Abstract
STEPWISE is a pedagogical framework that aims to encourage students and teachers to think of science and technology education as a way of fostering the well-being of individuals, societies and environments—and take action to this end. ‘Decide’ is a group discussion game published under a Creative Commons License. It broadly shares STEPWISE orientations, as it invites participants to inquire, discuss and take positions on a socio-technical controversy, such as xenotransplantation, stem cells or neuroscience, in the context of a discussion conducted democratically. STEPWISE and Decide also share the aim of encouraging students to reflect on the way economic relationships play out in techno-science. In this chapter, we first present the game, outlining its main features and ways to integrate it into a STEPWISE approach in the science and technology classroom. We then show how two groups of preservice teachers expressed their views on social and economic disparities during a game session focusing on the progression and management of controversies surrounding the development and commercialization of nanotechnologies. More specifically, we present excerpts of conversations in which these participants discussed limited access to the products and services that allow people to benefit from nanotechnologies—in particular, those aimed at slowing down the aging process—the unequal distribution of the costs and benefits of these technologies, the risk of offshoring factories and exploiting child labour, and the development of medical treatments—especially cancer treatments—for profit.
Economics is a social science; complex economic phenomena can
seldom be understood if presented in a vacuum, removed from
their sociological, political, and historical contexts. To properly
discuss economic policy, students should understand the broader
social impacts and moral implications of economic decisions
(International Student Initiativ e for Pluralism in Economics, 2014).
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Notes
- 1.
As of January, 2015, this number had risen to over 65 associations.
- 2.
Similarly, the authors of Risky Business, published in June, 2014, provide arguments for those who maintain that if science education aims to promote a nuanced and deeper understanding of socio-scientific problems, it cannot disregard the economic and political issues involved (Risky Business Project, 2014). In this report, influential authors Michael R. Bloomberg, Henry M. Paulson and Thomas F. Steyer strongly urge business leaders and investors to play an active role in public discussion (p. 47) and support an aggressive push to bring down carbon emissions.
- 3.
It was based on this perspective that Romain Martiny developed a Decide game kit on the controversy surrounding the presence of metal dust in the central neighbourhoods of Quebec City (Martiny, 2015), which he then used in the chemistry classes that he taught in a pre-university college program. In addition to appropriating the controversy and learning about the socio-political and economic contexts surrounding it (Pouliot, 2015), the students were asked to give their opinion on actions that could be taken by the actors concerned. They were also invited to watch an excerpt from a television show addressing the issue of metal dust and take a stand on the nature of citizen expertise as well as the ins and outs of the economic arguments put forward by the Port of Québec.
- 4.
Democs was created by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) and aims to foster discussion on public policies.
- 5.
For a total of 7 participants: 6 female students, 1 male student; 5 participants planned to become elementary school teachers, 1 a phys. ed. teacher, and 1 did not specify the teaching level or discipline.
- 6.
The excerpts in question are not presented in this chapter. It should, however, be noted that they referred to the ability or inability of citizens to become involved in controversies that concern them.
- 7.
It should be noted that some of these issues are not addressed in the game kit.
- 8.
These excerpts have been modified slightly for readability. The names of the participants have been changed to preserve their anonymity.
- 9.
Although it was not the aim of this chapter to address the way the participants described the individuals that would have access to the benefits of nanotechnologies, Charlotte’s comment appears significant as she associates wealth, power and masculinity with the elite who would benefit from nanotechnologies.
- 10.
Here, it is a question of opposition between the countries of the North and South rather than between the East and West.
- 11.
The other excerpt is not presented in this chapter.
- 12.
It was observed that Olivia takes on the voice of the people who will benefit financially from the production of these treatments (Potter (1996, p. 160–162) refers to this process as “Active voicing”).
- 13.
The participants discussed the effects of the development of nanotechnologies on humans and non-humans. For example, one participant said, “Who benefits from the use [of nanotechnologies]? I think it should be everyone, animals as well as people. I don’t think it should be restricted to any one group in particular. [...] Yeah, if we want to avoid the situation where some species go extinct because of them, well, I think everyone should be able to benefit” (Emma). The fact that the participants discussed these effects of nanotechnologies is coherent with Pierce’s view (p. 112) that science education should lead to more democratic relations between humans and non-humans. This conversation also illustrates that Decide can lead participants to consider not only the well-being of individuals and societies but also that of environments (animals or biodiversity).
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the participants of this study and their teacher. We would also like to express our gratitude to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, which funded this study.
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Appendix: List of Themes Addressed in the Decide Game Kits Available in English
Appendix: List of Themes Addressed in the Decide Game Kits Available in English
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1.
Ambient assisted living
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2.
Animal testing in biomedical research
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Blood pressure
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Climate change (3 versions)
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Cross border health care
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Diagnosis, information to the patient, genetic counselling
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Digital world (2 versions)
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Energy and sustainability
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Environmental ethics
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eTRIKS: The value of medical research data and its reuse
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Global migrations
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Health technologies: scoping the ‘value of innovation’
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Healthy diet and lifestyle
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HIV/AIDS and legal responsibilit y
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Human enhancement
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Integrating community care and medical care
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Malaria
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Nanotechnology
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Neonatal screening
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Neuro-Enhancement
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Neuroscience – “brain enhancements”
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Orphan drugs
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Patient-team relationships
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Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD)
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Science camps
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Smart cities
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Stem cells
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Structuring of healthcare among regions
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Sustainab le use of forests
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Tuberculosis in Moldova and Romania
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Xenotransplantation
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Young people and the media
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Groleau, A., Pouliot, C. (2017). WISE Preservice Teachers Discussing Social and Economic Disparities During a Discussion Game Dealing with Nanotechnologies. In: Bencze, L. (eds) Science and Technology Education Promoting Wellbeing for Individuals, Societies and Environments. Cultural Studies of Science Education, vol 14. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55505-8_26
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