advocates the use of social media on a large scale, not only as a global outreach platform, but also as a lifelong data gathering tool for evaluation purposes.
