Raising awareness of pre-symptomatic genetic testing

Abstract

Presymptomatic genetic testing generates socioscientific issues in which decision making is complicated by several complexity factors.These factors include weighing of advantages and disadvantages, different interests of stakeholders, uncertainty of genetic information and conflicting values. Education preparing students for future decision making should address these factors. A research strategy is tested in which short video assisted cases are selected to illustrate the different perspectives on the issue of presymptomatic genetic testing in elite sport and the factors that make decision making complex. The cases contain narratives of real life situations in elite sport. After each case, students note their position and formulate arguments and questions. The strategy was tested in seven classes of pre-university education. Research shows that the strategy is effective in inviting students to consider different perspectives and to generate arguments and questions that cover the issue in a classroom discussion. The strategy requires little time and teacher preparation.