UniServe Science

7.1.2 Prescribed Focus Area 2
The nature and practice of science

Objectives

Preliminary course outcomes

HSC course outcomes

2.  Students will develop knowledge and understanding of the nature and practice of the discipline

P2.  A student applies the processes that are used to test and validate models, theories and laws of science with particular emphasis on first-hand investigations in the discipline

H2.  A student analyses the ways in which models, theories and laws in the discipline have been tested and validated


General resources

What is Science? - clear explanation of the difference between hypotheses, theories, laws and models
from National Solar Observatory
http://www.sunspot.noao.edu/PR/science.html

Scientific Laws, Hypotheses, and Theories - clear explanation of difference between laws, hypotheses and theories
http://wilstar.net/theories.htm

The Scientific Method - interesting discussion of the scientific method, includes Occam's Razor
http://home.xnet.com/~blatura/skep_1.html

Theories and Models - detailed explanation, includes different types of models and Models in the Research Process
from University of Art and Design, Finland
http://www.uiah.fi/projects/metodi/150.htm

Scientific Laws and Theories - clear discussion of distinction between laws and theories
from Biology at Kennesaw State University
http://science.kennesaw.edu/~rmatson/Biol%203380/3380theory.html

The Scientific Method - in particular, Scientific Method, Assumptions of Western Science, and Models versus Theories
from Brigham Young University
http://webs.byu.edu/tleishman/physics101/Lectures/Unit1/MainConcepts.html

Occam's Razor from University of Oregon
http://zebu.uoregon.edu/~js/glossary/occams_razor.html

Occam's Razor - includes a simple example to illustrate the principle
from McGill University, Canada
http://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~jacob/occams-razor/

Theories and Models: an Interactive View - rather complex discussion of the relationship between theories and models but uses interesting physics and chemistry examples
from University of Durham
http://www.dur.ac.uk/~dfl0www/general/open/vri.html

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Discipline-specific resources

Physics

Scientific laws - in particular, slides 9 to 13
from George Mason University
http://www.physics.gmu.edu/classinfo/astr103/CourseNotes/Ppt/Lec01_pt1_scienceStructure/sld009.htm

What is Occam's Razor? - from Usenet Physics FAQ
http://www.weburbia.com/physics/occam.html

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