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Using Frankenstein to Teach Ethics and Code of Conduct in an Undergraduate Science Course

Numerous agencies (including ASBMB, ACS, IUBMB, NSF, and NIH) have called for formal ethics education in the undergraduate curriculum, yet there is widespread confusion over what this means, and therefore how to accomplish the task. Furthermore, while bioethics, animal rights, or medical ethics are rich fodder for discussion, the discussions are often polarizing, difficult to manage, and fail to achieve the desired outcomes (broadening the students understanding of ethics and ability to conduct science in line with a code of conduct). In this exercise, students read the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and used the ethical situations in the novel as a launching off point for discussion of modern codes of conduct and ethical dilemmas. These include broader themes such as the responsibility of a creator to their creation, but also topics such as working safely in a laboratory, use of human subjects, and following an institutional code of conduct. Student discussions occurred in class in small groups (less than three students), class wide discussions (approximately 24 students) and in online forums through a closed Facebook group. Feedback from students was largely positive. Preliminary results indicate that this method is a viable way to broach sometimes difficult topics in scientific ethics from a safe distance and introduce professional codes of conduct and ethics to undergraduates.