Trinity Washington University Module 1 Scientific Research Paradigms Discussion Post

Assuming a Scientist Role

Effective educators often act as scientists as they make decisions that guarantee instructional excellence. Use the questions to guide an original response and comments to at least two peers. APA citations are required only in the original response.

• In what ways do you act as a scientist during the course of a workday?
• What strategies do you use to separate misinformation from genuine knowledge and scientific research from poorly supported claims?
• What steps can you take to further strengthen your knowledge of scientifically based research?

Develop an original response, and comment on the posts of at least two classmates. APA citations are required only with the original response.

• Make one original post, which must include a citation from at least one source. Respond to a minimum of two classmates to move the discussion forward.
• Scholars are not required to provide a cited source in the responses to peers.
• APA citations are only required for the original post.
• Some discussions are open-ended and do not require APA citation

Peer Response 1

There are various ways in which I act as a scientist daily. Primarily, this task is accomplished through my use of both quantitative and qualitative data (ACE Productions, 2020). By using frequent formative assessments, I am able not only to regularly gauge the amount of learning that has taken place in my classroom, but I am also able to use historical data to compare current performance to the outcomes of previous students of mine. This quantitative data allows me to monitor progress, while also assuring that my practices are constantly developing to provide a consistent and successful outcome. Furthermore, I use survey data on a nearly daily basis to inform my lesson planning and to guide my leadership within the program I oversee. By using this qualitative data, I am able to make decisions that will address the social, emotional and cultural needs of my students.

Strategies that I use to separate misinformation from genuine knowledge include internet literacy skills and reliance on peer-reviewed articles. By understanding how to best utilize internet search engines, I am able to filter through misinformation to find reliable sources. For example, by utilizing site and country-specific search cues in Google, one is able to deliver results that contain less bias or misinformation. A common example from lecturer Alan November is as follows: “Whenever students are researching a problem that involves another country, they should make use of “country codes” and/or use advanced Google searches to limit their search to a particular country. (November, 2016).” This, and other similar search skills, including the use of Google Scholar, are valuable methods in finding genuine, unbiased knowledge. Furthermore, the seeking-out of peer-reviewed articles is certainly the most effective and straightforward method for obtaining genuine knowledge.

In my opinion, the best way for me to strengthen my knowledge of scientifically based research is to engage with it. After reviewing them, I feel that the assignments for this class will enable to me accomplish scientific research to solve a problem in a way that I have not done before. Furthermore, the assignments are arranged in digestible chunks that I feel will give me time to focus on the learning involved in each step of the process. Also, by seeking out more opportunities to interact with data in my daily work will continue to hone my ability to produce and process scientifically based research. In coordinating the IB program at my school, I could certainly strengthen these skills by seeking out research and data relevant to the program that was not generated at my own school. In short, curiosity and participation will strengthen this knowledge for me.

References:

Module 1 Review. (2020). ACE Productions.

November, A. (2016, January 10). The Advanced Google Searches Every Student Should Know. November Learning. Retrieved from https://novemberlearning.com/article/the-advanced-…