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ENG101 Common Final 
Spring, 1998

Genetic testing will / will not improve the quality of life.

Introduction to the Issue of Genetic Testing

Genetic testing is a rapidly growing field in the world today. Current genetic tests (screening) can indicate specific disorders which may be congenital (inherited) or changed or damaged genes caused by chemical exposure through a person's job. Nevertheless, the most common reason for utilizing genetic testing is to determine inherited diseases. These can be done prenatally or postnatally. However, the location of specific genes which can now indicate the propensity for developing a disease has created overwhelming joy as well as concern among researchers, doctors and the general populace.

These advances in genetic testing are also likely to have profound social and political implications, legal ramifications and psychological costs. When examining how these test may impact the quality of life, one must first determine what that means. Does this quality of life refer to the general well being of a person or just their general health? How will knowing that one may have a disease (some time in the future) impact their life style? Will it intimidate their employer or the possibility of obtaining health coverage? If a parent tests a child, when or should the child be told the results? How will the knowledge impact the parents in how they raise and interact with the child? Consequently, with testing comes the need for genetic counseling.

In response to worldwide concerns, UNESCO drafted an Universal Declaration of Human Rights as related to the human genome which will be voted upon at the General Conference in November of this year. Some of these rights are:
 

    1. "Everyone has a right to respect for their dignity and for their rights regardless of their genetic characteristics."
    2. "Everyone must be able to benefit from advances in biology and genetics, with due regard to their dignity and rights."
    3. "No one may be subjected to discrimination based on genetic characteristics ...."
    4. "Genetic data associated with a named person and stored or processed for the purposes of research or any other purpose must be held confidential and protected against disclosure to third parties."

TO:  Faculty Participants in the Common Final

The information contained in your Faculty Packet for the Common Final for Fall, 1997, includes the following:

  • Articles that are relevant to the Common Final Topic
  • Instructions for accessing WEB site addresses
  • Selected annotated bibliography of additional articles
  • List of GCC videos available to supplement classroom activities
  • List of materials on reserve at the GCC Library Circulation Desk
  • Suggested classroom activities and instructions for administering the Common Final

The Student Packets contain the following: 

  • The Common Final Topic
  • Articles on the topic
  • Selected annotated bibliography of additional articles Instructions for accessing WEB site
  • List of GCC videos available to supplement classroom activities List of materials on reserve at the GCC Library Circulation Desk


Suggested Classroom Activities for Preparation for the Common Final
  1. Assign a group to review specific article and/or video and then present the information to the entire class.
  2. View the videos available from the GCC Library.
  3. Ask students to define/discuss what the quality of life means to them.
  4. Invite guest speakers to discuss with students various aspects of genetic testing. If permitted by the guest speaker, video tape the presentation to share with other classes.
  5. To initiate dialogue among students about controversial subjects, present a subject, e.g. mandatory testing and placement for community college courses. Ask students to go to one side of the room if they strongly agree or to go to the other side if they strongly disagree. Ask students to share with the class their reasons for agreement or disagreement, allowing students to change sides as they hear the reasons.
  6. Have an informal debate on the impact of genetic testing on society.
  7. Prior to the Common Final exam, students should be assigned an in-class essay. In other words, the in-class Common Final exam should be a part of the instructional process, not a first-time assignment.


Instructions for Administering the Common Final
  1. Prior to the exam day, faculty should inform students of the following:
  2. The common final topic:
    3. Genetic testing will/will not improve the quality
  3. Materials that students can bring to class on the day of the final:

    4. At a minimum students should be allowed to bring a 3x5 index card on which they have prepared an outline of the common final essay, their student packets, and any articles their instructor has used in class or has approved as resource material for the common final.
  4. Use of outside resources to support an argument: Students' essays need to include relevant outside sources to support the main ideas of their arguments. Their essays should not be based solely on personal opinion.
  5. Papers should be in the following format:

    6. a. Papers that are not laser printed should be written in blue or black pen.
    b. Writing should be double spaced and on only one side of the paper.
    c. Pages of the papers should be numbered.

Note to Faculty: Prior to submitting your students' papers, please identify papers that
you found difficult to grade by writing a "P" in the upper right-hand corner of the first page of those essays. Also, remember to note the numbers of the packets so that you can identify your students' papers after Assessment Day.

Instructions for Accessing WEB Site For Information About News Media's Influence on the Public

1. There are two ways to get to the ENG101 Common Final materials on the World Wide Web.

    In the location box at the top of the Netscape window type in this URL:
    http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/English/assessment/comfinal.html


OR

2. From GCC's Home Page, locate the link for the English department. Click on the word Assessment in the left side menu. Under Levels, click on Departmental.  Then, locate the link for ENG 101 Common Assignment materials in the main text.

WEBSITES

Review of Genetic Testing http://ww2.med.jhu.edu/tfgtelsi/promoting/prinrec-REVIEW.html
This site gives a short one and a half page review of Genetic testing by the Task Force on Genetic Testing.

Review of Genetic Testing http://ww2.med.jhu.edu/tfgtelsi/promoting/
This site gives the members of the above Task Force on Genetic Testing.

Search Results from Excite http://www.excite.com/search.gw?trace=a&search=genetic+testing
This web site offers additional web sites for specific articles on genetic testing.

MATERIALS IN THE GCC LIBRARY

These books are on 1 hour reserve at the Circulation Desk.  In order to check these materials out, the student must have a current student ID card.

Long, Robert Emmet, ed.  Rights to Privacy.  New York:  H. W..  Wilson, 1997.
     (Reference shelf, v.69, no. 3) KF1262 .R54 1997

Taking Sides:  Bioethical Issues.  Ref R724 T35 1995 (issue 20); Ref R724 T35 1997 (issue 14)

These are the same, just newer editions although these articles are not different.

  • Nelkin, Dorothy.  Dangerous Diagnostics:  The Social Power of Biological Information.  New York:     Basic Books, 1989. RA427.5 .N45 1989
  • Barker, Penelope, ed.  Genetics and Society.  New York: H. W. Wilson, 1995. (Reference Shelf, v.67, no. 3) QH438.7 G44 1995
  • Wekesser, Carol, ed. Genetic Engineering. San Diego: Greenhaven, 1996. QH442 G444 1996.

The following are located at the table behind the Reference Desk:

  • CQ Researcher 1993: 1023.  Short sidebar on DNA Profiling/Medical Screening
  • Gene Therapy’s Future. CQ Researcher 8 Dec. 1995: 1103-1104.
  • Reproductive Ethics. CQ Researcher 8 Apr. 1994: 295-296.

Videos:

This video conference probes the possible effects of the "electronic village" and related ethical and social concerns such as access and privacy.

Quality of Life in the Electronic Village. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1995. (150 min) TK5105.5 Q38 1995

The section on health and health insurance is applicable to the topic of genetic testing.

Off Limits: your health, your job, your privacy. Educational Film Center in association with WETA. PBS, 1994 (57 min) HD6971.8 .O44 1994

A Question of Genes: Inherited Risks.  PBS, 1997. (120 min.)

This tape highlights the ramifications (positive and negative) of predictive genetic testing through dialog with patients, doctors and a gene discovery company.  Actual cases are followed over a period of time

NOTE:  Library of Congress uses Medical Screening, not Genetic Testing as a subject heading.  In Infotrac, both subject headings can be used.  Also use keyword search

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