Promoting the Multidimensional Character of Scientific Reasoning.

ABSTRACT: This study reports part of a long-term program to help students improve scientific reasoning using higher-order cognitive tasks set in the discipline of cell biology. This skill was assessed using problems requiring the construction of valid conclusions drawn from authentic research data. We report here efforts to confirm the hypothesis that data interpretation is a complex, multifaceted exercise. Confirmation was obtained using a statistical treatment showing that various such problems rank students differently-each contains a unique set of cognitive challenges. Additional analyses of performance results have allowed us to demonstrate that individuals differ in their capacity to navigate five independent generic elements that constitute successful data interpretation: biological context,

SUBMITTER: Bradshaw WS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5410765 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature