The role of ambiguity in science education

1
The role of ambiguity in science education

• With reference to C.R. Aults Criteria of
  Excellence for Geologic Inquiry The Necessity of
  Ambiguity

2
What is important to

• Teachers
• -Open inquiry/ freedom of exploration
• -Good science
• ?what does that mean?
• -Defining concepts and terminology
• -Biases (experiment)

• Scientists
• -Multiple working hypotheses
• -Best science possible
• ? what does that mean?
• -Defining new concepts and terminology
• -Biases (data)

3
Open Inquiry ? Hypothesis formation

• What are the ultimate goals?
• Learning?
• Breakthrough?
• Importance of setting initial parameters to guide
  students towards independent thought
• Teachers answering the fundamental question of
  why do I care?
• Find a way to make the students take ownership of
  the material so that they dont why??
• Scientists answer why should we care?

4
What is important to

• Teachers
• -Open inquiry/ freedom of exploration
• -Good science
• ?what does that mean?
• -Defining concepts and terminology
• -Biases (experiment)

• Scientists
• -Multiple working hypotheses
• -Best science possible
• ? what does that mean?
• -Defining new concepts and terminology
• -Biases (data)

5
What is Good Science?

• Ault never explicitly defines good
  scienceambiguous (on purpose)
• GOOD SCIENCE
• Morally sound, open to change, multiply
  convergent lines of evidence, encompasses many
  sub-disciplines (insert your own adjective)

6
What is important to

• Teachers
• -Open inquiry/ freedom of exploration
• -Good science
• ?what does that mean?
• -Defining concepts and terminology
• -Biases (experiment)

• Scientists
• -Multiple working hypotheses
• -Best science possible
• ? what does that mean?
• -Defining new concepts and terminology
• -Biases (data)

7
Definitions

• Role of ambiguity
• --Must strive to achieve a happy medium between
  specificity and applicability
• This is intrinsically tied to the nature of the
  work being completed, a concept that should be
  stressed to students
• CONTEXTUALIZE and CONSIDER THE SCALE AND SCOPE OF
  THE PROJECT

8
Definitions

• --Best when approached from several different
  directions and when addresses several parameters,
  including (but not limited to)
• metaphor, physical processes, analogy, boundary
  conditionscounter-case examples, clear case
  example, explanatory framework and goals

9
What is important to

• Teachers
• -Open inquiry/ freedom of exploration
• -Good science
• ?what does that mean?
• -Defining concepts and terminology
• -Biases (experiment)

• Scientists
• -Multiple working hypotheses
• -Best science possible
• ? what does that mean?
• -Defining new concepts and terminology
• -Biases (data)

10
Biases

• -need an understanding of what biases are
  inherent in hypotheses and attempt to avoid them
  as much as possible given the parameters and
  objective of the problem
• -experimental biases
• -interpretation vs. observation of data

11
Ambiguity

• Within the context of a project
• Consider scale
• Constrain ambiguity
• --independent lines of evidence converging at
  the same conclusions
• --explanations on different scales in time and
  space must be coherent
• Strive to find a medium between invoking
  ambiguity to incite inquiry vs. confusion

12
Geology as a field

• Must be open to changing theories
• (emphasize this conceptit encourages students to
  pursue their ideas if they believe there is much
  to discover)
• Think in terms of ultimate goalwhat are we
  trying to achieve (in both teaching and in
  research)
• Ultimately results in clearer, better science