Opening Questionnaire

Name: __________________________

1. We’d like to know where our students come from and the general nature of preparation you have had for this class. Please describe programs, classes, experiences and schools where you have taken classes that helped you prepare for this course on the philosophy and methods of science. (Please use words not numbers)

2. Why are you taking this course? What do you hope to accomplish this semester? What are your longer term goals?

3. What other classes are you taking THIS term?

4. Is there any information that we should be aware of that may affect your participation or learning in this class?

5. Please use the back of this paper (and additional paper if necessary) to answer the following questions. We hope to assess how your perceptions of science change throughout this course.

A) What kinds of things masquerade as science but are not? List one example.

B) How do you know when something is true or not?

C) Describe the method or methods most commonly used to discover scientific truths (for example, “The Scientific Method” or other methods).

D) What is the role of Science in Society?

E How does being human affect scientific decisions?

F) Describe any scientifically heroic or unethical activity you have witnessed either personally or in society at large.

G) What scientific experiences have you had that affected you the most, either personally or in society at large?

H) Are you a scientist? What will it take for you to be a scientist?

© Meers, Savarese, Demers, Barreto, Kakareka, Volety, Everham, Cruz-Alvarez, Loh, Goebel, Fugate, Bovard, Hartley, Mujtaba, & Gunnels 2009.

This is an official FGCU web page. Florida Gulf Coast University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.

For changes, dead-links, or mistakes, contact: cgunnels@fgcu.edu