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Softened tone in science minus science.
author Dylan Holmes <ocsenave@gmail.com>
date Sat, 29 Oct 2011 21:18:54 -0500
parents 4dfeaf1a70c0
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8:4dfeaf1a70c0 9:23db8b1f0ee7
1 #+title: Science Minus Science 1 #+title: Science Minus Science
2 #+author: Dylan Holmes 2 #+author: Dylan Holmes
3 #+email: ocsenave@gmail.com 3 #+email: ocsenave@gmail.com
4 #+description: What's wrong with our current Science Education? 4 #+description: The debate between teaching scientific facts and the scientific way to think.
5 #+SETUPFILE: ../../aurellem/org/setup.org 5 #+SETUPFILE: ../../aurellem/org/setup.org
6 #+INCLUDE: ../../aurellem/org/level-0.org 6 #+INCLUDE: ../../aurellem/org/level-0.org
7 7
8 I'm worried that science classes are becoming unscientific.
9 Typically, science classes are supposed to teach not only how the world works, but also how
10 to think scientifically. Lately, however, our mentality has been
11 marginalized to make time for teaching students all the theory that
12 eventual college students should know.
13 #I've noticed that classrooms
14 #have been heavily emphasizing our information, rather than our
15 #mentality. They haven't forgotten about teaching ways to think, but
16 #they insist that teachers familiarize their students
17 #with theories that every college student should know.
18 Because our theories are complex,
19 with intricacies that would be cruel and unusual to
20 inflict upon unsuspecting pupils, such a curriculum requires teachers to be frugal with the facts: they must prune tangential
21 subjects and pare whatever's left, watering down complicated results
22 into simplified half-truths. They must avoid the imperfect boundaries
23 of our knowledge, instead concentrating on an idealized and sanitized
24 account of what we know. But what's the result of such abbreviation?
8 25
9 Today's science classrooms are remarkably 26 #Needs must when the devil drives, of
10 unscientific. According to prevailing wisdom, it is less important to teach 27 #course--but what is the end result?
11 the empirical mindset than to impart our accumulated scientific
12 knowledge. Thus, because the field is so vast nowadays, teachers are
13 obliged to be frugal with the facts: they must prune tangential
14 subjects and pare whatever's left, watering down complicated results
15 into simplified half-truths. Needs must when the devil drives, of
16 course--but what is the end result?
17 28
18 In modern science classrooms, students must swallow a 29 #As a result of this shift, they have been saddled with the
19 deluge of unfamiliar scientific dogma in time to 30 #difficult task of disseminating complex scientific theories in a short
20 regurgitate it onto an exam. To accomplish this daunting task, they 31 #period of time
21 cannot possibly stop to consider various alternatives which scientists
22 have methodically eliminated over the course of centuries; instead,
23 they must simply trust that science has done what it purports to have
24 done--or, faster, simply stamp out their own conjectural, critical
25 instincts.
26 32
33 # and it is less important to teach
34 #the empirical mindset than to impart our accumulated scientific
35 #knowledge. Thus, because the field is so vast nowadays, teachers are
36 #obliged to be frugal with the facts: they must prune tangential
37 #subjects and pare whatever's left, watering down complicated results
38 #into simplified half-truths. Needs must when the devil drives, of
39 #course--but what is the end result?
40
41 In modern science classrooms, students must still swallow a deluge of
42 unfamiliar scientific dogma in time to regurgitate it onto an
43 exam. In their forced hurry, they cannot stop to ponder various
44 alternatives which scientists have methodically eliminated over the
45 course of centuries; instead, they must simply trust that science has
46 done what it purports to have done--or, faster, simply stamp out their
47 own conjectural, critical instincts.
48
49 Facility with
50 scientific concepts and language is
51 not such a bad skill to have.
27 By the end of such a course, students might be able to recite the 52 By the end of such a course, students might be able to recite the
28 tenets of our current scientific creed and might employ those tenets 53 tenets of our current scientific creed and might employ those tenets
29 when answering carefully formulated questions. But even if, by chance, 54 when answering carefully formulated questions. I am worried, though, because even if
30 our students get their facts straight, they will have acquired at most 55 our students get their facts straight, they will still have acquired at most
31 only our pre-processed truths, and nothing of the empirical machinery 56 only our pre-processed truths, and nothing of the empirical machinery
32 that produced them. 57 that produced them.
33 58
34 In my opinion, such a lackluster result demands 59 In my opinion, this shortchanges our students, and we ought to re-evaluate our priorities. Surely the essential mark of the
35 that we re-evaluate our priorities. Surely the essential mark of the
36 scientist is not his ability to recount the latest model of reality, 60 scientist is not his ability to recount the latest model of reality,
37 but rather his pervasive inquiry and methodical, empirical 61 but rather his pervasive inquiry and methodical, empirical
38 approach to obtaining answers? Instead of canonizing the latest 62 approach to obtaining answers? Instead of canonizing the latest
39 theories, shouldn't we be stimulating a zeal for scrutinizing 63 theories, shouldn't we be stimulating a zeal for scrutinizing
40 them? 64 them? Might we even want to /postpone/ handing our
65 students canned knowledge, at the very least until we've taught them enough
66 about how to be curious, how to acquire knowledge for themselves, how
67 to be analytical---in short, how to live like scientists?
68
69
41 70
42 #Surely the shibboleth of the 71 #Surely the shibboleth of the
43 #scientist is not his ability to recount the bleeding-edge depiction of 72 #scientist is not his ability to recount the bleeding-edge depiction of
44 #reality--after all, theories are transient and revolutions expected--but 73 #reality--after all, theories are transient and revolutions expected--but
45 #rather his pervasive inquiries about the world and his methodical, 74 #rather his pervasive inquiries about the world and his methodical,
46 #empirical approach to answering them? Indeed, don't we recognize the 75 #empirical approach to answering them? Indeed, don't we recognize the
47 #scientist by his lack of allegiance to the status quo, by the way he 76 #scientist by his lack of allegiance to the status quo, by the way he
48 #scrutinizes even his own theories with utmost irreverence? 77 #scrutinizes even his own theories with utmost irreverence?
49 78
50 In valuing data absorption over methodical reason, we give our 79 When we value data absorption over methodical reason, we give our
51 students a fragmentary and moreover inexplicable impression of 80 students a fragmentary and moreover inexplicable impression of
52 reality. We must ask ourselves: how much of science is left in that? 81 nature, one which will probably evaporate outside the classroom. That's an approach to science which hardly sounds like science.
82 Instead, let's teach students how to think, so they can build a
83 framework that will house the rest of their knowledge. Let's stop
84 rushing to teach students everything we know, and let them grapple
85 with Nature themselves for a while. Let's train them to be curious rather than
86 complacent learners. The results will be worth our effort.
53 87
88 #I ask you: how much of science is left in that?
89