Our Critical Thinking Through Science course was busy finals week preparing and presenting their science experiment projects for their final. They spent a couple of weeks performing the experiments and collecting data before presenting their findings to each other.
The underpinning for this entire course is a five-step process known as the Scientific Method. It begins with a “Why does…” question about something in the world around them. A little background research on the topic leads to a hypothesis: what they think the answer will be. Then they design an experiment to prove their hypothesis and present their conclusion: a statement of fact, backed by data. The final project gives students a chance to put it all together and demonstrate their understanding of the Scientific Method.
In addition to answering scientific questions, this process has also given them a system to answer a questions or solve problems outside their science course. For example, when your computer isn’t working properly, use the Scientific Method to figure out why and what to do about it. Applying critical thinking allows the students to better solve problems that arise or questions they have.
Critical Thinking Through Science is one of the many courses OLS Students take to obtain their associate degree from OLS. More information about our curriculum is available on our website. To learn more about our program register for an Information Session.
Last Updated January 16, 2020