Japanese Trials of the Bioethics Education Project

1. Japanese Trials of the Bioethics Education Project Fumi Maekawa Darryl Macer University of Tsukuba

2. Project Proceedings in Japan • Approach to SELHi • Bioethics Education Network in Japan • Class Trials in High Schools, and University of Tsukuba • Japanese Translation of Text

3. Approach to SELHi • SELHi (Super English Language High School) • 53 schools approved by MEXT 2003 (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) • Contact to Schools in Kanto area • No response

4. Bioethics Education Network in Japan • Established in 1996 • Meetings usually every two months (today is the 35th meeting of the Network) • Approx. 100 members include teachers from Japanese high schools • Most teach Biology or Social studies

5. BEN Activities (I) • Introduction to Bioethics Text Book Project • Background • Objective • Participating Countries • Topics in the Text Book • Forms of Cooperation • International Activities

6. BEN Activities (II) • Small Group Discussion • Critical feedback on sample chapters • Comments and suggestions on the topics • Evaluation criteria • Curriculum and time restraints • Comments on Sample Chapters

7. Critical Comments upon Chapters • Length and difficulty of text • Defining the appropriate level • Gaps between students • Accessibility vs. Learning content • Balance between the acceptable volume of text and the volume needed for learning • One page versions of chapters were produced

8. Trials in Meikei High School • Private school in Tsukuba • Students from 13~18 years old • Class tried on 2nd year high school students (16~17 years old) • 2 EEC (Extended English Class); 10 students total • Material used: Heart transplant

9. Feedback from Meikei • Reason to chose Heart Transplant • Link between previous classes • Appropriate volume • Topic interesting to students • Observer notes • Lively discussion • Dependent on individual student • Teacher’s guidance

10. Trials in Kasumigaoka High School (I) • Public school in Fukuoka; SELHi • Class tried on 2nd year students (16~17 years old); English discussion class • English major students; 40 in total, majority is female • Material used: Fertility, Assisted Reproduction

11. Trials in Kasumigaoka High School (II) • Class tried on 1st year students (15~16 years old); Environmental class • English major students; 40 in total, majority is female • Material used: Sustainability

12. Trials in Kasumigaoka High School (III) • Combined double class for double period given in English by Darryl Macer. • Students requested to write essay in English or Japanese. • Material used: Introduction to Bioethics.

13. Feedback from Kasumigaoka (I) • Reason to chose Assisted Reproduction • Student interest in topic • Timely news (surrogacy case in media) • Observer notes • Concrete aim of class • Accumulation of different aspects to learn English (Reading, Writing, Listening and Discussion)

14. Feedback from Kasumigaoka (II) • Reason to chose Sustainability • Topic related to environmental education • Different approach to environmental problems • Observer notes • Difficulty of context • Indirect use of material; helpful?

15. Feedback from Kasumigaoka (III) • In the coming year their school will fund a visit once a term of both of us to observe, test and explore ways to implement bioethics education. • The principal of that school is an English teacher herself.

16. Trials in University of Tsukuba • Chapters were tried in: English classes of 3rd year undergraduate biology students English classes of 2nd year undergraduate biology students Bioethics/ Bioethics and Genes class for mainly undergraduate biology students Environmental Ethics class for graduate students majoring in environmental science • Comparisons of written reports and evaluation reports is underway, between chapters and past materials. • All chapters were tested at least once.

17. Improvement Points (I) • Project management • Approaching Schools • Little effect of general information announcements • Individual personal contact is preferable • May be better to refocus on contacts at higher level of authority • Interest vs. Time constraints • Maybe much interest, but too much burden to be involved?

18. Improvement Points (II) • Scope of Material • English learning vs. Bioethics learning • Page by page most applicable • Further improvement • Need clearer target (English Reading? Writing? Discussion?) • Generally too much to cover in one English class • Teacher’s Guidance and Materials needed

19. Improvement Points (III) • Follow up and after care • What materials are more needed? • How much direction do teachers want? • Further contacting • Developing contact by personal introductions

20. Improvement Points (IV) • Observer limits • Objectivity • Comparison Limits • Feedback report and audio/visual recording • Different stand points between different observers

21. Conclusions • Difficulty of English Difficulty of Learning • Japanese version under construction • Give and take relationship of coordinator and cooperating teachers (schools)

22. Acknowledgments These trials were funded by a grant to Eubios Ethics Institute by Sasagawa Peace Foundation. We appreciate comments given from many persons to assist the evolution of the project and materials.