PHY 310 -- Readings for Teaching High School
Physics
Illinois State University Physics Teacher Education
Carl J. Wenning, Program Coordinator
Spring Semester 2001
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Course Objectives Assessed: (9) The student will explain the nature of and reason for science ethics, and apply accepted ethical standards of scientific conduct as appropriate to several true-to-life scenarios. |
Over the past few years that have been several prominent cases where breaches in appropriate scientific conduct have resulted in tragedy. Who can forget how, during WWII, a number of African Americans were deliberately infected with syphilus to learn more about the progression of the disease? Who can forget the public brouhaha relating to the announcement of the discover of "cold fusion" by Pons and Fleischman? Who can fail to forget the public consternation cause by Gribbon and Plageman in their book The Jupiter Effect? Clearly, there is a need for scientists to comply with accepted standards of ethical conduct.
Ethical standards are not to be confused with moral standards. They may or may not be the same depending on the case. Ethics are derived from a community of professional practitioners such as scientists, doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc. Ethics explain what does and does not constitutue acceptable behavior by the profession. Everyone within a profession is expected to comply with the ethical code of conduct. Morality, on the other hand, derives from interpretation of natural or religious law. Few people will agree on what is right or wrong based upon natural or religious code due to the wide array of viewpoints in these areas.
In this project, you will explain and apply accepted ethical standards of scientific conduct to the following scenarios. The student will write a short essay for each aspect of the stated objective. As you do so, you might want to answer the following and similar questions. Before you begin your work, be certain to read On Being a Scientist, published by the National Academy of Sciences.
In addition, your essay must satisfy the following general criteria:
Scenario 1. You have assigned your students a special lab research project which they must perform in groups. Two of your students from one group approach you separately from the rest of their group telling you that several of the students have agreed to "fudge" some data and throw out other data that doesn't fit expectations so that the experiment works out the way it is expected. How do your respond to this as a representative of the scientific community?
Scenario 2. A student turns in a term paper that clearly has a writing style completely different from what the student is accustomed to turning in. You suspect plagiarism. Students have been warned about this. What are you going to do about it as a prudent professional?
Scenario 3. A student brings a clipping from the local
paper showing that day's astrological forecasts. The student passes
it around telling fellow students that such and such a thing is
going to happen today because his horoscope is always correct.
How do you as a responsible representative of science respond
to this claim?