Active learning in a neuroethics course positively impacts moral judgment development in undergraduates

Abstract

The growing neuroscientific understanding of the biological basis of behaviors has profound social and ethical implications. To address the need for public awareness of the consequences of these advances, we developed an undergraduate neuroethics course, Neuroscience and Society, at the University of Minnesota. Course evolution, objectives, content, and impact are described here. To engage all students and facilitate undergraduate ethics education, this course employed daily reading, writing, and student discussion, case analysis, and team presentations with goals of fostering development of moral reasoning and judgment and introducing application of bioethical frameworks to topics raised by neuroscience. Pre- and post-course Defining Issues Test (DIT) scores and student end-of-course reflections demonstrated that course objectives for student application of bioethical frameworks to neuroethical issues were met. The active-learning, student-centered pedagogical approaches used to achieve these goals serve as a model for how to effectively teach neuroethics at the undergraduate level.

Keywords: active learning pedagogy; bioethics education; moral judgment development; neuroethics; undergraduate education.

Figure 1.

Average class scores on the Defining Issues Test (DIT) in 2012 and 2013. Data are mean ± stdev, N= 37, 32, 78 in Jan 2012, May 2012, Jan 2013, respectively. One way ANOVAs for Post Conventional and Maintain Norms scores were significant, p<0.01 and p<0.02, respectively. ^* p<0.05 Bonferroni post tests compared to Jan 2012 values (Graphpad Prism v6.01).