Giovanni Parmigiani, Professor of Biostatistics, selects new scientific articles as well as opinion pieces for freshman seminar course FRSEMR 22H – My Genes and Cancer to discuss in-the-moment scientific discoveries in genetics research, and encourages students to also recommend topics of interest. This “equal basis of ignorance” establishes an environment where he and his students learn and develop opinions together.
Less constrained by his expertise, Parmigiani finds students ask the really simple (and hard) questions. They have to wrestle more concretely with moral dilemmas such as the implications of changing the genome of future children, poke holes in each other’s assumptions and arguments, and develop their own voices. This deepens debate and discussion.
Sometimes the real-time focus can be challenging to manage: “A few times I’ve entered into ‘no man’s land’ where I posed a challenge that no one feels comfortable speaking about.” While he expects some readings might be technically challenging for students, his goal is to help them understand the scientific content just enough, allowing students to explore the ways in which such information might lead a patient to make a life-altering health decision.
De-emphasizing the authoritative professorial role lends an urgency to the discussion and amplifies participation; “Students feel more in charge and responsible for the learning happening in class.”
