The Cincinnati Ethics Center recently wrapped-up a six-week project at Beechwood High School in Northern Kentucky, bringing a mini Bioethics Bowl to its BioMed EDGE course.
The Bioethics Bowl is a competition where students discuss ethical issues related to health and biological sciences. After consulting with Kaylee Flynn, Beechwood’s BioMed teacher, it became clear that a Bioethics Bowl project would be a perfect fit for the school’s EDGE program. EDGE, which stands for “Educational Design Geared toward Experience,” focuses on hands-on learning opportunities that “develop next generation skills while integrating the rigor of college prep content.”
The BioMed course includes 21 juniors and seniors. For five weeks, Cincinnati Ethics Center staff guided students in preparing case presentations using former High School Ethics Bowl cases. The cases addressed topics such as biomedical research on animals, consent in medical procedures, “compassionate use” of drugs in clinical trials, and the role of shame tactics in changing behavior. Throughout their preparation, the students were mentored by University of Cincinnati undergraduates, including two members of UC’s Collegiate Ethics Bowl team and one student with high school Ethics Bowl experience.
After five weeks of preparation, the students were ready to compete! In three rounds, the four teams faced off against each other, culminating in a final round where the winning team successfully argued against the use of “love drugs” to stimulate or suppress feelings of love toward another person. Judges included Cincinnati Ethics Center staff, University of Cincinnati students, and Beechwood administrators.
The feedback from students was overwhelming positive, with many highlighting the impact on their future aspirations in the biomedical field. Ninety percent reported a better understanding of ethical decision-making in biomedicine. One student appreciated “seeing the thought process behind other people’s opinions,” while others emphasized the value of considering multiple perspectives and learning to discuss opposing viewpoints in a non-adversarial manner. As one participant noted: “It gave me my first opportunity to discuss important issues in an open and communicative environment. I have never had an experience like this before.”
Christina Baulch, Director of K-12 Educational Programs at the Cincinnati Ethics Center, reflected on the project’s success: “One of our greatest achievements was seeing students take thoughtful, well-researched positions on some of today’s toughest issues and engage in respectful discussions with peers and adults.”
The Cincinnati Ethics Center is excited to bring a similar mini-Ethics Bowl experience to Western Hills University High School in December. Schools interested in integrating a classroom Ethics Bowl into their curriculum can reach out to Christina Baulch at christina.baulch@uc.edu.
