We use case episodes to understand the origins of science and how it became transformed into "modern" practice: how many cultures came to systematize knowledge of the natural world and how our current system of investigation evolved in the West. We consider ideas, motivations, methods, institutions and cultural contexts.
We aim to develop analytical thinking skills, not merely knowledge of content. We focus especially on historical perspective--that is, interpreting events and reasoning in the context of a different time and culture. We also aim to deepen understanding and interpretation of the nature of science through history.
The course is structured on the principle that each student takes responsibility for his or her own learning, becomes engaged in the material, and chooses, to some degree, what s/he will learn.
[ You may also wish to consider the philosophy guiding the course design, written from an instructional perspective. ]
