3Rs PROJECT-ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION IN SCIENTIFIC LITERACY

Abstract

<p>Many medicinal and toxic compounds are tested on animals before they are declared safe for human use, animals are also used in basic and applied research. But this can be costly, it can cause suffering to animals, and the results do not always to translate successfully to humans. The 3Rs project build learning activities for secondary school pupils to introduce the principles of the 3Rs - the Replacement, Reduction and Refinement of animal experiments. Students will develop their critical thinking and science literacy skills by exploring topics such as ethics in science, how the European Union is protecting the welfare of laboratory animals, and what high-tech non-animal tools are available as alternatives. These six learning scenarios related the 3R principle are available for secondary school teachers in the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), organised by the European Schoolnet Academy. One of the learning scenarios prepared within the scope of this project is "Animal Experimentation in Scientific Literacy".</p><p>Aim of this learning scenario;</p><ul><li>Students can illustrate the relation between science and society on an ethical and philosophical base.</li> <li>Students can create answers on sustainability problems concerning animal welfare.</li> <li>Students can think critically about emotions vs facts about animals used in science.</li> <li>Students can formulate well-built arguments in a critical debate.</li> </ul><p>To implement this learning scenario;</p><p>Teacher starts with a presentation that describes good science, bad science, pseudoscience and fake news. Good science, bad science/fake news are explained with cases, and discussed with pupils. For instance, these are the subjects of astrology, anti-vaccination, flat world beliefs etc. The topic of animal experimentation and animal welfare is presented to pupils as the subject of the lesson. Pupils are divided into five groups to make literature review about animal experimentation and animal welfare.</p><p>Each group research one of the questions below;   </p><ul><li>Do scientists need animals in science?</li> <li>How animals are affected by experiments in laboratories?</li> <li>What are pros and cons of animal experimentation in science?</li> <li>What could be the alternatives instead of animals inexperimentation?</li> <li>What are ethics in animal experimentation?</li> </ul><p>Each group make literature review and discuss their compiled knowledge by a presentation with other pupils in the classroom. Afterwards, pupils carry out their own research in the school environment and create an online survey to collect data related with their research question about 3Rs and animal experimentation. They implement the survey at the school. They collect data and create a graph for each question. They interpret data and make a conclusion. Pupils evaluate their work according to sample size large, groups represented by the sample and whether the questions are neutral in regards to good science.</p><p>All in all, this learning scenario aims pupils to come by an experience on how good science works and how to avoid bad science and fake news, and improve their scientific literacy skills by the awareness of animal use in science.</p>