A PDF of this information is available here

MHC 200: Science and Technology

Macaulay Honors College Seminar 3

Course Information

Class time: Tu/Fr 9:45–11:00
Class location: Hunter East 631A
Course webpage: http://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/wheeler18/

Instructor Contact Information

Instructor: Dr. Dustin Wheeler
E-mail: dustin.wheeler@hunter.cuny.edu
Office location: Hunter North 1408
Office hours: By appointment only

Instructional Technology Fellow

Madison Priest, mpriest@gradcenter.cuny.edu

Course Description

This course is based on Science Forward, a skills-based course that focuses on scientific thinking in the context of a variety of scientific fields. We will focus on the specific skills that allow one to have good “Science Sense”. These skills can be grouped into the broad categories of Number Sense, Data Sense, and Knowledge Sense.

Science Sense is…

• being able to distinguish science from non-science.
• the ability to recognize how people collect and process facts into knowledge.
• the ability to recognize how a collection of facts becomes knowledge.
• being able to question and evaluate information that is presented as scientific.
• being an informed consumer, evaluator, and practitioner of science.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will hone their Science Sense during this course, specifically:

• Students will acquire a proper sense of scale and be able to make order of magnitude estimates with reasonable assumptions.
• Students will understand and get experience with measurement and data collection through activities in the field (including
  a BioBlitz common event) and be able to create and communicate their results using graphs and basic statistics.
• Students will become familiar with proper experimental design and the practice of scientific inquiry.
• Students will understand that science makes progress and changes through time based upon newly available evidence.
• Students will practice their critical thinking skills and employ reasonable skepticism.
• Students will learn how to communicate science to different audiences through two projects.
• Students will leave this course with an appreciation for the similar set of skills employed by scientists in seemingly disparate fields of scientific inquiry.
• Students will recognize that these skills are not only applicable to their coursework, but also to their daily lives.

Course Structure (subject to revision)

Science Forward consists of three units built on the idea of grand challenges at different levels of scale (Environment, Society, Individual). These topics will serve as the context in which we will hone our Science Sense. Students should read/watch the required science content outside of the classroom and be prepared to reflect on that content during discussions and activities inside the classroom. It is very important to complete the required videos and readings before coming to class and think about the parts you find most fascinating or most difficult. If you are prepared for class in this way, then we can use class time to address the most difficult aspects of the material and work together to apply the knowledge you have gained. A (more) detailed calendar will be available on the course webpage.

• Aug 28–Aug 31: Science Forward Overview – What is Science?
• Sept 1–Oct 9: Unit 1 – Environment (Urban Ecology, Conservation, Evolution, Climate Change)
• Sept 15–16: BioBlitz! (mandatory participation in one time slot)
• Oct 12–Oct 30: Unit 2 – Society (Energy, Urbanization, Agriculture, Water)
• Nov 2–Nov 30: Unit 3 – Individual (Medicine, Neuroscience, Intelligence)
• Dec 12: Science Forward Wrap Up – What have we learned about the nature of Science?

Textbooks/Materials

All reading materials will be provided as handouts in class or as links to online content.

Attendance

Attendance is mandatory at all class meetings (including one 3 hour shift at the BioBlitz and one session of the end of semester poster conference). Attendance and lateness will be recorded in every class meeting. There will be a grade deduction for each unexcused absence and more than two unexcused absences will result in a failing grade. Absences can be excused for religious observances if notification is sent to me at least a week ahead of time. If you are sick and cannot come to class, you need to have a note from Student Health Services or your doctor in order for it to be excused and you need to tell me you won’t be in class. In all cases of absence, you MUST contact me to get a make up assignment.

Grade and Assignment Breakdown

Grades will be based on in-class participation, weekly writing assignments, a mid-term exam, and a final project (to be outlined later in the semester). The course will include individual and group assignments, and students are expected to participate in all assignments and turn in work on time. Grades are composed of the following parts (see below for
descriptions of each part):

• In-class participation – 30%
• Small writing assignments – 20%
• Mid-term exam – 20%
• Research project – 30%

In-class participation

You are expected to attend every seminar and arrive on time. Participation includes attending every class, arriving on time to class, being actively engaged with the material we are discussing, and contributing to group work. Your participation will be judged by the group work you hand in at the end of class and by my observations of you during class.

A note on attendance: If you have an excused absence, you will not lose any participation points for that day. However, participation points will be subtracted for being late to class or missing class without an acceptable excuse. You may make up some lost points for missing group work by doing BOTH of the following:

1. Letting me know before class that you are unable to attend
   AND
2. Requesting a make-up assignment and completing it on time.

You are also required to attend two common events: the BioBlitz and the end-of-semester Poster Conference. The BioBlitz is a 24-hour species diversity survey where students are teamed with scientists to find as many species as they can. Each student will attend one 3-hour shift at a time of their choosing. The Poster Conference is where you will present your semester research project. Students are required to attend one session of this conference.

Small writing assignments

There will be a small writing assignment (one minute papers, reflections, blog posts, etc.) at nearly every class meeting. Occasionally, these writings will happen online. They can also be group worksheets. They will be graded on a three-point scale ([+] = good, [✓] = fair, [-] = poor). Your lowest 5 of these will be dropped. They will usually be administered at the beginning of class; if you are late, you will not be able to make them up.

Mid-term exam

A mid-term exam will be administered on Oct. 5th or Oct. 12th. The format of this exam will be decided at a later date (may be in-class, may be take-home, could consist of a writing assignment).

Research project

You and your group are to come up with a research question and test it using BioBlitz data and/or additional data that you collect during the semester. The final output is a research poster to be presented at the end of semester conference. This project will be a large undertaking and so it is broken down into smaller parts that are due throughout the semester. Note that some of these dates fall within the due dates for the other unit assignments. The project will be graded on a four-point scale. Groups will be determined by interest and questions addressed will be determined in class and online during the month of September. Tentative due dates are:

• Thursday, September 22 – Research question emailed or handed in at beginning of class.
• Thursday, October 6 – Question choice survey due by beginning of class.
• Tuesday, October 16 – Project proposal worksheet due in class. This worksheet can be handed in at any point before 10/16 if you need to begin extra data collection.
• Tuesday, November 6 – Annotated bibliography of 8 references due in class.
• Friday, November 16 – Data analysis and main findings due in class.
• Tuesday, November 27 – Poster draft due in class.
• Tuesday, December 4 – Poster presentation (as a slideshow) in class.
• Saturday and Sunday, December 8 and 9 – You will present your printed poster at the Seminar 3 Conference on one of these days.

CUNY Policies

Academic Integrity Statement

Hunter College regards acts of academic dishonesty (e.g., plagiarism, cheating on examinations, obtaining unfair advantage, and falsification of records and official documents) as serious offenses against the values of intellectual honesty.

The college is committed to enforcing the CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity and will pursue cases of academic dishonesty according to the Hunter College Academic Integrity Procedures.

You are expected to follow both Hunter College guidelines regarding academic integrity (available here: http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/provost/academic-integrity) and the guidelines put forth in the Macaulay Honors Pledge (available here: http://macaulay.cuny.edu/community/handbook/policies/honors-integrity/). Plagiarizing the work of others will not be tolerated. You are expected to be familiar with these policies.

ADA Statement

In compliance with the ADA and with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Hunter College is committed to ensuring educational access and accommodations for all its registered students. Hunter College’s students with disabilities and medical conditions are encouraged to register with the Office of AccessABILITY for assistance and accommodation. For information and appointment contact the Office of AccessABILITY (located in room E1214) or call 212–772–4857 or VRS 646–755–3129.

Hunter College Policy on Sexual Misconduct

In compliance with the CUNY Policy on Sexual Misconduct, Hunter College reaffirms the prohibition of any sexual misconduct, which includes sexual violence, sexual harassment, and gender-based harassment retaliation against students, employees, or visitors, as well as certain intimate relationships. Students who have experienced any form of sexual violence on or off campus (including CUNY-sponsored trips and events) are entitled to the rights outlined in the Bill of Rights for Hunter College.

1. Sexual Violence: Students are strongly encouraged to immediately report the incident by calling 911, contacting NYPD Special Victims Division Hotline (646–610–7272) or their local police precinct, or contacting the College’s Public Safety Office (212–772–4444).
2. All Other Forms of Sexual Misconduct: Students are also encouraged to contact the College’s Title IX Campus Coordinator, Dean John Rose (jtrose@hunter.cuny.edu or 212–650–3262) or Colleen Barry (colleen.barry@hunter.cuny.edu or 212–772–4534) and seek complimentary services through the Counseling and Wellness Services Office, Hunter East 1123.
   CUNY Policy on Sexual Misconduct Link: http://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/la/Policy-on-Sexual-Misconduct-12-1-14-with-links.pdf

Tentative Calendar