Biomedical Sciences and Society

Course Objective

Gaining knowledge and insight into: The intertwinement of society, biomedical science and technology, and sustainability; the role of public opinion/views/norms/values in biomedical sciences; social scientific research into the ethical and societal aspects of science and technology; basic principles of science communication. Applying knowledge and insights by: Analyzing past, ongoing and potential future developments in the biomedical sciences; developing skills with regard to: Executing and writing a desk study; working in teams; writing and presenting a scientific report.

Course Content

In this course, we study the relationships between science, technology, and society. The first part of the course is dedicated to past, contemporary and future technological developments and their ethical, societal and sustainability implications. Based on examples, we disentangle the complexities of science and technology in our modern society. We look at the scientific system, rules and regulations, evaluation of science and technology, science communication, and sustainability concerns. Knowledge gained during the course is applied in a group research project. Students execute a desk study and work on a specific case in the context of biomedical sciences. The project results in a report and a presentation during the final week of the course.The following learning pathways are incorporated into this course: Academic skills: foster critical reasoning, reflect on philosophical, ethical and societal developments in in biomedical science, provide peer feedback, collect and process relevant information, writing a research report and presenting a poster. Bioinformatic skills: find information and refer to sources relevant to the desk study.

Teaching Methods

4 lectures of +/- 2 hours each (8 hours), 11 work groups of +/- 2 hours each (mandatory!) (22 hours), self-study and group work: 130 hours

Method of Assessment

Written exam: 40%, Report: 45%, Presentation: 15%, Peer feedback: pass/fail. All elements need to be graded at least 5.5 to pass the course; no compensation possible.

Additional Information Target Audience

Compulsory course for second-year BSc Biomedical Sciences students.

Additional Information

Important: not all information on rooster.vu.nl with regard to the scheduling of workgroups is correct. This is due to the collaborative nature of the course. Details will be provided on canvas.