Blog Assignment #1: How Science Works

BLOG POST #1: HOW SCIENCE WORKS

Team members: Hazel Arman, Greyson Hamilton, Michelle Le, Eloina Rodriguez

Part 1: Take a photo of your group diagram on the whiteboard and post the answers to the following questions:.

• How did you start the scientific process? What are the similarities? What are the differences?

We started all of our individual diagrams with making an observation. We all had rather similar steps to the scientific process going in the order of questions, constructing a hypothesis, making predictions, gathering data/testing, making a conclusion, then theory. The main difference was some added a step about designing an experiment, while others had this implied. Only two of our group members had a step about refining the methods.

• Are the diagrams similar to each other? What are the major differences? What steps are only included on 1-2 of the student’s diagrams. Do you agree that this is a valid or important step?

The diagrams were quite similar to each other, all diagrams followed a general trend from making an observation to building a experiment based on questions, predictions, and a hypothesis. The main difference we saw in our group was the addition of a refinement step. It is important to have this step, as very few experiments are perfect in their first run, a step that refines or expands the experiment in the scientific process has the capability to provide a better outcome, encompass a broader scope of data, or be run more efficiently.  

• Is there one diagram that stands out as being the most “correct” in terms of describing how you understand the scientific process?

Our group did not think that any of the diagrams were more “correct” than the rest, but by discussing our individual understanding of the scientific processes we were able to recognize the weaknesses in each of our diagrams.

• Was there anything that surprised you when looking at the diagrams drawn by your lab mates?

It was surprising that our major differences and disagreements were towards the last steps of our diagrams which mainly addressed how we would move forward or repeat our scientific process in the next trial.

Part 2: Try to reflect on your diagram and make at least one change based on your experience in lab today. Take another photo of your group diagram on the whiteboard with edits.

Answer the following questions:

• What change(s) did you decide to make and why?

We added the peer review to our diagram because the peer review process is integral to scholarly research. It is a process of subjecting research methods and findings to the scrutiny of others who are experts in the same field which is really important to use this method as part of a research.

• Did this lab today help you see how to approach your research project for the quarter?

Yes, it was helpful to review all the process again after a while and also as a group we had some discussion about some parts that we had some different opinion. For example, some of the members believed that observation should be after questions.

• What did you learn about the scientific process/how science works that you did not know or realize before?

We learned that the scientific process is more than making observations, conceiving questions, making predictions, constructing hypotheses, and conducting experiments. The scientific process  has more communal aspects, than individual ones; conducting effective research requires peer reviewing and more complex social interactions between scientists to achieve the best result.