Digital learning environments and bioethical reasoning: A study of biology students' engagement with human enhancement ethics

This study examines how digital learning environments shape biology students' bioethical reasoning, focusing particularly on perceptions of biotechnological human enhancement. As technological advances in gene editing coincided with the global pandemic, both events catalyzed significant changes in biological education and highlighted the importance of bioethical understanding. Through a survey of 80 students at different educational levels, we explored how exposure to bioethical content in digital educational settings influenced students' ethical reasoning about emerging biotechnologies. Our findings reveal that students who experienced interactive and dialogic digital learning formats demonstrated more nuanced ethical positions, with greater recognition of social implications and potential risks of biotechnological enhancements. The research provides insights into how technological mediation of bioethics education shapes value formation in biology students and suggests strategies for effective digital pedagogical approaches when teaching complex bioethical topics. These findings have significant implications for technology-enhanced biology education during and beyond crisis periods, particularly for preparing future biologists to navigate complex ethical landscapes in their professional practice.