How do we get students to think like scientists? Fiona Rawle

How do we get students to think like scientists?

Fiona Rawle

Curriculum Mapping Project

• Undergraduate curriculum mapping:– Learning Outcomes– BOK Map (Body of knowledge – concepts)– Skill Map (Biology Skill Set)

• Every LO gets mapped accordingly to:– Taught, Assessed (-/T/A)– Introduced, Reinforced, Advanced (I/R/A)

• Using the review of the curriculum map to inform course redesign

BIO152Introduction to Evolution and

Evolutionary Genetics

BIO153Diversity of Organisms

BIO204Introduction to

Physiology

BIO205Ecology

BIO206Introductory Cell and

Molecular Biology

BIO207Introductory

Genetics

Core Courses

BIO215Laboratory in

Molecular Biology and Genetics

BIO360Biometrics I

BIO152

• We need to lay the foundation for future learning.

• Students need to know how science works, rather than learning lists/collections of facts.

• Need to learn to think like scientists…and later, think like scientists to learn.

Introductory Biology Course

Re-Design

1. “Thinking Like a

Scientist” Introductory

Module

2. Case Study Based

Tutorial Sessions 3. Inquiry

Based Labs

4. “Science vs.

Pseudoscience” Lecture Examples5. Scientific

Literacy Assignment

6. Active Learning

Exercises in Lecture

Nature of science

Process of science

Scientific Reasoning Skills

The process of science exploration is not about

“right answers”

Thinking Like A Scientist Module

What is science? Who does science?

Process of Science

Science around you

Why should you care?

Nature of scienceProcesses of scienceRoles of evidenceRoles of theoryGeneration of hypothesesInterpretation of dataCreation and use of models

What do you think of when you hear the word “scientist”?

-old-smart-conducts experiments

Sciencebuddies.org

www.understandingscience.org

What’s “wrong” with the simplified, linear scientific method?

• implies that scientific studies follow an constant, one-way recipe. (Reality: different order; different activities; repeats).

• implies that science is done by individual scientists alone. (Reality: different people might do different parts; collaboration; scientists actually talk to one another.)

• implies that science has little room for creativity. (Reality: process of science is exciting, dynamic, and unpredictable).

• implies that science concludes. (Reality: investigations are often ongoing; conclusions are reversible).

From: www.understandingscience.org

www.understandingscience.org

www.understandingscience.org

www.understandingscience.org

www.understandingscience.org

Science vs PseudoscienceScience vs Spin

www.understandingscience.org

Chlorophyll Supplementation

• “…take chlorophyll supplements to oxygenate your bowel”

(See expanded description of this chlorophyll example in Bad Science by Ben Goldacre)

Questions

• Will chlorophyll oxygenate your bowel?• Does chlorophyll contain oxygen?• Can photosynthesis occur in your bowel?• Do you want oxygen in your bowel?

Students assist in developing conceptual framework

Student generated steps…• Question the rationale.• Question the source.• Come up with a question.• Come up with a hypothesis.• Design a controlled experiment to test the

claim.

• “Contains stem cells and DNA technology”

• “Replace aged cells with younger cells”

• “Repair damage”• “Reverse the

aging process”

“Detox Foot Bath”

1. Rationale2. Source3. Question4. Hypothesis5. Prediction6. Experiment7. More Questions

How will we assess this?

• Concept assessments / inventories• NOSCA (Nature of science concept

assessment)

Acknowledgements & Resources

• Mindy Thuna, Science Librarian• Cleo Boyd, Academic Skills Centre

• www.understandingscience.org• Koslowski, B. (1996). Theory and evidence: The development

of scientific reasoning. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.• Zimmerman, C. (2000). The development of scientific

reasoning skills. Developmental Review, 20, 99–149.• Link to “experiment” on detox foot bath, used as a class

example for critiquing experiments– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlvUHukhT9Q