The cohort of 30 second-year students who chose to study the module in 2007 were divided into 5 groups. Each group was responsible for researching their own topic relevant to ethical issues surrounding genetics, and developing their own podcast. The podcasting activity sessions took place over three consecutive weeks. During the first session a short introduction to the technologies involved was given, since many of the students had not encountered podcasting before. The use of Audacity as an editing program was also introduced. Different content formats were covered and these included round table discussions, debate, or interview providing for each member of the group to make an equal contribution. The students decided on the topic and format for their podcast themselves, and then spent the rest of the session researching and discussing their topics. The next week was spent with further research and starting to record material. The third session involved more recording and editing. The topics students chose were: designer babies, genetic screening / testing, diabetes, DNA fingerprinting, and haemophilia. Each podcast was 5 to10 minutes in length. When completed, the podcasts were made available on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) for other students to use. |
