Teaching plan for the course unit

 

 

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General information

 

Course unit name: Bioethics

Course unit code: 366691

Academic year: 2025-2026

Coordinator: Gemma Marfany Nadal

Department: Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics

Credits: 3

Single program: S

 

 

Prior considerations

 

Articles and other material addressing specific scientific bioethical issues will be uploaded to the Virtual Campus.

 

 

Estimated learning time

Total number of hours 75

 

Face-to-face and/or online activities

20

 

-  Lecture

Face-to-face

 

10

 

(Lessons)

 

-  Practical exercises

Face-to-face

 

5

 

(Practical cases)

 

-  Seminar

Face-to-face

 

5

 

(Seminars)

Supervised project

25

Independent learning

30

 

 

Competences / Learning outcomes to be gained during study

 

   -

CG6. Communication skills (written and spoken).

   -

CB5. Learning skills that are necessary to undertake further study with a high degree of autonomy.

   -

CB4. Capacity to communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.

   -

CG2. Capacity for learning and responsibility (capacity for analysis and synthesis, to adopt global perspectives and to apply knowledge in practice, and capacity to take decisions and adapt to new situations).

   -

CB3. Ability to gather and interpret relevant data (usually within the field of study) to inform judgements that include reflection on relevant social, scientific or ethical issues.

   -

CE16. Capacity to provide reasoned explanations of the concept and general characteristics of disease, the mechanisms through which diseases develop, the personal and constitutional aspects of pathological reactions, the different types of diseases, the respective mechanisms of distribution, and the dynamic structure of different diseases, and a familiarity with the principal methods for the study and diagnosis of diseases, including epidemiology

   -

CE18. Capacity to apply electronic, instrumental, analytical and molecular techniques and to work safely in a laboratory environment

   -

CG1. Commitment to ethical practice (critical and self-critical capabilities / capacity to demonstrate attitudes consistent with accepted notions of ethical practice).

CG2. Capacity for learning and responsibility (capacity for analysis and synthesis, to adopt global perspectives and to apply knowledge in practice, and capacity to take decisions and adapt to new situations).

CG3. Ability to work as part of a team and to collaborate and contribute to a joint project, as well as to work in interdisciplinary and multicultural teams.

CG4. Creative and entrepreneurial skills (capacity to conceive, design and manage projects / capacity to research and integrate new knowledge and approaches).

CG5. Concern for sustainability (capacity to assess the ethical, social and environmental impact of actions taken in research / capacity to adopt integrated and systemic approaches).

CG6. Communication skills (written and spoken).

CG7. Ability to think critically, logically and creatively. Ability to analyze and synthesize.

CG8. Capacity for experimental design, research, and writing and analysis of results in the field.

CG9. Ability to relate new scientific advances to their scientific and social applications, as well as to their ethical impact.

CG10. Ability to communicate and transfer knowledge.

CG11. Ability to manage and organize one’s own time and capacity for self-learning.

Specific competences

CE1. Knowledge of the basic concepts of bioethics and its relationship with the applications of experimental science in biology and health.

CE2. Knowledge of fundamental aspects of bioethics in experimentation with animals, embryos, human samples and other data collected from humans.

CE3. Ability to understand the bioethical implications of current experimental techniques.

CE4. Capacity to read and critically analyze bioethical issues in the European and global context.

CE5. Participation in discussions and debates on science and ethics.

CE6. Ability to design research projects and understand the relevance of the bioethical issues involved.

CE7. Knowledge of the codes of good practices, integrity in research and the role of bioethics committees in research.

 

 

Learning objectives

 

Referring to knowledge

This subject is taught in English.

The main purpose of this subject is to raise awareness of the major bioethical issues relevant to the field of biology and experimental scientific research from different perspectives.

More specifically, the objectives of this subject are to:

— Promote a critical attitude towards the need to consider bioethical aspects in scientific research.

— Think about global aspects of bioethics and whether global bioethics exist or should exist.

— Learn how to approach bioethical issues in research projects, their main principles, whether model animals are required in experimentation, whether embryo cells, organoid or human samples are used, and how to collect and store personal data.

— Understand the bioethical implications of clinical trials on humans.

— Acquire knowledge of the relevance of bioethics committees and current legislation and regulations.

— Approach articles and documents on bioethics critically.

 

 

Teaching blocks

 

1. Lectures on bioethics

1.1. Bioethics; an introduction, origin and history

1.2. Bioethics; a view from the institutions and legal frameworks

1.3. Ethics in research: plagiarism, manipulation, invention; research integrity

1.4. Bioethical questions in experimental research and teaching; animal models; the 3 Rs; regulations and guidelines

1.5. Bioethical questions in experimental research and teaching; human samples; informed consent; compliance with the objectives and social/personal return

1.6. Bioethical questions in health and medicine; clinical trials; bioethical questions in social sciences; polls and questionnaires; recording

1.7. Bioethical questions in a global world (I): climate change, famine, water, biodiversity

1.8. Bioethical questions in a global world (II): equity, global health, medicines, pandemics

1.9. Bioethical questions for the future world (e.g., human modification, cyborgs, artificial consciousness)

2. Practical sessions and case studies

2.1. Open access research, open data

2.2. Genetically modified organisms; microorganisms, yeasts, plants, crops, animals

2.3. Personal and sensitive data; big data; anonymity; privacy; confidentiality; AI and health

2.4. Ethics and bioethics committees; how to approach bioethical issues in research projects

2.5. Future bioethical challenges: gene editing, precision medicine, species modification, cyborgs, technology and life

3. Problem-based learning; exercises

4. Seminars

 

 

Teaching methods and general organization

 

This subject is taught in English and is concentrated during 2 weeks, 2 presential face-to-face hours per day. It is structured around a series of lectures, practical sessions, case studies and seminars (20 h).

— Lectures with both theoretical and practical components (8 h + 2 h exercises).

— Practical sessions require previous reading of documents and teamwork. They consist of the presentation of advantages and disadvantages and debates.

— Seminars are presented by groups of students to study and analyse specific topics according to the interests of students and the coordinator.


Other distance learning activities

Supervised learning = 25 h

— Students who present seminars must prepare a presentation based on specific bibliography to be defended in front of the other students. They will be supervised by the lecturer. This item will be evaluated.

— Students write an essay on a topic related to the subject. They will be supervised by the lecturer. This item will be evaluated.

 Independent learning = 30 h

— Before each lecture, students must review the teaching material available in the Virtual Campus.

— After each lecture, students should critically analyse the contents, using not only class notes but also the supplementary material provided by the lecturer.

— Students should bear in mind the deadlines and schedule established to carry out the tasks and submit them on time.

— Students also need to work on the contents of the Virtual Campus and recommended readings.

— Students must prepare a research project with emphasis on bioethical issues and how to approach them. This item will be evaluated.

 

 

Official assessment of learning outcomes

 

As the course will be compacted in two weeks, 2 h per day (13:00- 15:00) from Monday to Friday, the evaluation will be continuous based n the evaluation of the knowledge acquired and the student’s attitude during the course. As the group has a limited number of students, the lecturer takes into account attendance and participation in lectures, practical classes and seminars (up to 10% of the final grade).

The presentation and defense of seminars represents up to 40% of the final grade.

At the end of the course, a short critical essay on a topic covered in class will represent 25% of the final grade. Also, the presentation of a research project, with an emphasis on bioethical considerations, represents 25% of the final grade. The quality of critical opinions and in-depth arguments are relevant towards the final grade of this item.

If the student does not pass the course, the coordinator will plan activities together with the student for a new assessment, in accordance with the current regulations of the Faculty of Biology (UB).

 

Examination-based assessment

As this course is compacted in two weeks (2 hour from Monday to Friday), students are assessed on a continuous basis.

 

 

Reading and study resources

Check availability in Cercabib

Book

Derecho y bioética

de Lecuona Ramírez, Itziar;  Leyton Donoso, Fabiola; Plana Casado, María José

ISBN: 978-84-9180-579-3

Bioética y tecnologías disruptivas

López Baroni, Manuel Jesús

Herder Editorial

ISBN: 9788425447129