Course Code: WSC-321
Course Title: What is Science?
Credit Hours: 3(3-0)
COURSE OUTLINE/WEEKLY BREAKDOWN
|
Module Name |
Time (weeks) |
Goal |
Topics |
|
Overview of Science and
the Scientific Method |
1 |
Introduce students to the
course and develop a basic understanding of science and the scientific
process. |
What is science? What qualifies as science?
Why does it matter? Who practices it? Introduction to important terminology: Fact, hypothesis, theory,
law |
|
Evolution of the
Scientific Method across Civilizations |
3 |
Expose students to the
evolving understanding of science across time in different civilizations.
This module emphasizes to students that modern science is a result of
contributions of different people from different civilizations
all over the world |
Prehistory, Mesopotamia
& Egypt, Greeks, China, South Asia, Arab/Islamic, European Examples
of scientific contributions from different regions are used to show
different forms of reasoning that were used to determine the nature of
reality and develop science as a process, e.g. inductive, deductive,
abductive, hypothetico-deductive, falsification. |
|
The Modern
Scientific Method |
1 |
Establish what the current
practice of science looks like. Discuss the role of science in today’s
society and understand limitations of the modern scientific method. |
What does modern science
look like today? What are the advantages of
using this method? What are the limitations? How did science become
the dominant method of
understanding the natural world? |
|
Introduction to Areas/Branches
of Science |
7 |
Develop student interest
and passion for natural sciences. Help students in choice of major based on
their interest in the different sciences. Provide an
opportunity for students to practice the scientific method using various lab settings. |
1 week (Intro to
areas/branches of science) 2 weeks (Physics) = Major
themes in Physics, Applications, Experiments 2 weeks (Chemistry) =
Major themes in Chemistry, Applications, Experiments 2 weeks (Biology) = Major
themes in Biology, Applications, Experiments For each of the branches: ·
Introduction to core ideas and important theories (e.g. Physics:
Gravity, Chemistry: Atomic theory, Biology: |
|
|
|
|
Evolution by Natural Selection). ·
Introduction to possible majors: How do they relate to various
professions/fields. ·
Practical applications of ideas from each field |
|
How to spot
FAKE SCIENCE!? |
2 |
Equip students to identify
flawed and fraudulent approaches to science, and what to avoid when doing
scientific research. |
Practices leading
to pseudoscience Case-studies from popular discourse
(e.g. Cold Fusion, Telepathy, N-rays etc.) |
|
Scientific communication |
1 |
Students learn how science
is conducted and communicated in modern times, how to differentiate between
good and poor- quality scientific research, and best practices for conducting scientific research |
Introduction to the Peer
Review (advantages and misuse) Importance of controls and
replication (link with the replication crisis in science) |
+by+Blacklotus+Landscaping.jpg)
.jpeg)
0 Comments