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Science Literacy
  • Level Foundation
  • المدة 23 ساعات hours
  • الطبع بواسطة University of Alberta
  • Offered by

عن

Fake news or good science? In a world where we have access to unlimited information, it is hard to sift through the echo chamber of opinions fueled by emotions and personal biases, rather than scientific evidence. Science Literacy will teach you about the process of science, how to think critically, how to differentiate science from pseudoscience, how indigenous wisdom can inform science, how to understand and design a scientific study, and how to critically evaluate scientific communication in the media. Every module will build your new skill-base with real life examples, and at the end of each module you will have to apply these skills to scientific questions, talking points and controversies in the world. Warning: this course requires an open mind and the ability to self-reflect. In Science Literacy, you’ll hear from special guests: Timothy Caulfield, Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy and star of Netflix’s “A User's Guide to Cheating Death” on pseudoscience Dr. Torah Kachur, Scientist and CBC journalist on science communication (and miscommunication!) Christian Nelson, Citizen Scientist and creator of Edmonton Weather Nerdery, on experimental design Metis Elder Elmer Ghostkeeper and Cree Elder Kokum Rose Wabasca, on the holistic nature of Indigenous wisdom and how it can work with the scientific process Associate Professor in Psychology, Dr. David Rast on uncertainty and decision making

الوحدات

Welcome to Scientific Literacy

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Welcome to Science Literacy

1.1 Science is a systematic approach to evidence

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Empirical evidence

1 Videos

  • A Difference of Opinion

2 Readings

  • Creating Convincing Arguments
  • Drag and Drop Activity: Empirical, anecdotal or logical

1.2 Science is not common sense and intuition

    • 2 Assignment
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2 Assignment

  • Pre-flection: Common Sense and Intuition
  • Common sense and intuition

1.3 Bias

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Heuristics

2 Readings

  • Biases in Decision-Making
  • Drag and Drop Activity: Types of Bias

1.4 Scientific theories

    • 1 Videos
    • 3 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Science isn't "Just a Theory"

3 Readings

  • Science and Not Science
  • Metaphysical Thought
  • Drag and Drop Activity: Metaphysical

1.5 Accumulating Knowledge

    • 3 Videos
    • 3 Readings
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3 Videos

  • Traditional Knowledge: Part 1
  • Traditional Knowledge: Part 2
  • Traditional Knowledge: Part 3

3 Readings

  • Accumulating Knowledge
  • Suggested Reading
  • Drag and Drop Activity: Traditional and Scientific Knowledge

End of Module 1 Quiz

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • End of Module 1 Quiz

2.1 Science or Pseudoscience?

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 2 Assignment
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2 Assignment

  • Preflection: Science or Pseuodoscience?
  • Science or Pseuodoscience? Review

1 Videos

  • Pseudoscience and Science-ploitation

1 Readings

  • Drag and Drop Activity: Science vs Pseudoscience

2.2 Pseudoscience, bad science or fraudulent science?

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Science, Fraudulent Science or Bad Science?

1 Discussions

  • Is it Science?

1 Videos

  • Fraud Science, Bad Science or Pseudoscience?

2.3 Recognizing the hallmarks of pseudoscience

    • 2 Readings
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2 Readings

  • Watch and Reflect: Hallmarks of Pseudoscience
  • Drag and Drop Activity: Hallmarks of Science vs Hallmarks of Pseudoscience

2.4 Identifying logical fallacies

    • 2 Readings
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2 Readings

  • Logical Fallacies
  • Drag and Drop Activity: Logical Fallacies

2.5 Uncertainty makes pseudoscience attractive

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 2 Assignment
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2 Assignment

  • Uncertainty
  • Uncertainty Review

1 Videos

  • Why do we fall for Pseudoscience?

1 Readings

  • Drag and Drop Activity: Uncertainty Vs Logic

2.6 The harms of pseudoscience

    • 1 Readings
    • 4 Assignment
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4 Assignment

  • Video reflection: Skeptical or not?
  • The Demon-Haunted World: Reflection
  • The Demon-Haunted World: Reflection II
  • The Demon-Haunted World: Reflection III

1 Readings

  • Carl Sagan: The Demon Haunted World

End of Module 2 Quiz

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • End of Module 2 Quiz

3.1 Thinking Critically

    • 1 Videos
    • 3 Readings
    • 2 Assignment
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2 Assignment

  • Reflection: Critical Thinking or not?
  • Lesson Reflection

1 Videos

  • Alternative explanations

3 Readings

  • The Who, What, Why, When and How of Critical Thinking
  • Thinking Critically about a Claim
  • Thinking Critically About a Claim 2

3.2 Correlation is not causation

    • 1 Videos
    • 3 Readings
    • 2 Assignment
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2 Assignment

  • Assessing Associations 1
  • Assessing Associations 2

1 Videos

  • Correlation is not Causation

3 Readings

  • Revisiting terms about Correlation-Causation
  • Article: Illusions of Causality
  • Drag and Drop Activity: Correlation, Not Causation

3.3 Replicability

    • 1 Videos
    • 3 Readings
    • 2 Assignment
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2 Assignment

  • Replicability
  • Why didn't the bird cross the road?

1 Videos

  • Replicability in Evidence

3 Readings

  • Drag and Drop Activity: Replicability
  • The 3 Rs
  • Why didn't the bird cross the road?

3.4 Claims proportional to evidence

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    • 4 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Astronomy Video Reflection

1 Videos

  • The Strength of Evidence

4 Readings

  • Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence
  • Watch and Reflect: How did our view of the Universe Change?
  • Drag and Drop Activity: Claims Proportional to the Evidence
  • Ylang Ylang Evidence Review

3.5 Falsifiability

    • 1 Videos
    • 3 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Lesson Preflection: Falsifiability

1 Videos

  • Falsifiability

3 Readings

  • Karl Popper
  • Drag and Drop Activity: Falsifiability and Risky Predictions
  • Watch and Reflect: Falsifiability

3.6 Occam's razor

    • 1 Videos
    • 3 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • UFO or UF-NO?

1 Videos

  • Occam's Razor

3 Readings

  • Onsite inspection of reputed UFO landing marks at Duhamel, Alberta
  • Drag and Drop Activity: Making Fewest Possible Assumptions
  • Recommended listening and reflection

End of Module 3 Quiz

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • End of Module 3 Quiz

4.1 The scientific method is based in a critical thinking framework

    • 3 Readings
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3 Readings

  • What is in a Scientific Paper?
  • What Can Blind Fish Teach Us About Sleep?
  • Drag and Drop Activity: Critical Thinking and the Scientific Method

4.2 Defining and measuring variables

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Variables

1 Readings

  • Drag and Drop Activity: Variables

4.3 Hypothesis testing

    • 2 Readings
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2 Readings

  • What is a hypothesis
  • Drag and Drop Activity: Hypothesis testing

4.4 Research Design: Reliability and validity

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    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Research techniques and models

1 Readings

  • Research Design 1

4.5 Research Design: Generalizing a sample to a population

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Sampling

2 Readings

  • Drag and Drop Activity: Population Sample
  • Research Design 2

4.6 Research Design: Correlational and Survey Design

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Correlation

2 Readings

  • Research Design 3
  • Drag and Drop Activity: Surveys

4.7 Experimental Research Design

    • 2 Readings
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2 Readings

  • Research Design 4
  • Drag and Drop Activity: Research Design Case Study

End of Module 4 Quiz

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • End of Module 4 Quiz

5.1 Peer review

    • 1 Videos
    • 3 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Preflection: What is Peer Review?

1 Videos

  • Peer Review: the scientist's perspective

3 Readings

  • Watch and Reflect: What is Peer Review?
  • Read a Peer Reviewed Article
  • Drag and Drop Activity: Evidence Based Conclusions from Primary and Secondary Sources

5.2 Using statistics in peer review

    • 1 Videos
    • 6 Readings
    • 2 Assignment
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2 Assignment

  • Assessing the meaning of statistics
  • Case Study: Biofilm

1 Videos

  • Statistics

6 Readings

  • Watch and Reflect: Descriptive Statistics
  • How Scientists Use Statistics, Samples, and Probability to Answer Research Questions
  • Watch and Reflect: Inferential Statistics
  • Using Inferential Statistics
  • Drag and Drop Activty: Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
  • How to avoid statistical errors

5.3 Practical vs Statistical in peer review

    • 3 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Abstract and Highlights

3 Readings

  • When statistical significance is not practically significant
  • Watch and Reflect: Statistical vs Practical Significance
  • Drag and Drop Activity: Practical vs Statistical Significance

5.4 Media tactics bias public understanding by misinterpreting scientific findings

    • 1 Videos
    • 3 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Science Communication

3 Readings

  • Watch and Reflect: The Importance of media communicating science
  • Drag and Drop Activity: Problems and Solutions in Science Reporting
  • Suggested Listening: Torah Kachur

5.5 Evaluating Science News for Misinformation

    • 2 Videos
    • 4 Readings
    • 2 Assignment
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2 Assignment

  • News Coverage Article Reflection
  • Sharpening and Levelling

2 Videos

  • Sharpening and Levelling
  • Science Vs Opinions

4 Readings

  • News Coverage of A Scientific Finding
  • Drag and Drop Activity: Sharpening, Levelling or Pseudosymmetry
  • Disparity in claim on social media and strength of supporting evidence
  • Watch and reflect: Social Media

5.6 Scientists Communicating Science

    • 1 Videos
    • 5 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Scientists can miscommunicate their science too!

5 Readings

  • Watch and reflect: Scientists Communicating Science
  • Rules for Scientists Communicating Science
  • Scientists "digesting" their science to a general audience
  • Writing Your Digest
  • Drag and Drop Activity: Spreading and Stopping Misinformation

5.7 Insist on evidence rather than bias to interpret claims

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Open Data

1 Readings

  • Watch and Reflect: Insist on Evidence- Open Data

End of Module 5 Quiz

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • End of Module 5 Quiz

Congratulations!

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1 Videos

  • Congratulations!

Auto Summary

Enhance your ability to discern science from pseudoscience with the "Science Literacy" course, offered by Coursera. Dive into critical thinking, scientific study design, and evaluating scientific communication, with insights from experts like Timothy Caulfield and Dr. Torah Kachur. Perfect for beginners, this 1380-minute course blends indigenous wisdom with modern science. Subscribe to the Starter or Professional plan and develop a keen scientific perspective. Ideal for anyone eager to navigate the world of information critically.

Dr. Claire Scavuzzo
Instructor

Dr. Claire Scavuzzo