Literary works as case studies for teaching human experimentation ethics

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Case studies are valuable pedagogical tools, especially for complex subjects like ethics.
• Ethical dilemmas in research require contextual understanding, which case studies can provide.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of using literary works as case studies for teaching ethical issues in human experimentation.
• To assess student engagement and learning outcomes in a master's level ethics course.

Main Methods:

• Two literary works, "Pygmalion" and "Flowers for Algernon," were utilized as case studies.
• Master's students engaged with these literary case studies to explore ethical considerations in human research.

Main Results:

• The use of literary case studies was found to be successful in teaching ethical issues in human experimentation.
• Students reported the assignment as personally and professionally stimulating.

Conclusions:

• Literary case studies offer a unique and effective approach to teaching research ethics.
• The pedagogical strategy involving "Pygmalion" and "Flowers for Algernon" is recommended for continued use in ethics education.