School: Medical and Health Sciences

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Biomedical Ethics
  • Unit Code

    SCH3145
  • Year

    2019
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Rachel ALEXANDER

Description

In every area of health based professional activity ethics has assumed an increasingly important status. This unit is focused on developing a critical awareness among prospective health care professionals and student researchers as to the nature, function and importance of ethical issues across a broad range of health, biomedical and health care issues. The unit combines the study of the theoretical bases of ethics in the context of health related areas with discussion of real-life moral dilemmas through a case-study approach.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must pass 1 units from SCH1134

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate abilities to perceive ethical issues in specific health, biomedical and health care situations.
  2. Demonstrate an appreciation of the goals of professionalisation with reference to ethics in health, biomedical and health care settings.
  3. Develop an appreciation of the difficulties and intractability of some ethical dilemmas in a pluralist society.
  4. Develop an understanding and critical awareness of the philosophical foundations of ethics.
  5. Make informed practical judgements based upon knowledge of sound ethical principles and motivations.

Unit Content

  1. Analyses of practical and organisational situations in which ethical concerns are central.
  2. Case studies as a teaching medium.
  3. Theoretical and philosophical foundations of ethics.
  4. Theoretical and practical aspects of biomedical ethics are considered.

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU Blackboard.

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 113 x 2 hour lectureNot OfferedNot Offered
Semester 113 x 1 hour tutorialNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

On campus lectures and tutorials totalling 3 hours per week. The unit includes working in groups in tutorials and lectures on ethical case scenarios, which involves sharing and engaging of ideas, beliefs and values of students from diverse cultural background (local and international outlooks). Students work in small groups to examine the application of ethical framework to case scenarios in health science, and present the same to the class using powerpoint.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
TestMid-semester Test20%
Tutorial PresentationStudent Seminar30%
ExaminationEnd of Semester Examination50%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

SCH3145|1|1

School: Medical and Health Sciences

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Biomedical Ethics
  • Unit Code

    SCH3145
  • Year

    2019
  • Enrolment Period

    2
  • Version

    2
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Rachel ALEXANDER

Description

In every area of health based professional activity ethics has assumed an increasingly important status. This unit focuses on developing a critical awareness of the nature and importance of ethics across a broad range of health, biomedical and health care issues. The unit combines the study of the theoretical bases of ethics in the context of health related areas with discussion of current, real-life ethical dilemmas through a case-study approach.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must pass 1 unit from SCH1134, SCH1106, MHS1101

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Make informed practical judgements based upon knowledge of sound ethical principles and motivations.
  2. Critically analyse complex ethical dilemmas in the health sciences.
  3. Develop an appreciation of the difficulties and intractability of some ethical dilemmas in a pluralist society.
  4. Demonstrate an appreciation of the goals of professionalisation with reference to ethics in health, biomedical and health care settings.
  5. Develop an understanding and critical awareness of the philosophical foundations of ethics.

Unit Content

  1. Analyses of practical and organisational situations in which ethical concerns are central.
  2. Case studies as a teaching medium.
  3. Theoretical and philosophical foundations of ethics.
  4. Theoretical and practical aspects of biomedical ethics are considered.

Additional Learning Experience Information

Students work in small groups to examine the application of ethical frameworks to case scenarios in health sciences, and present their arguments to the class using powerpoint. Guest lecturers present on issues of human and animal ethics, and the processes involved in obtaining ethical approval in research.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
TestMid-semester Test20%
Tutorial PresentationStudent Seminar30%
ExaminationEnd of Semester Examination50%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

SCH3145|2|2