Projects matching your search criteria
Development of an Enquiry-Based programme for exploring the scientific method
We will develop an enquiry-based programme that will provide first year students with the skills to critically evaluate the scientific method and scientific knowledge. The programme will be delivered in a series of tutorials, where students will elaborate hypotheses, collect data, and draw conclusions from (sometimes) conflicting evidence. Students will also research databases, give an oral presentation, and write an essay. The course will culminate with a seminar by a leading researcher from outside the University. The programme will help students develop a critical understanding of the facts, and the need for alternative hypotheses, enabling them to grapple more rapidly and effectively with units which require a greater degree of independent thought. We will focus on the question “What is the origin of humans?”, using different kinds of data (e.g. DNA sequence and morphological data).
Project Team: Paula X Kover, Matthew Cobb, Henry McGhie Faculty: Life Sciences
Funding year: 2006
Keywords: scientific, method, critical thinking, evaluation, knowledge, data collection, hypothesis, research, dna, presentation, hypotheses
Life Sciences go to the movies
This project aims to develop problem-based learning exercises based around popular movies to support level 1-3 tutorials in Life Sciences degree programmes. Students will work in tutorial groups to view carefully selected films, discuss their content (with tutor as facilitator). They will then conduct research and meet without their tutor to devise and produce group oral or poster presentations suitable for peer and/or non-scientist audiences, concerning the scientific and ethical content of the film. Examples of suitable films include Awakenings (Parkinson's disease and the ethics of human experimentation) and GATTACA (human genome project and eugenics). It is anticipated that the use of movies as a teaching medium will engage students due to its novelty and entertainment value, will stimulate discussion of a broader range of topics than might be elicited by a conventional text-based PBL scenario, and will act as a stepping stone to criticism of 'more serious' scientific writing.
Project Team: Dr Richard Prince Faculty: Life Sciences
Funding year: 2008
Keywords: film, critical writing, ethics, presentation, pbl, scientific
