Nature of Science FPLC Weide 2006-7
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Reflections on my Experience in the XYZ Faculty and Professional Learning Community, My Name, My Department, Mesa Community College, Contact me (mailto:myemail)
Sumary: My project summary.
Contents |
XYZ FPLC Background
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My Initial Views on XYZ
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XYZ FPLC Activities Experienced
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Reflection on the Nature of Science
I joined the Nature of Science FPLC with a specific goal in mind. In discussions with other science faculty, I have felt a void in my comprehension of the Scientific Method. I have developed my own style presenting this concept in my classes, yet it seemed to clash with how other faculty define key terms and with how they navigate through the scientific method. Thus, my project is to define key terms used in describing the scientific method and to determine the procedural steps used in the scientific method. If I have a clear orderly understanding of the scientific method in my own mind then some of this insight should filter down to my students.
I. Preliminary Investigation
The first step in my project was to evaluate text books of different disciplines within our Nature of Science learning community (astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, mathematics, physics and psychology). Its was immediately obvious that there are variations in how the scientific method is presented.
Physics-Physicist will tell you to do what ever seems right when applying the scientific method. There is very little information, if any, in their text books about the scientific method.
Geology and Chemistry - Geologist and Chemist are more specific about the scientific method. They basically consider four main criteria of the scientific method: data, hypothesis, experimentation and theory.
Biology and Psychology-Biologist and Psychologist are very prudent about the scientific method. They clearly define the terms used in the scientific method and they typically provide many procedural steps for the scientific method.
Mathematics- Mathematicians have their own unique set of terminology that clashes with rest of the sciences, particularily in how they develop theories. For example they use proofs to establish theorems yet in the sciences we can never prove any hypothesis. Hypothesis can alway be disproven, but never proven.
II. Scientific Method Survey
I incorporated all the information gather from the various text books into a questionaire to use in our learning community to help establish a position on the Scientific Method. Information that was duplicated was eliminated from the questionaire. The questionaire follows:
I. a) What is your discipline ? ____________________
b) How comfortable do you feel with the terminology associated with the Scientific Method ? (Circle one)
a) Very Good
b) Ok
c) No opinion
d) Some Issues
e) Lots of Issues
II.For your discipline, the initial information used to develop a hypothesis usually comes from which of the following sources. (You may check more than one source)
a) _____ Raw data
b) _____ Observed phenomena
c) _____ Case Histories
d) _____ Animal behavior
e) _____ A whim
f) _____ Previous experiences
g) _____ Other_________________
III. Which of the following do you think are the most essential in explaining the Scientific Method. Limit your choices to the best five or six. Most text books only list four of these criteria (You may add others that you feel are equally important)
a)___Observation of phenomena
b)___Questions concerning observations
c)___Literature Research
d)___Hypothesis
e)___Experimentation
f)___Data Analysis
g)___Conclusions
h)___Models
i)___Theories (Scientific Theories)
j)___Laws (Scientific Laws)
k)___Reporting of Results
l)___Other____________________
IV. The following definitions were found in various text books from following disciplines:biology, chemistry, environmental science, geology, physics & psychology.
(Circle the letter for the definition that best fits your interpretation of the following.)
a) Hypothesis
1.A hypothesis is a conditional explanation that can
be verified or falsified.
2.A hypothesis is an unproven theory.
3.A hypothesis is a tentative (or untested)
explanation for a set of observations.
4.A hypothesis is a scientific interpretation in its
original tentative form.
5.A hypothesis is a logical, simple, testable
statement that attempts to explain an event or
answers a question.
b) Scientific Theory
1.A scientific theory is a hypothesis which has a vote
of confidence from the scientific community.
2.A scientific theory explains an integrated set of
principles that organizes and predicts behaviors and
events.
3.A scientific theory (or Scientific Law) is a
hypothesis that has survived checking and
rechecking.
4.A scientific theory is a broadly written statements
that cover large bodies of knowledge.. It is well
thought out.
5.A scientific theory is a synthesis of a large body
of information that encompasses well-tested and
verified hypotheses (pl) about certain aspects of
the natural world.
c) Scientific Law
1.A scientific law is an expression or statement that
accounts for a natural process and from which there
is no known deviation.
2.A scientific law is a concise verbal statement or a
mathematical equation that summarizes a broad
variety of observations and experiences.
3.A scientific law is a concise verbal or a
mathematical statement of a relationship between
phenomena that is always the same under the same
conditions.
4.A scientific law usually states a regularity or
relationship of some kind.
5.A scientific law is a hypothesis that has survived
repeated examination by many investigators over a
long period of time and that has a central
importance to an area of science.
V.Define the following terms (hypothesis, scientific
theory and scientific law):
A.)Check the terminology that would be an integral part of your definition;
B.)then, Write your definition using these terms or none of these terms if appropriate.
1. Hypothesis-
a) _____tentative
b) _____statement
c) _____conditional
d) _____explanation
e) _____theory
f) _____testable
g) _____interpretation
h) _____logical
i) _____testable
j) _____accepted
k) _____conclusion
l) _____model
m) _____unproven
n) _____observations
o) _____data
p) _____(other)______________
Hypothesis_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
2.Theory-
a) _____proven
b) _____test
c) _____evidence
d) _____explains
e) _____predicts
f) _____phenomena
g) _____sets of observations
h) _____supported
i) _____unifying
j) _____never changes
k) _____hypothesis
l) _____inter-related ideas
m) _____principles
n) _____model
o) _____confidence
p) _____(other)______________
Theory____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
3.Scientific Law-
a) _____absolute
b) _____concise
c) _____theory
d) _____proven
e) _____tested
f) _____hypothesis
g) _____natural processes
h) _____supported
i) _____many investigators
j) _____mathematical equation
k) _____statement
l) _____repeated examination
m) _____relationship
o) _____unifying
p) _____(other)______________
Scientific Law__________________________________________
________________________________________________________
V. Once a hypothesis has been supported ( by experimental testing or otherwise) what do you feel is the best terminology to be used to describe the supported hypothesis? (Check one)
a)____ a supported hypothesis
b)____ a theory
c)____ a scientific theory
d)____ a law
e)____ a scientific law
f)____ a Paradigm
g)____ a model
h)____ a concept
i)____ a principle
j)____ other __________________
III. Results of Survey and Work Session
The discussion within our Nature of Science FPLC resulted in definitions for key terms used in the scientific method.
A hypothesis is a testable statement that attempts explain a phenomena or answers a question.
A scientific law is descriptive in nature. It is a concise verbal or mathematical statement of a relationship between variables needed to describe natural phenomena under a given set of conditions.
A scientific theory is a general framework of principles, hypothesis, models, laws, etc that explains a
natural phenomena and has predictive value.
Our FPLC agreed that there was no natural progression from a a Scientific Theory to a Scientific law. A Scientific Theory is more apt to be a group of Scientific Laws,etc that together are used to explain natural phenomena. Where as a Scientific Law is the relationship between two variables.
The orderly progression of using the Scientific Method pretty much follows the multi-step process listed in the Survey. The major difference was that the Scientific Methods procedure can start at any one of the designated steps. These steps are:
a)___Observation of phenomena
b)___Questions concerning observations
c)___Literature Research
d)___Hypothesis
e)___Experimentation
f)___Data Analysis
g)___Conclusions
h)___Models
i)___Theories (Scientific Theories)
j)___Laws (Scientific Laws)
k)___Reporting of Results
IV. A Follow-up
Stephen Hawking
According to Stephen Hawking in A Brief History of Time, "a theory is a good theory if it satisfies two requirements: It must accurately describe a large class of observations on the basis of a model that contains only a few arbitrary elements, and it must make definite predictions about the results of future observations". He goes on to state, "any physical theory is always provisional, in the sense that it is only a hypothesis; you can never prove it. No matter how many times the results of experiments agree with some theory, you can never be sure that the next time the result will not contradict the theory. On the other hand, you can disprove a theory by finding even a single repeatable observation that disagrees with the predictions of the theory".
The defining characteristic of a scientific theory is that it makes falsifiable or testable predictions about things not yet observed.
Occam's razor
Occam's razor (also spelled Ockham's razor) is a principle attributed to the 14th-century English logician and Franciscan friar William of Ockham. The principle states that the explanation of any phenomenon should make as few assumptions as possible, eliminating, or "shaving off," those that make no difference in the observable predictions of the explanatory hypothesis or theory.
This is often paraphrased as "All things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the best one." In other words, when multiple competing theories are equal in other respects, the principle recommends selecting the theory that introduces the fewest assumptions and postulates the fewest hypothetical entities. It is in this sense that Occam's razor is usually understood.
Final Reflection on XYZ in Teaching and Learning
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Annotated Resources and References on XYZ
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