Puna Flamingos in South America. Flamingos are challenged by mining that damages their habitat and water sources, and by hunters who are after their tongues and eggs. However, legal protections and education campaigns have been successful in helping the birds survive (including the 1918 Migratory Bird Act; creation of National Parks; and the "Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of High Andean Flamingos and their Habitats" of 2008). Source: Flamingos-World Photo Credit: Pedro Szekely/Flickr/CC by 2.0 2007 in Bolivia, South America

Discussion Board Assignment and Guidelines

The Goals of Discussion

The three goals of the Discussion Board are to:

Practice using the tools of ethics.
Explore the ideas presented in the readings and lectures in more detail.
Create a community of learning.

We are all explorers here. It is expected that your views will change. Indeed, you are encouraged to take on different points of view even during one discussion (though make it clear when you do so, so people do not get confused). We are not concerned with having consistent views through the whole quarter, or holding each other accountable for what was said earlier. Instead, we are putting forward new ideas and examining them together in the spirit of camaraderie and discovery. That said, put forward ideas that are plausible and respectful. Keep your comments grounded in the frameworks and reasons (Kant's Formula of Ends, Mill's Utilitarianism, Care Ethics, etc.), and present them with a proper Bioethics attitude.

Discussion Board Assignment 90 points total

Lead the Discussion

Each student will lead two discussions. When it is your turn to lead the discussion, you will:

1) answer the discussion prompt for that week (150-400 words, due Tuesday, 10 points)

2) post at least two replies (100-350 words, due Thursday, 5 points each)

To sign up, go to Collaborations. Follow the links to the Google Document, and add your name to the document. All students must sign up to lead two discussions. (If, after you sign up, you need to switch dates with another student, please contact that student directly using the Canvas Inbox. You may posts requests to switch on the Logistics Discussion Board.)

Replies

Each student is required to reply at least once to each discussion board (100-350 words, due Thursday, 5 points).

What this means is that each week, a few students will post an initial post, and all the students will respond. (Remember, when it is your turn to lead discussion, you will be required to post two replies, as mentioned above).

More replies are encouraged! The ideal number of posts are 1-6 posts per week, so don't worry about posting too many replies. You may also post your own post. If you are not the discussion leader, but you still want to post your own question, ideas, or answer to the prompt, I encourage you to do so. Think of the discussion groups as our classroom. Your comments are welcome there!

Introductory Discussion Board & Conclusion Discussion Board

All students are required to answer the posted prompt on the Introductory Discussion Board (first week of the quarter) and the Concluding Discussion (last week of the quarter). 10 points

All students are required to post at least one reply to the Introductory Discussion Board and the Concluding Discussion Board. 5 points

Discussion Board Grading Rubric

Initial posts and replies earning most or full points will do all or most of the following:

Timing

Be on time or early so others can reply and engage in conversation.

Content

Add something new to the conversation
Be meaningful and substantial (quality matters, not quantity)*
Give complete answers to the Discussion Prompt (for initial posts)
State facts that are true. Present accurate description of others’ views

Logic & Reasoning (Starting with Module 3)
Tone & Style

Use respectful and kind language
Clearly explain which part of a post you are replying to (for replies)
Acknowledge other people’s ideas
Cite sources when you can. (Ideas you get from the reading should mention the reading. Include page numbers if you can, but due to time constraints this isn’t necessary. Ideas you get from an online websearch should mention which pages you visited. Ideas you get from fellow students should mention those students.)

Sample reply that earns 0 points:

“Sasha, I really liked what you said about Leopold's Land Ethic. I agree with you completely. You covered all the main points. Great post!”

Sample reply that earns full points:

“Great post. I have a clarification question. You mentioned that in one of our readings, Aldo Leopold wrote, 'A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise' (Leopold, pg. 125). This reminds me of Mill's Utilitarianism, but instead of trying to maximize the well-being of humans, Leopold says we are required to maximize the well-being of the biotic community as whole. Is anyone else seeing this statement as a moral framework, too? And if so, how do we do that? I'm not even sure which of my actions help the "biotic community" and which of my actions hurt it. And what is included in the biotic community?"

Sample reply that earns full points:

“Riku, the Moral Dilemmas you posed are very intriguing. I was struck by one in particular and I have an objection to your claim that we should outlaw trophy hunting. You question whether it is right to kill individual elephants in order to save the herd. I had that same thought when I was reading the material. If we value the lives of elephants and consider them moral patients, then isn't it wrong to kill any of them?

However, if we look at that question through Utilitarianism then we have to look at which scenario causes the least amount of harm. Based on the article we read by Rachel Nuwer, trophy hunting is actually providing the funding to protect animals in some countries. Making trophy hunting illegal everywhere could lead to a lot more suffering of elephants and also of people. Meanwhile, the biggest threat to elephants is poaching, which is already illegal. So to bring about the best outcome, we should focus our efforts on building economies on countries like Zimbabwe, so that poachers have alternative sources of food and income. I would think that something along those lines would be the most moral decision if we look at the dilemma through the lens of Utilitarianism.”

*Ideas on how to make your post meaningful:

Share your own personal or professional experience to add insight to the conversation
Describe how the lectures have changed your mind in important ways
Make connections between several different posts and build on the conversation
Incorporate a moral framework
Incorporate the reading
Object to claims made in other posts, or respond to objections
Mention the details of the examples under discussion and explain how these details are relevant
Connect with material from previous Modules, or other classes you have taken

Final Note on grammar and spelling:

In order to facilitate frequent, low-stakes posting and in-depth conversations without using all of your time, I will not be strict about proper grammar and spelling. The goal is for you to communicate ideas clearly, respectfully, and quickly. That said, please do your best to use formal language and capitalization in all posts. Organize the material in each post so people can understand what you saying.

Have fun exploring different points of view! Be kind and creative!