Dr. Peggy Tilgner is a Professor of Practice in Science Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She teaches science methods for both secondary and elementary teachers. She also works on developing curriculum materials to meet the Nebraska Science Education Standards.
Good science vs Bad science
We have many ideas about how our world works. Some are based on personal experiences. Some are things we’ve seen on TV or on the web. How many of those ideas have you actually tested? Science is largely about disproving theories. In this class, you will test claims by designing carefully controlled experiments, collect and analyze data, and in that journey perhaps you will dismantle some outrageous “scientific” claims.
Topics that will be explored include “fringe” areas of science, advertising claims, environmental hazards, personal science theories, risk assessment, and science on TV and in the news. You will be expected to design a project that will determine what other people at SHP think about a certain claim and research that claim including doing your own experiments wherever possible.
