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ERIC Number: EJ1017127
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Dec
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1527-9316
EISSN: N/A
The Impact of an Interdisciplinary Learning Community Course on Pseudoscientific Reasoning in First-Year Science Students
Franz, Timothy M.; Green, Kris H.
Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, v13 n5 p90-105 Dec 2013
This case study examined the development and evaluation of an interdisciplinary first-year learning community designed to stimulate scientific reasoning and critical thinking. Designed to serve the needs of scholarship students majoring in mathematics and natural sciences, the six-credit learning community course was writing-intensive and emphasized general scientific reasoning and critical thinking skills. Success of the course was measured using a pre-test/post-test design that assessed students' paranormal beliefs. Outcomes of the study indicated students' paranormal beliefs were significantly lower at the end of the semester than at the beginning, which was used as a surrogate measure of scientific reasoning that was directly relevant to course content. Supplementary analyses demonstrated that their (a) paranormal beliefs were significantly lower than other students and (b) students self-identified the importance of the scientific reasoning skills learned in the course without being prompted on their teacher course evaluations. The results of this study can inform the design of interdisciplinary, scientific reasoning courses.
Indiana University. 755 West Michigan Street UL 1180D, Indianapolis, IN 46202. Tel: 317-274-5647; Fax: 317-278-2360; e-mail: josotl@iupui.edu; Web site: http://www.iupui.edu/~josotl
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New York
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A