A site to help students understand the scientific mindset

Source: whydoscientists.org

Very few stand-alone resources exist to help teach scientific method. One of them, Why do scientists do what scientists do, has been specifically developed to help teach ‘the scientific mindset’. Like many of my fellow teachers, I always teach how science works through my content, and so I approached this website with some hesitancy.

Very few stand-alone resources exist to help teach scientific method. One of them, Why do scientists do what scientists do, has been specifically developed to help teach ‘the scientific mindset’. Like many of my fellow teachers, I always teach how science works through my content, and so I approached this website with some hesitancy.

However, I have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the content on this site. With its snappy design and simple user layout, I feel it achieves its aims very effectively.

The simple homepage presents nine sections covering topics such as: The scientific method, Bias, accuracy, precision, errors & statistics, and Why do scientists have to make things so complicated? Each sections includes a short video with simple animations which explain quite complex concepts quickly and effectively, using plenty of examples to illustrate the points made. The page also contains a transcript of the videos, which will be useful for those devices or schools with an internet connection that can’t cope with YouTube.

The site is designed both for non-scientists and students of the biological sciences. Because it is so well presented, I would say it is completely accessible to any 14–16 or 16–18 student. However, the language used does not always follow some of the terminology specified by GCSE exam boards, and the processes described are considerably beyond what is required for GCSE, and so I would avoid using it except with my top GCSE students – and then not till after the examination period.

Despite initial reservation, I’ve been very impressed by this site. The design is engaging for all and the videos are so accessible and interesting you can’t fail to be captivated. Of course, substance is more important than style, and this site has got that too. Why do scientists do what scientists do does exactly what it sets out to do and I’m looking forward to getting my pupils into this website.

whydoscientists.org

Peter Banks