| PL 24 BIOMEDICAL ETHICS SPRING 2002 |
| The views expressed here are by students of this course. Their words are unedited. There is material placed in bold by the instructor to highlight certain concerns. |
|
OK, here we are at the end of the
semester. What does
Biomedical Ethics now mean to you and why?
Does studying such matters do any good for anyone? Subject: On studying biomedical ethics Without getting into overly simple responses about
definitions of morality and ethics, let me anwers these questions with an
example: Yesterday I read an article on the front page of the New York
Times about how seniors in Maine had to make "drug purchase
runs" to Canada to buy cheaper medications than they could afford
here. In addition to exposing heartbreaking cases, the article talked
about politicial and personal health care strategies, including who gets
what care -- sound familiar? Today, Monday, on Newsday p. 6, there's an
article on early detection of ovarian cancer: research clinical trials,
"fast track approval," etcs. These was a time when I always started the paper with the sports section. Now it's the other way around. I guess what I'm saying is that by raising my conscious awareness of bioethical issues, I certainly stand to benefit -- and maybe others, too. ________________________________ Subject: biomedical ethics When I first started this class I thought we'd
discuss whether or not abortion, euthanasia, etc was good or bad and why
we felt that way. I never
thought that we would be applying many different theories and points of
view to a particular situation. Now
I know that there are many different ways to look at the same thing and
that one answer may not always be the best, sometimes it takes a little
bit of each theory to fit your conception and beliefs.
I think studying ethics especially in the health field because
there are so many moral issues to be discussed first of all and secondly,
since I will be working in the healthcare field it's beneficial to be able
to step back now and look at things at a different perspective.
To not just study philosophies but be able to apply them in real
life. ________________________________ Subject: ethics I am glad I took this class, I had no idea about the different ethical theories, and as I work each day, these issues are bought up regarding my interaction with the clients and their pets. I think I will be a better person for being made more aware of these theories ________________________________ Subject: What biomedical ethics means to me. Throughout
the course I struggled on a few of the theorists.
I think sometimes it is hard to say what what other theorists
believe and sometimes hard to understand why they believe certain things
if you are brought up believing one way for so long.
Throughout the course I have opened myself up to looking more at
what other theorys believe. It
doesnt have to mean you want to change what you believe in but it may
open your eyes to new perspectives on why you believe what you believe
as an individual. I thinnk
it laso makes you look at a perspective of the other individual in the
situation and not as an outside opinion. Subject: Biomedical ethics What
does biomedical ethics mean to me?
Well it means how situations in medicine are evaluated by looking
at them from ethical viewpoints. Biomedical
ethics help us to formulate a decision about a delimma that is based on
fact/theory and not just feelings.
Studying biomedical ethics is of great importance for anyone
going into the medical field in any capacity.
Biomedical ethics will help you to look at situations from
different viewpoints and arrive at the best conclusion.
It also shows you how some things are considered ethical but
illegal at the same time. Subject: BioMedical Ethics BioMedical
Ethics made me aware of the various ethical principals. As a nurse I
deal with ethical decisions frequently. I think this should be a
required course for all health care professionals. Subject: Biomedicial ethics course Biomedicial Ethics, now means to me the extent
of how ethics are applied to medicial situations and how it should play a
moe importnat part in everyones lives in determining what is morally right
for indviduals and society as a whole.
It also taught me that there is no way to calculate the
"1" correct
interpretation and application for every situation. Studying Bio Med definlety matters and everyone
should be required to take such a course.
It helps open your mind and think out of the self egoist mode.
________________________________ Subject: Pretty Cool Biomedical ethics means a lot more than it did
before I took this class. I
think about situations differently. Whenever
I hear ethical cases I think to myself what would Kant say or Natural Law
or Rawls. It's funny and
weird at the same time. I
think all health professionals should be mandated to take a course like
this. ________________________________ Subject: Biomedical Ethics Biomedical ethics means in my opinion the veiw in
which you view a medical situation.I think studing these matters is
effective beacse it enables you to plug different theories into the
senerios. although some of
the theories may not have been what my reaction to a situation may have
been but it helps you to understand someone else's view points. ________________________________ Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!!! Congratulations
guys! We got through it!
It was cool progressing through this class and engaging in
discussions with all of you the way we did.
I can't believe almost 4 months went this fast.
Well good luck to all of you in whatever you do.
BYE! Subject: what it means to me Biomedical
ethics meant a lot to me in the beginning, hence the reason I chose to
sign up for this course over any other. I even had to fight with the
chair of my department to allow her to give me credit for this course as
a humanities elective, because an ethics course is considered ethics at
Schenectady CCC, but I had to say that Suffolk CCC says it's a
philosophy course and all that, so finally I was successful. Anyways I
had never realized some of the ethical issues that could arise in
situations, I think the case scenarios helped me realize what isssues
people deal with on a daily basis. Studying these matters definitely
sheds light onto a subject that is ordinarily ignored. DOCUMENT by: Philip Pecorino Subject: Course Improvement Discussion 2 Start: 5-13-02 End:5-15-02
OK, what can we do to make this course better and why do you think
so? What seems to work well, the best, the least? Try not to rate things by the amount of work involved. Please attempt an
evaluation based on its effectiveness in assisting you to achieve the
learning objectives or intended outcomes. We know that the
course required a great deal of time, effort and labor on your part.
Here is where we can express whether the labor was worth it in
terms of contributing to the goals for the course. Those goals were set by
both the instructor and the students.
For those of you who wanted to take a course like this because you
wanted to learn about how others thought about ethical issues, well, did
you get to learn about such things? For those of you who were looking
to find answers to questions are you now in a better position to go
about that task? Subject: On making the course better, as if that's possible . . . Professor, something tells me this is a put-up
question -- you know, something you're required by the higher-ups to ask
the students regarding feedback (Or else, nothing personal, but you have
serious ego issues and really ought to talk to someone about it.) You see,
you've asked similar questions in other parts of the course, and most of
us keep replying, THIS IS THE BEST DAMN COURSE WE'VE EVER TAKEN! You've
done everyhting an online student could ask for and then some. When I
first began the modules, I had a kind of intellectual curiosity about what
everything was all about. I also wondered who I am, what I stand for, and
what my values are. The intensely personal topics in the modules have led
me in the direction of those answers. For example, I now know some of the
moral dilemmas that will make me circle the wagons and fight, and others
that make me yawn. If I'm lucky, I'll keep searching and searching for
those ethical answers, never really knowing if they're the
"right" answer, but at least they're uniquely mine. ________________________________ Subject: Course Improvements I think the way the whole course was set up was
very good and highly educational. By
structuring the discussions around practical, real-life scenarios it
helped to reinforce the information.
At the end of the course, I had a very good understanding of each
of the theories and how to apply them.
The case studies were also helpful but very time consuming.
For some of the modules it was hard to find a particular case to
write about. The only thing I
really didn't like about the course was the textbook that was chosen.
I didn't like how the book was set up (within each chapter).
I want to be able to look up a theory in regards to a moral issue
and not have to spend forever searching through the book for something I
can quote or something that would help me to understand the theory's
position better. ________________________________ Subject: improvements I found the written assignments tedious, I understand that they were to help me understand the concepts, and were to help me defend an argument or theory, but after a while, it stopped being interesting. Perhaps a different kind of assignment could be thrown in instead to break of the routine. also, what was the real basis for the case
studies? What was I supposed to learn from them? In regards to the other students, I liked to learn
about how the other students feel and think about the theories. They
helped me to clarify my thoughts ________________________________ Subject: about the course Without sounding repetative, I enjoyed this
course. I am not the type of
person that thinks of only myself. I
am a very giving and helpful person.
Everyday that I go out on the ambulance and try to save a life I
think of the other person and not myself, but I also think about the
situation fully. The after
effects, whats going to happen to that person down the road, what if I was
in the situation, what would I do. In
the questions you asked about how would someoone in this position look at
it in different theorys, I think the one thing you could change to
possibly make conversation betwen class mates more personal is maybe ask
what they as a student think in their own words instead of always thinking
in a different theory. Nobody is wrong or right when it comes to how they feel about
a situation or how they handle a situation.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and own thoughts.
I think it might make for more conversation and participation
between students. ________________________________ Subject: course improvements Well professor P, we have finally come to the end,
and what a long road it took to get here.
The way you set up the course was excellent. The discussions were a good way to learn.
I liked how you and the other students kept me on the right path if
I started to deviate from it. But some system needs to be derived that keeps everyone
involved, and not a select few doing all of the commenting and critiquing,
but unfortunately I have no ideas on how to do this. The structured environment was also very conducive to
learning. It kept you on
track and didn't let you fall behind.
As for the case studdies, I did not see the point of these. I found them very time consuming and most of the time I was
struggling to get them done and could not learn any extra info from them.
But I will say they helped me to learn to navigate the net more
effectively. Finally, I liked
how you would pose questions to the students when we were having trouble.
This forced us to find and understand the info, as opposed to you
just regurgitating it to us. All in all, my first on-line class was a excellent
experience. If I decide to
take another on-line class I hope I can learn as much as I did in this
class. Thank you for an
enjoyable semester. ________________________________ Subject: Course content This is my first on-line class.
Whether this class was offered on line or in a classroom, I do not
think any changes would have to made.
The content to be learned was clear, well communicated and the
schedule was effective in keeping us alert and involved throughout the
whole course. All areas of
the required work only helped build on a better understanding of how to
apply, understand and relate to the real world. Thank you for this great
experience. I also learned how to navigate the web, I was lost at first
with the case studies. The
case studies helped us even more relate to real stories and situations.
I've learned to dedicate so much time to this class, and became
eager to see what everyone replied now I don't know what I'm going to do
with my "free" time. Ha- Ha. I am though really going to miss this class. ________________________________ Subject: one thing to make it better I enjoyed the course and thought it was presented
well. The one thing to make it better would be to have the class maybe
take on different ethical theory in a forum and have to present a case for
that ethical theory given a certain situation or case study. This would
help in understanding the variances between each theory and also bring a
little controversy and debate into the course. Having to support a theory
you do not really believe in is an excellent way to get into the mind set
behind that theory. ________________________________ Subject: Course Objectives Leaving work load aside, I think the course did
exactly what it set out to do. And
it did it in a very effective way. ________________________________ Subject: course improvements I enjoyed this class but I do feel that I would
have rather told my point of view on some of the scenarios rather then
applied the theories you asked for. I do now have a better understanding
of different theories but I feel that sometimes it is challenging to write
how someone else would feel about a situation rather then what I felt. ________________________________ Subject: improvements I don't think there is that much of a need for
improvement. However, I would suggest one thing that I mentioned in the
written assignment. I think the case studies are a great idea, but I
personally think they would be more effective if 1 or 2 people did a case
study and we actually talked about the case as it would pertain to the
module we were in. If you had someone do a case study for euthanasia, then
you could have them do it the module before and hand it in so you could
see what they have and then in the next module for euthanasia have people
read the information then comment on it and have a discussion about the
case studies. Maybe, maybe not?? other than that I have to commend you on
your efforts in making this course as successful as it was. ________________________________ |
| FINAL ESSAYS
Subject: Written Assignment - Due:12-15-02
Answer each of the questions below and submit 1. Which of the issues covered this semester has been the most
important and why so? 2. Which of the issues covered this semester has meant anything to
you personally and why so? 3. Why are not more people aware of these troublesome questions,
issues or problems? 4. Now that you have been educated as to these issues in Biomedical
Ethics in what way will they have any consequence in your life? 5. Are you in a better position now
to think about and handle these issues using ethical principles? J S 1.
Most important issue: For me, it was unquestionably Is National Health
Care a Right? Looking back at the admittedly little I know about
government, politics, law, and philisophy, much of it has centered on
debates about rights, duties, obligations, and social contracts -- between
people, and the people they choose to protect them. Once we get past basic
ethical concepts, history, and principles, much of the deabtes over
euthanasia, abortion, organt transplants, etc., are latter day issues
affecting only a single segment of the population. A national health care
system is something affecting EVEYRONE and has done so for centuries.
Looking at the problems my grandparents have getting affordable
medications, the "group purchase trips" seniors in Maine make to
Canada for drugs, and everyone's expectation of the highest care possible,
this, for me, is a national priority. 2. Personal issue: For better or worse, I think I
have more than my share of testosterone. I believe in lotsa sex -- but the
safe, responsible kind. For this reason, the issues of STDs and abortion
have been most personally interesting. As for abortion, been there, done
that; certainly my fault as much as the other person's; and while I
wouldn't want anyone to have to go that route, I want those who do to do
it with full social protection and freedom of choice. As for STDs, well,
without getting too personal, let me just say that this is a matter of
awesome responsibility for anyone who is sexual active. And certainly,
this course has taught me much about responsibility. 3. Why are people not more aware of these issues?
Gee, where do I start? First of all, people generally have only a
superficial awareness of these issues from PEOPLE Magazine and Oprah and
America's Most Wanted. And long waits in their doctors' offices. To really
appreciate the topic, you have to study it -- and that means to read a
book on it or take a course. Only two percent of adult Americans are
regular book readers (defined as voluntarily reading four or more books
per year,) and most of them go to Munson only if everything else is gone
or the local bookstore has burned down. That leaves courses, like this one
on the college level. Now, this is a "niche" course, taken only
be a select interested few. I think we've considerable winnowed this
number down enough already. But if that weren't enough, the rest of the
civilized out there is too busy watching Oprah or Survivor or copying DVDs
to give a damn. Bottom line: people might bitch a lot, but at the end of
the day, very few people really care. 4 and 5. Biomedical ethics and lifetime
consequences; better position to handle these principles: I'm lumping
these two questions together because they have the same general answer.
Living an ethical life, however one defines that, and using ethical
principles, comes down to three things for me: ASKING the questions;
BECOMING aware of the possible avenues open to me; and acting
RESPONSIBLY, however I define that. I found early on in the course that
I internalized the questions and tried to frame issues around them. And
it's really the questions that are important, and the search for the
answers, rather than the answers themselves. The asking and awareness
pieces are the internal parts of he ethical dialogue; the responsibility
is the external piece. So, yes, I think my grounding in this course has
left me much better equipped to deal with life's slings and ethical
arrows. S D The
cloning issue is the most important because to me this seems like the
scientific community has gone into another frame of science.
It is a disturbing issue, and the world needs to respond
appropriately the cloning issue was the most important to me,
this issue is new to the public, and I find the thought of this very
disturbing, I like to know the different ethical arguments that can be
used to deal with this issue. I think most people find getting thru everyday
life very difficult, they get wrapped up in their own problems, and don't
see what is going on around them until they have to experience it
themselves. then it becomes
and issue. these issues will impact my life in how I conduct
myself when dealing with people and difficult situations.
I believe that while I don't believe in one absolute theory, that
I may be able to take what I got out of one or two of the theories, and
use them to help guide me in how I handle problems and issues. G
R 1)
For me, I think the most important topic we discussed was the infertility
and different options of fertitlty. My
one big fear in my life is to not be able to have children when it comes
down to that time. I have
always loved children and want to have some of my own after school is
done. My life has been coming together and I have had several
medical problems and I just pray I am able to have children. That topic for me was an informative one and helped me look
at different options in the case of being infertile. 2) I answered this question in with the first. 3) I think most people are not aware of these
issues and problems because in today's society people deal with things as
problems or events come up in their own lives.
If someone doesn't have medical problems they don't need to deal
with it so they shut the whole idea out.
Everyone has their own problems whether they be health related or
not. There are so many things
in the world to worry about that people don't take the time to look at
everything. 4) I am currently ina health field and plan to
stay in it one way or another. I
am 26 and am looking forward to many upcoming events in my life.
I have been in college since i graduated high school and had to
start over in a different field after an injury,
Dealing with different aspects of the health field as I have been
on the receiving, healing, and educating ends of the spectrum, I think the
things I take with me from this course will always be there. 5) I wouldn't say I am totally in a comfortable position to be able to handle all the issues brought up in this course if they come up in my life but I can say I am in a slight better position and am ahead of most people who never take a course like this one. C A 1.) The
issues covered that were most important to me are:
Chapter 6 on Autonomy,
truth telling and confidentiality for a couple of reasons.
The first is obvious because throughout my education this topic was
briefly discussed. As a
Massage Therapist this issue is very important and I am now aware of the
diferent situations a care givers may be involved in and with. Exposure to
rights and confidentiality as enlightened
and will help me a more compassionate care giver. It taught me more
of the legalities of the topic as well.
Chapter 11 on the Claim to Health Care.
This was extremely important because by family has had experienced
many challenges with the care for my 96 year old grandmother who has
Altimer?s. It was sickening
what she as gone through in getting care.
She had a little money and could not be placed in a Nursing home because
Medicare wouldn't cover her and she didn't have enough financial
means to be placed. There a
lot more to the story but I think you get the jist.
So that is why it was a great topic and I learned alot of how our
society is faulty and how a perfect solution is impossible. 2.) I
basically answered this in the first question, but I think that all the
topics have open my eyes and mind so all were important and some I didn't
even think about or weren't aware of.
Now I am. I can now look and think about an issue with moral regard
and apply ethics to myself and to society. 3.) I
think more people aren't aware of these troublesome questions that those
that are because people would have to feel and think. Most people are as you say Egoist, only concerned about
immediate situations in their own lives and don't care about the world as
a whole. Or people think in
general, I will never be inflicted or have to worry about this issues.
Wrong , some time or another people do.
Then they are devastated and can't function and play the poor me
syndrome . Instead of being
more active in the world problems. 4.) The effect taking this class will and does have on me, is that I will pay more attention to what is going on in the world and try to personally apply ethical and moral reasoning to how this issues effect us all. I rarely watched the news or read the newspaper. I didn't pay attention, now I do and will continue to. 5.) Yes,
definitely I am in a better position to think and handle these issues.
Instead ignoring, I have learned to think rationally and encompass
all of the views of the ethical positions we learned about.
I may not always be able to apply them correctly, but I'm open to
them. I don't believe just
one is correct so having learned so many views only helps broaden the understanding and implications
to situations. It
helped be learn how everything effects everything and everybody one way or
another. Whether right or
wrong, good or bad. ==================== S S 1.
I think all of the issues covered this semester were equally
important. All of the modules
presented a medical issue that almost everyone may encounter at some point
in their life/career. Giving
a basic overview of the most widely discussed topics worked out a lot
better than spending the whole semester on a handful of topics that may
only mean something to a few people. 2. The
modules covering patient's rights, truth and consent and the care of the
dying really meant the most to me personally.
Working in the physical therapy field, an integral part of the
evaluation and treatment process is explaining to the patient what is
treatments you would like to do but before you begin you need to have the
consent of the patient. Also
physical therapists are often the middle men, stuck between the doctor and
the ROC and their family. Care
of the dying really hit home this semester when my friend's mother had
been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Her doctors treated her with chemo/radiation for a month and a half
before stopping upon a mutual decision reached between my friend's mom and
her doctors. She died not long after being taken off chemo/radiation but
she died not suffering from the complications that come along with chemo
therapy. Had her doctors not
agreed to allow her to die with dignity she would still be suffering.
3. People
don't discuss these sort of issues because ordinarily they don't affect
them. Unless someone gives
birth to a severely impaired newborn or has a family member that is
terminally ill and wants to die in peace but the doctor won't let them they're
not concerned. People go on
the assumption that bad things won't happen to them.
That their child is going to be born healthy or that they will
never need to be put on a kidney transplant waiting list.
It isn?t until these issues affect people personally that they
begin to care and realize that they could have just as easily been in that
same position. 4. I
think I will continue to look at things differently now.
It has also given me a better perspective on things.
I am now able to see things from different points of view (from the
doctor, ROC, family of the ill, etc.).
It also gives me a sense of appreciation in knowing how hard it
really is to make a decision that is going to effect a lot of people and
if it's not the right one, it may haunt you for the rest of your life. 5.
I?m definitely in a better position to handle any medical issue
that may arise. Learning
about all of the ethical theories, allowed me the opportunity to pick
and choose which ones I feel go along with my personal beliefs.
J
D
One of the most important issues covered in Biomedical Ethics this
semester was that of termination. I believe it was important because it
has so many controversial elements yet is something we are faced with
every day. Perhaps the most important was that of euthanasia and
physician-assisted suicide as it involved many ethical complexities and it
was extremely interesting to analyze how each of the major ethical
theories could be used as a scale to measure the rationale behind this
issue. The idea of termination is also misunderstood and feared by many
people. Whether it was abortion, impaired infants or euthanasia that we
studied in detail, the issue of termination as it related to each of those
subjects provided a stimulating and thought provoking discussion.
Of personal interest to me in this course was nursing and medical
ethics. As a registered nurse it was thought provoking to view situations
I deal with quite often from a different scope. The issues of a nurse's
responsibility to a care seeker's well-being and healthcare in comparison
to the duties to the institution really hit home. This was personal as
there is always the call of what is morally and ethically correct with
regard to restrictions put into place by the institution one works for
compared to what is in the best interest of the person receiving medical
care. Many of the ethical dilemmas that were studied were extremely
familiar to me and it was nice to tie in ethical principles to how each
matter had been addressed.
Many of the issues that we studied are brought up on the news on a
regular basis. The general public hears about abortion, scarce medical
resources, cloning, infertility and a host of other issues. The reason
people are not aware is that when these issues are addressed, it is rare
to have opinions based upon ethics related along with the various story.
Usually it is related to a political or statutory ideal, which is rather
shallow when one can now apply other ethical principles to each dilemma.
Ethics is not commonly taught in educational institutions, which leaves
many people blind to the ethical dilemmas surrounding many issues. This
transcends past the medical field as can be clearly seen in business
situations such as Enron and other notable political scandals.
I was familiar with many of the issues raised in Biomedical Ethics
through my work as a registered nurse throughout my career. The way this
course study will change my life is in how I will measure the standards
placed on decisions made regarding these issues. The personal consequence
in my life will be to understand the viewpoints of others and the basis
from where their ethical views are founded.
I am very much in a better position to handle ethical issues as I
have always relied on what I thought was intrinsically the right thing
to do when faced personally with many of these same issues. Already, I
find myself applying the principles learned and it has helped me in my
understanding of those I work with professionally as well as being a
more compassionate and understanding caregiver to those people that rely
on my services. K
M 1.
I really liked the issue of euthanasia. One being I didn't know what it
was and I was very interested in learning about physician assisted suicide
and why people were for and against it. 2. Personally the issue of abortion was probably
the most important issue to me. I just have a huge issue with people using
abortion as a form of birth control. I think that people should be more
careful of the situations they are getting themselves into and realize
that anytime sexual intercourse happens that the idea of someone getting
pregnant is always an option whether it be a slim chance or huge chance. I
think that people shouldn't be having sex until they are fully ready and
willing to have a child, and if they don't want a child then either they
should have sex or one of them should become sterilized. There's too many
people that have kids that either they don't want or can't afford. Alright
I better stop cause I could go on and on about this topic because it
really frustrates me!!! 3. I think that people like to have a one track
mind and avoid the issues at hand or in fact think of as it won't happen
to me. Truth being these issues are real and there is no faking them, so
step up to the plate and take it for what it is, because life has it's way
of throwing a curve ball every once and awhile and if you're not careful
one may hit you. 4. I would have to say that this course has helped
me see things from many different perspectives. Since I'm going to be a
doctor these issues at hand are things I will have to deal with every day
of my life. 5. I thought I was in a good position to judge things ethically before taking this course, but I do have to say that I have learned so much and I can actually see a good side and a bad side to an issue I never thought I could see a good side to. I can actually see a good side to having abortions. I now can handle a situation that I used to feel soo strongly for or against and was in fact too stubborn to realize there could be some logical reason for the side I didn't agree with. This course definitely helped me see that. |
|
PL 24 SPRING
2002 CULMINATING
EXERCISE Part 1: What did you like best about this course? What
I liked best about this course is that I felt comfortable in expressing my
anwsers without feeling I was being judged.
When entering my position on scenario's, other students and
yourself helped to clarify when I wan't quite getting it.
I didn't feel I was being attacked for being wrong.
It was constructive criticizm. It helped me to learn. Also, I liked how we could view all the material.
I mean in realtion to a inclass setting.
In a classroom, you can have many people stating opinions and it is
forgotten as soon as you leave the room.
By having a constant access to the the modules helped. Part 2: What specific things do you think could be improved in
the structure or design of the course and learning activities? Although
this was my first on -line class and I do not have anything to compare it
with I do not feel anything should be changed.
It was a great way to take this class.
Part 3: How would you improve the quality and participation in
course discussions/interactions? I
think that the quality and participation was important and was utlitized
to the max. Everyone for the
most part participated and respond with each other . I do not know how
this could be improved. Part 4:
What changes would you suggest be made to the pacing or sequence of
the content and activities for this course? (e.g., were the due dates
doable for you? Were the course materials sequenced well?) It took a great amount of dedication and commitment
to completed the assignments, but it was definelty do able.
I'm going to school
full-time and working 30 hours a week and was able to complete everthing
on time. You have to have the proper motivation, not all will have that.
Its a personal choice, that doesn't require you to change any
aspects of the course. Part 5: What
changes would you suggest be made to the quantity of work required for
this course? There
are no changes that I would or could suggest to be me made in regards to
the quality of the work required. Everything
helped support our access to learning what we needed to. It may not have
seemed so at the time, but in the end all the requirements helped enrich
the material and apllication to real life scenario's. Part 6: How could
the course be improved in terms of my interaction, participation, and
management of the course? personally,
you always responded in a timley matter and I never felt ignored. Part 7: What
other suggestions, comments, or recommendations would you have for the
instructor? None, at this time . It was a great learning experince I will never forget. Part 1: What did you like best about this course? What
I liked about this course was that I could work on it at any time of day
or night. Also the fact that
their was always a specific deadline for an assignment, this helped me to
schedule my time. Part 2: What specific things do you think could be improved in
the structure or design of the course and learning activities? The
only thing I would change in the structure would be if a way could be
created so that if a person were commenting on another persons comments,
that you knew who were talking to whom. Part 3: How would you improve the quality and participation in
course discussions/interactions? I
think perhaps the teacher needs to try to make comments on a daily base,
this would help on the flow of responses Part 4:
What changes would you suggest be made to the pacing or sequence of
the content and activities for this course? (e.g., were the due dates
doable for you? Were the course materials sequenced well?) the do dates were mostly doable, but it got kind
of boring or repetative to have to do the same thing week after week,
perhaps two case studies should be do one week, and no written asssignment,
or one written assignment due and some other sort of thing. Part 5: What
changes would you suggest be made to the quantity of work required for
this course? I
think the case studies should start earlier in the course so that when the
group project is taking place, you are not trying to cram in everything in
the final two weeks, as students are also taking other classes that have
term papers due and major exams. Part 6: How could
the course be improved in terms of my interaction, participation, and
management of the course? just
that it would be easier or better to get the idea of what is being
discussed, if the teacher could comment on a daily basis of every other
day basis Part 7: What
other suggestions, comments, or recommendations would you have for the
instructor?none Part 1: What did you like best about this course? This
being my first online class, I found it easier to discuss things online
with fellow classmates then I do normally in a regular classroo setting. I liked the way it was set up to be able to talk to students
and ask questions when necessary. Part 2: What specific things do you think could be improved in
the structure or design of the course and learning activities? I
think it would be nice to be able to discuss with people in the class what
their own thoughts would be on a particular subject.
Some epoeple do add in their own view but some just answer the
question at hand and don't put their own input into the conversatio at
hand. Part 3: How would you improve the quality and participation in
course discussions/interactions? Well
I think it is hard to improve the participation
unless you ask question that people can answer with their own views and
personality instead of thinking on a different point of view.
Which don't get me wrong is good too.
I do like thinking about other theorys and how other people would
look at things but its more personable when you add your own thought to it
and sometimes easier for people to communicate better. Part 4:
What changes would you suggest be made to the pacing or sequence of
the content and activities for this course? (e.g., were the due dates
doable for you? Were the course materials sequenced well?) I think the amount of time given was doable and
very good. It gives you
enough time to look up things either in newspapers or online as well as
being able to work and do your other work for the people who take more
then one class and have a fll time job.
It is one of the major reasons I took an online class.
I want to graduate this semester and the only way for me to fit
everything in is to try it online while working and taking other classes. Part 5: What
changes would you suggest be made to the quantity of work required for
this course? Part 6: How could
the course be improved in terms of my interaction, participation, and
management of the course? I
think you should let people know mor ewhen they are on the right track. Sometimes I wasnt sure if you didn't write anything back to
me if you looked at it or if I was correct in my thinking. Part 7: What
other suggestions, comments, or recommendations would you have for the
instructor? Part 1: What did you like best about this course? I
liked the structure of the course.
The way it was set up forced you to stay up on your readings and
assignments.
The student led discussions also were helpful in my learning.
The professor and other students were there to help you if you were
having trouble.
You were not forced to do it all on your own.
Part 2: What specific things do you think could be improved in the structure or design of the course and learning activities? I
think something needs to be done about the case studies.
They realy did not further my learning, they just seemed to take up
a lot of time. Maybe
something else could be done instea. more discussion questions? Part 3: How would you improve the quality and participation in
course discussions/interactions? Possible
stated minimal standards could be set for the discussions.
Something like, you must answer all the questions, ask at least 3
questions regarding your classmates answers, and comment on at least three
classmates answers. Or
perhaps make an earl;ier deadline
for response to discussion questions so it forces people to be involved
earlier in the week, leaving more time for discussion. Part 4:
What changes would you suggest be made to the pacing or sequence of
the content and activities for this course? (e.g., were the due dates
doable for you? Were the course materials sequenced well?) all seemed good Part 5: What
changes would you suggest be made to the quantity of work required for
this course? Just
some change to the case study, it just seemed like extra busy work, I did
not get much from them. But
the overall work load was satisfactory, and it realy made you learn the
material. Part 6: How could
the course be improved in terms of my interaction, participation, and
management of the course? Again
as above in answer 3, possibly some different deadlines and requirements
for the discussion areas. So
as not to have an early week discussion, and then have the stragglers come
in the day before it was due, post their remarks and do no discussion Part 7: What
other suggestions, comments, or recommendations would you have for the
instructor? Not
much. Professor Pecorino
this was a great class. I
learned many things about biomedical ethics, and myself as well.
I think you did a great job with this class. I realy enjoyed it. Thank
you for a great semester. Part 1: What did you like best about this course? The
course was well organized and easy to understand the assignment schedule
and corresponding readings. It was also interesting to learn about the
ethical theories that relate to day-to-day decisions faced in my work
life. Using the decision scenario's to apply the various ethical policies
was also very useful and helped apply the theoretical values to real life
issues. Part 2: What specific things do you think could be improved in
the structure or design of the course and learning activities? As
stated before, the structure and design of the course were well presented
throughout. As far as learning activities, it would be have been
interesting to have a presentation format such as PowerPoint to enhance
the group project. Part 3: How would you improve the quality and participation in
course discussions/interactions? It
would have been interesting to assign two or three people as a small group
to bounce ideas and thoughts to one another separate from the entire group
chat. Part 4:
What changes would you suggest be made to the pacing or sequence of
the content and activities for this course? (e.g., were the due dates
doable for you? Were the course materials sequenced well?) No changes or suggestions as far as pacing or
content sequence. It would have been helpful to share some of the
activities/essays from other students to get an idea of what is considered
an ideal work product. For those who are working professionals in with
rotating shifts, a little more flexibility in the deadline dates would be
helpful. Part 5: What
changes would you suggest be made to the quantity of work required for
this course? The
quantity of work was acceptable. Just maybe more flexibility as far as
deadlines to facilitate those who have full time careers. Part 6: How could
the course be improved in terms of my interaction, participation, and
management of the course? Interaction
was fine and there was guidance after each written assignment. Also the
few times I called to discuss issues; you were also accessible and
professional. Part 7: What
other suggestions, comments, or recommendations would you have for the
instructor? Only
other suggestion would be to provide more clarity on what was wanted
from each assignment or essay in order to feel more confident that the
issues were being correctly addressed. Part 1: What did you like best about this course? I
liked the way the information (theories) kept getting reinforced by
applying them to each module. I
also think that setting up the discussions and assigning each letter of
the alphabet a different theory each time.
This allowed each member of the class the opportunity to apply each
theory and see how each would handle the situation.
Part 2: What specific things do you think could be improved in
the structure or design of the course and learning activities? I
don't think that there is anyway to improve upon the course.
Setting up a class online is very difficult but the format for
which this class was setup seemed to help things flow smoothly and promote
optimal learning. Part 3: How would you improve the quality and participation in
course discussions/interactions? In
order to stimulate more discussion, it may be necessary to impose a
minimum number of responses that each person has to make.
For example, each person might need to make at least two replies in
a given discussion in addition to responding to the question. Also maybe if you stepped in when you saw that there wasn't
much discussion and brought up issues to talk about that maybe others
hadn't thought of. Part 4:
What changes would you suggest be made to the pacing or sequence of
the content and activities for this course? (e.g., were the due dates
doable for you? Were the course materials sequenced well?) The due dates for all assignments were more than
doable. A week is plenty of
time to complete a module and submit a written assignment and/or case
study. I think that the order
of the modules was also fine. I
don't think there was much skipping around from one end of the healthcare
spectrum to the other. Part 5: What
changes would you suggest be made to the quantity of work required for
this course? I
really don't think that there was that much work required that would have
been required had the class had been set on a campus somewhere.
Occasionaly a few of the case studies took a long time in order to
find a case to discuss and then find 4 different articles containing
ethical opinion. (Especially
articles that were written by a philosopher, theologian, medical
professional, etc. - most were written by support or activist groups.)
Part 6: How could
the course be improved in terms of my interaction, participation, and
management of the course? At
the very beginning of the course you were very much involved in the
discussions but by the end your amount of participation had declined.
I don't know if it was because we started understanding the
theories more and there was no need for you to be as involved.
I feel that there were times when your participation was needed but
nothing we couldn't figure out eventually. Part 7: What
other suggestions, comments, or recommendations would you have for the
instructor? No other suggestions. I think that for this being my first online class it was a very positive experience. Glad to have participated and I learned a lot for all of this. Part 1: What did you like best about this course? Survey
done last month. Thanks, professor. Have a great summer. Part 2: What specific things do you think could be improved in
the structure or design of the course and learning activities? None.
Well, maybe stroke the poorer students a little more. Part 3: How would you improve the quality and participation in
course discussions/interactions? Seems
right to me. Part 4:
What changes would you suggest be made to the pacing or sequence of
the content and activities for this course? (e.g., were the due dates
doable for you? Were the course materials sequenced well?) As this year, start at a moderate pace, build up
toward the middle, and slow down toward the end, when students' interest
is waning. Part 5: What
changes would you suggest be made to the quantity of work required for
this course? Some
slight diminution in, or emphasis on, the case studies, which I didn't
think was as worthwhile as the didactic portion. Part 6: How could
the course be improved in terms of my interaction, participation, and
management of the course? Can't.
Keep it anonymous, learner-driven, and interactive. Part 7: What
other suggestions, comments, or recommendations would you have for the
instructor? None. Part 1: What did you like best about this course? I
liked the class structure and how the course was ran. This was by far the
most successful internet course I have taken. I look forward to taking
other online courses in hopes they run as smoothly as this one. I think
the amount of work was fair and the assignments were fair as well. Part 2: What specific things do you think could be improved in
the structure or design of the course and learning activities? I
think the case studies are a great idea, but maybe you could assign 2 or 3
people for each module to do a case study then put up their cases and have
the class discuss the cases for one of the discussions. You could have
someone look up the case study for euthanasia in the previous module so we
could have time to read about the case then discuss it in the proper
module. It's just a thought. Part 3: How would you improve the quality and participation in
course discussions/interactions? I
think maybe to get more
people to respond to the discussion set a limit as to how many postings
one person should make per module, because it appears that some people
just post their thoughts and leave and don't bother to read everyone elses.
Yes I am guilty of this at some points cause I'm in a hurry, but I think
requiring a certain amount would hopefully encourage more people to
respond. or at least say put yoy information in the discussion and respond
to at least 2 other classmates. That's what my college comp class online
did. Part 4:
What changes would you suggest be made to the pacing or sequence of
the content and activities for this course? (e.g., were the due dates
doable for you? Were the course materials sequenced well?) Everything was definitely doable if I had my week
planned out in advance. I never had a lot of time on the weekends so it
was nice to have pretty much all day monday to brush up on some of the
points in the assignments. Part 5: What
changes would you suggest be made to the quantity of work required for
this course? I
think the workload was sufficient Part 6: How could
the course be improved in terms of my interaction, participation, and
management of the course? I
think you pretty much knew when to participate and when to let the
discussion continue as they were going. Part 7: What
other suggestions, comments, or recommendations would you have for the
instructor? I would just have to say that I hope you continue to teach online courses because you definitely have mastered the most successful way to teach a course online. I really hope that other teachers were able to see the way you taught it and I hope people can learn from you. I also want to apologize for not getting this in on time. this is finals week for me and I had finals monday and tuesday, and I worked all day today, I actually just got time to do them. Sorry for being a little late.
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