Building a scientific world view, virtually

Mike Klymkowsky & Tom Lundy

UC Boulder & virtuallaboratory.net

education-2008 conference

What is a scientific world view? "Scientific knowledge is a body of knowledge of varying degrees of certainty—some most unsure, some nearly sure, but none absolutely certain … Now we scientists are used to this, and we take it for granted that it is perfectly consistent to be unsure, that it is possible to live and

not know." - Richard Feynmann.

How do we attain to scientific knowledge and how do we estimate its reliability?

Observation

Experimentation

Logical inference

Hypothesis & Theory

The skills involved in experimental design and analysis,

Commonly assumed to the taught in science lecture and laboratory courses.

First chemistry lab course in 1807 in Edinburgh

“Thus, practical training in chemistry sprang up in universities all over Europe and North America. These were devoted to the teaching of skills directly used in industries and research. Practical work at this played a vital role in confirming the theory which was already taught in the classroom. However, some doubts also arose about the efficiency of teaching through practical work in chemistry.” – Reid & Shah. 2007. The role of laboratory work in university chemistry. Chem. Ed. Res. And Practice. 8:172-185.

In fact …Most lecture courses focus on “right or wrong” and memory/algorithm recognition-based learning rather than scientific thinking and conceptual understanding (e.g. identifying and testing assumptions).

see bioliteracy.net

Most laboratory courses offer little chance for rigorous/realistic scientific experiences - they have adapted to practical constraints and are often little more than “cookbook” exercises.

At the same time …Conventional laboratory courses are extremely resources intensive. While anecdotal evidence is often used to support their value, there is little objective evidence related to what students actually

learn or they influence students’ perceptions or appreciation of science.

They may, in fact, have negative effects.

Alternative strategies …

Open-ended

web/computer-based applets virtual laboratories

Physics Educational Technologydeveloped by Carl Wieman and colleagues

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http://phet.colorado.edu/new/index.php

Rich java applets – can be adaptedto many contexts

Immersive experiential systems developed by virtuallaboratory.net

http://virtuallaboratory.net

Flash / web-based applets

Based on mathematical models of underlying processes

http://www.virtuallaboratory.net.

On mutation:Luria-Delbruck experiment on origins of mutation

(selection or induction)

On adaptation: Bacterial adaptation and “speciation” in the lab.

and lots of possible projects from gene/physiological networks

to genetic engineering