Transcript Teaching the Process of Science

Integrating the process of science into your teaching
Anne E. Egger
Stanford University
Career Prep Workshop
30 July 2010
“I would have liked to learn more about what any given day at
Jonathan [Payne]'s ‘excavation’ site in China entailed. Would he
just stare at rocks for 12 hrs. a day or what else did he do?”
What do I mean by the process of science?
• We believe that students who understand how science works will better
understand and remember scientific concepts
• We also believe we might be able to attract more students into science if they
know what it is really like (or at least we won’t drive them away)
• Unfortunately, our traditional teaching methods and materials focus on the
facts of science, not the process
• And yet, we know that students can learn a lot of facts and still hold many
misconceptions about the process of science
• Effective teaching about the process necessarily involves explicitly addressing
those misconceptions and giving students the time and background to develop
new conceptions
Critical concepts that are unique to Earth
sciences
• Geologic time/deep time
• Spatial thinking, spatial
analysis
• Complexity of the Earth
system
• Scientific basis for major
societal issues: energy,
climate change, water
Natalie Dee
Step one: Uncover misconceptions
What
is wrong
with
this picture?
Spock,
Chief
Science
Officer,
Enterprise
He knows more
than anyone else
He’s Vulcan
He betrays no
emotion
Logic always
prevails
Scary “science
station”
In “The Next Generation”, Spock is replaced by
Data
an android
Misconceptions in the media
“But while Raymond-Whish’s intimate acquaintance with cancer
may harm her credibility as a dispassionate scientist, it may
also propel her to help make startling discoveries where no one
else has thought to look.”
“On Cancer’s Trail” Florence Williams, High Country News, May 26, 2008
“... Darwin... was hardly even a scientist in the sense that we
understand the term - a highly trained specialist whose
professional vocabulary is so arcane that he or she can only
talk to other scientists.”
“Who Was More Important, Lincoln or Darwin?” Malcolm Jones,
Newsweek, July 14, 2008
Misconceptions in textbooks
• There is one scientific method, and it involves experimentation.
• And you must know the question first.
Misconceptions from educational research
• “Everything is science.” Moss et al., 2001 - Interviews of five US high school students in an
environmental science class
• “Technology is really good... so the computer can generate a good
interpretation.” Ryder and Leach, 2000 - Paper survey of 731 science students across Europe +
19 interviews
• Conceptual models are not an important part of data interpretation. Ryder and
Leach, 2000
• Controversy resolves when experiments prove a theory right. Ryder et al., 1999 Interviews of 11 college students at Leeds involved in final year projects
• Scientists may not work alone, but it is unclear how they interact. Ryder et al.,
1999
• Many more misconceptions in your handouts...
Step two: Teaching the process
Address misconceptions
Be explicit
• Example 1: Being explicit in a lecture (~200 people)
• Example 2: Being explicit in an intro lab (~45 people)
• Example 3: Being explicit in an advanced course (~12 people)
Example 1:
lecture from
Introduction to
Earth Systems
Learning outcome:
Students will be able to evaluate the information they
encounter in the news
Let’s give it a try.
Hurricanes and global warming articles in Science Daily.
Hurricane Katrina, Aug. 28, 2005, Image courtesy NOAA
Global warming and hurricanes
h global SST = h hurricane strength
Global warming and hurricanes
h global SST ≠ h hurricane strength
Global warming and hurricanes
h SST = i hurricane landfall
(strength?)
Global warming and hurricanes
h SST = i hurricane frequency, h strength
Global warming and hurricanes
h SST = h storm frequency (strength?)
Global warming and hurricanes
h SST = h hurricane frequency
n hurricane strength
Global warming and hurricanes
• Strong Storms Linked With Rising Sea Surface Temperatures
• Natural Climate Changes Can Intensify Hurricanes More Efficiently Than Global
Warming
• Warmer Ocean Could Reduce Number Of Atlantic Hurricane Landfalls
• Global Warming Has Little Impact In Tropical Storm And Hurricane Numbers, NOAA
Reports
• NASA Study Links Severe Storm Increases, Global Warming
• Hurricane Frequency Is Up But Not Their Strength, Say Researchers
What’s the deal?
How would you go about evaluating these
apparent contradictions?
(Without becoming an expert in climate science/meteorology/hurricane
forecasting.)
Science builds on itself
• Strong Storms Linked With Rising Sea Surface Temperatures March 16, 2006
• Natural Climate Changes Can Intensify Hurricanes More Efficiently Than Global
Warming
December 13, 2007
• Warmer Ocean Could Reduce Number Of Atlantic Hurricane Landfalls
Science in Action!
January 25, 2008
• Global Warming Has Little Impact In Tropical Storm And Hurricane Numbers, NOAA
Reports
May 20, 2008
• NASA Study Links Severe Storm Increases, Global Warming
December 28, 2008
• Hurricane Frequency Is Up But Not Their Strength, Say Researchers
September 23, 2009
Scientific controversy creates progress
Scientists use multiple methods
• Strong Storms Linked With Rising Sea Surface Temperatures
correlation
• Natural Climate Changes Can Intensify Hurricanes More Efficiently Than Global
Warming
modeling
• Warmer Ocean Could Reduce Number Of Atlantic Hurricane Landfalls
observation
• Global Warming Has Little Impact In Tropical Storm And Hurricane Numbers, NOAA
Reports
modeling and simulation
• NASA Study Links Severe Storm Increases, Global Warming
observation and correlation
• Hurricane Frequency Is Up But Not Their Strength, Say Researchers
statistical assessment of existing data
Experimentation?
The most robust ideas in science...
• ... are supported by multiple lines of evidence
• ... are the product of scientific controversy, vetted and
evaluated by the scientific community
• ... have been developed and tested and refined over time
• ... provide a foundation and framework for new scientific
investigations
• ... are still subject to modification, refinement
Example 2 from Dynamic Earth:
Density, Isostasy, and Topography
Learning outcomes:
Students will explain why the Earth has a bimodal distribution of
topography.
Students will describe and utilize the tools and techniques that
geoscientists use to study the Earth.
Height ratio
Wood block measurements
Density ratio
Follow-up questions
• Using your equation, calculate the thickness of the crust
in the Andes, assuming they are made largely of granite
and have an average elevation of 5 km above sea level.
• Based on what you now know about crustal thickness
and isostasy, sketch what you would expect the crust to
look like in an east-west cross-section across South
America. Include approximate crustal thicknesses.
In the geosciences, we...
• ... use detailed description and observation more frequently
than experimentation
• ... use analogous materials that work on short timescales
• ... take repeated measurements to reduce error
• ... share data in order to develop large datasets
• ... develop physical and mathematical models to simplify
complex systems
• ... apply those models to understand new areas
Example 3 from Research Preparation:
Reading the Scientific Literature
Learning outcome:
Students will develop strategies for reading and
comprehending scientific journal articles.
Example assignment
In-class discussion
• Strategies for reading scientific journal articles
• Strategies for using the literature
• Using bibliographic tools like EndNote and RefWorks
Follow-up assignment
Integrating the process into your teaching*
1. Put the process in learning outcomes.
2. Be explicit - all the time.
3. Include readings* that emphasize the process.
4. Use real data.
5. Assess authentically.
What about content?
Resources
• Visionlearning
http://www.visionlearning.com
• Readings about aspects of the process of science
• Can be combined with content-specific readings
•
Teaching the Process of Science
http://serc.carleton.edu/sp/library/process_of_science/index.html
• The how and why
• Activities, readings, and courses
Food for thought
• What misconceptions about the process of science (and the
process of geoscience) did you personally hold? How were they
addressed? How might you address those same misconceptions in
your teaching/advising?
• What aspects of the process of science are most important to
include at different levels, from introductory undergraduate to
advanced graduate?