TEACHING
BIOMEDICAL ETHICS
IN A HYBRID FORMAT
Barry Penn Hollar
Shenandoah University
Teaching Biomedical Ethics in a Hybrid Format
• This presentation will share my experience teaching an
Introduction to Biomedical Ethics course using hybrid
delivery..
• I have been teaching two sections simultaneously for several
semesters with the same content and learning objectives in
order to compare outcomes.
• Insights about the creation of online lecture presentations
and quizzes
• Insights about the relationship between those learning
experiences and classroom experiences.
• A comparison of student achievement in the hybrid and
tradition courses will be offered.
Course Details
• Undergraduate intro level Philosophy course.
• General Education Moral Reasoning Domain.
• Learning objectives:
1.
Identify the way foundational moral values, grounded in
philosophical or religious worldviews, shape perception and
discernment;
2. Identify the moral relevance of specific behaviors, policies,
and/or issues;
3. Articulate reasons for a course of action consistent with one’s
personal moral values; and
4. Analyze and explain a moral perspective different from one’s
own and provide reasoned responses to it.
Course Details
•Students are typical first or second year
nursing and pre-HP students
• Exercise Science, Athletic Training, Physician’s Assistant,
Pharmacy, Respiratory Therapy, Occupational Therapy.
•Two sections in the fall semester:
• traditional course meets twice weekly for 75
minutes.
• Hybrid section has online lecture presentations and
weekly quizzes related to those.
Course Details
• Introductory Unit: Introduces students to five moral
principles and their basis as typically understood in
Western moral philosophy.
• Basic Issues in Health Care Unit:
• Informed Consent
• Privacy and Confidentiality
• Professional Relationships
• Conscientious Objection
• Cultural and Religious Diversity
Course Details
• End of Life Care Unit:
• Patients’ right to refuse Life-Sustaining Treatment.
• Advance Directives
• Morality of refusing, withholding, and or withdrawing life-sustaining
treatment.
• The Debates related to (Active) Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide.
• Access to Health Care Unit
• Ethical issues underlying health care systems and reform.
• Justice/rights and access to health care.
• The Debates related to Obamacare (and National Health Insurance or Marketbased approaches).
Course Details
• Lecture Format (Power Point outlines)
• Major test on moral principles and their basis.
• Two Case studies
• Requiring identification of conflicting moral considerations/principles.
• Proposed resolution and supportive reasoning.
• Account of alternative resolution and a response to its reasoning.
• Comprehensive Final Exam
• Weekly Quizzes for hybrid class (only difference)
Typical Week
•Pre-classroom meeting activity
• Several online presentations (typically 45 minutes
total).
• Readings that are sometimes referenced in the
online presentations.
• Quizzes on the presentations/reading that
measure basic understanding. (Due day before
class meeting)
• Group Exercises five times a semester typically
involving relevant cases.
Online Materials
Typical online
presentation:
Typical Quizzes
• On the Question of Ends and
Means (PP with Audio)
• On Active Euthanasia (Video with
PP overlay)
• Alternatives to Obamacare (PP
with Video Overlay)
• Ends and Means Quiz
• Active Euthanasia Quiz
Typical Week
• Classroom activity
• Review of key ideas focusing on ideas that were
difficult.
• Group work typically involving relevant cases.
• Reports from groups on their pre-class group
exercises.
Group Exercise 6: End of Life Case Study
• Group picks one of four cases from the textbook
related to end of life care.
• Answer the following questions related to the case
your group picked:
• What are the moral considerations/principles in conflict? 2 points.
• What insights do Post and Blustein offer with respect to this case? 2
points
• Make the best possible argument you can for continuing the lifesustaining treatment in the situation you are addressing. 6 points.
• Make the best possible argument you can for discontinuing or not
offering the life sustaining treatment relevant to the situation you
are addressing. 6 points.
• How would your group answer the question you are asked to
focused on? Put differently, which of the arguments you develop in
parts 3 and 4 above do you find most persuasive? Why? 4 points.
Comparing Outcomes Fall 2016
•Traditional Section •Hybrid Section
• First Test on Principles
• Range from 66-99
• 9 As; 7 Bs; 8 Cs; 1 D
• Average Score: 83
• Final Exam Objective
• Range: 56-91
• Average: 74
• Standard Deviation 6.72
• First Test on Principles
• Range: 53-97
• 5 As; 9 Bs, 7 Cs; 1 D; 2 Fs
• Average Score: 80.
• Final Exam Objective
• Range: 50-100
• Average: 76
• Standard Deviation 9.97
Comparing Outcomes Fall 2016
•Traditional Section •Hybrid Section
•Final Grades
•7 As
•14Bs
•4 Cs
•Final Grades
•4 As
•11 Bs
•6 Cs
•3 Ds
What I think I’ve Learned
•There are no significant differences
between learning outcomes in
traditional and hybrid sections.
•Students who are not self-motivated
and self-directed are most likely to
struggle in hybrid sections.
What I think I’ve Learned
• The biggest challenge for me as a teacher is how to
effectively use traditional classroom time.
• Learning that very brief review of material is best.
• Creative group work leading to class discussion is effective.
• Reports on group work done prior to class may be best.
• Students don’t like group work.
• I need to shorten video presentations into shorter
blocks.
• I need to assist students in navigating Canvas and
understanding weekly expectations.
• Unsure as to how my hybrid experience translates to
a full online approach.