Chapter 2 of Surrounded by Science discusses “Science Learning”: a new model for designing a scientific learning experience using 6 “strands,” or core concepts/goals. The chapter also features a case study of amateur bird-watchers participating in a scientific research project called Project FeederWatch.

I’m not sure what to think of this. In some ways, it reiterates what I already know about science. In other ways, I feel like something simple is being obfuscated. Granted, I’ve never experienced what it is like assuming the teaching role in either the classroom or a FCSLE, but I believe that learning about science doesn’t require a new approach; the old one just needs to be tweaked.

Here’s my take on the core ‘strands’ of science learning:

1. Understanding the common misconceptions that people may retain with regards to basic scientific concepts, and creating a new perspective.
2. Introducing the correct idea through the various senses (hearing, sight, touch)
3. Reinforcing the idea and “drilling it” into the mind with problem sets

A big difference between what I’ve written and the textbook version is that there is a large emphasis on experimentation and a hands-on approach to science in the textbook. On the other hand, I’ve found that doing experiments in the lab is often very frustrating, as it’s never as precise as what I imagine in my mind; consequently I don’t trust the results fully, and I’m afraid that the experiment will not follow the predictions made by the theory that I’ve learnt or developed. Honestly, for me it’s a bit of a turn-off, as I would much rather stick with the hypotheticals and leave the experimentation to those with the proper equipment (imagine the difference between designing a spacecraft and building one!) Despite all that, I still find experimentation a valuable tool for scientists, and it may even be the thing that drives others to learn more about the topic at hand.

A summary of the Strands in Chapter 2

1. Interest helps people retain and remember what they learn.
   Engagement can trigger interest.
2. Learning to understand the links between scientific concepts.
3. Learning to reason about evidence.
4. Learning to evaluate new evidence and reassess old ideas.
5. Science is a social process.
6. Developing the identity of a science learner.