Team-Based Learning and Threshold Concepts in Biological Security and Dual-Use: Toward a Transformative Biological Security Pedagogy—The Game Changing Implications of CRISPR/Cas and the Design of a Novel Methodology for Influencing the Culture of Life and Associated Science through Awareness Raising and Education

View/ Open
whitby_et_al_2024.pdf (1.493Mb)
Download
Publication date
2024-09-26Keyword
CRISPRGene editing
Ethical
Legal
Social
Responsible research innovation
Dual-use
Pedagogy
Neuroscience
Team-based learning
Threshold concepts
Rights
(c) 2024 The Authors. This is an Open Access article distributed under the Creative Commons CC-BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)Peer-Reviewed
YesOpen Access status
openAccessAccepted for publication
2024-09-22
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) gene editing technologies appear to be a game-changer and suggest great potential for genome manipulation and for developments in next-generation therapeutics. Ethical, legal and social concerns have been raised in light of recent applications in humans. Concern also arises in relation to the potential of such developments for misuse. In addressing the post-COVID19 challenges raised by responsible research innovation and in confronting what to do about the vexed question of “dual-use”, we contend that awareness-raising and education concerning the ethical, legal and social implications of scientific research innovation represents a welcome and empowering alternative to top down regulatory responses that may serve to stifle innovation. The design and subsequent implementation of a novel transformative pedagogy combining Team-Based Learning and Threshold Concepts yields both empirical evidence-based metrics for real-time learning. As well as generating novel empirical data-sets for the identification of subject-specific threshold concepts across discrete specialisms in the life sciences, we argue that this hybrid methodology can be used to engage science professionals and students alike in meaningful and much-needed dialogue about developments relating to genome manipulation. We demonstrate how evidence-based threshold concepts can inform the design of bespoke subject-specific training as we suggest was the case from our deployment of team-based learning and threshold concepts during our proof of concept application, prior to the pandemic, during the course of two European Union Human Brain Project training programmes undertaken in 2017 and 2018, with experts in neuroscience research at the Karonlinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.Version
Published versionCitation
Whitby S, Dando M, McCarter R et al (2024) Team-Based Learning and Threshold Concepts in Biological Security and Dual-Use: Toward a Transformative Biological Security Pedagogy - The Game Changing Implications of CRISPR/Cas and the Design of a Novel Methodology for Influencing the Culture of Life and Associated Science through Awareness Raising and Education. Creative Education. 15(9): 1878-1899.Link to Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2024.159115Type
Articleae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2024.159115