ED2610 - The Nature of Inquiry: From Theory to Practice

Inquiry underpins the work of scientists in the 21st century. This subject introduces you to the wide range of approaches to inquiry that scientists use in their professional lives. You will consider science as a creative, human endeavour and, in doing so, will examine the social, historical and cultural paradigms that are embedded within the disciplines of science. You will undertake two assessment tasks. First, you will create a digi-explanation about an approach to inquiry, as evidenced in either an historical or current case study. Second, you will select and design an inquiry for a particular purpose, based on topic that is both interesting to you and relevant to the tropics. You will justify your selection, and communicate your inquiry to a selected audience in a particular context. This subject is positioned as a Level 2 subject as it builds upon conceptual understanding attained in SC1101: Science: Nature, Knowledge and Understanding. This subject will enable you to engage with contemporary professional practices and will develop your professional competencies.

Learning Outcomes

• demonstrate knowledge of identified concepts, structure and attributes pertaining to the role of curiosity and inquiry in the disciplines of science, and their specific content areas;
• be able to apply that knowledge to an historical and/or contemporary example of scientific endeavor;
• be able to critically analyse an inquiry approach undertaken in a selected contemporary or historical case;
• be able to design an inquiry, for a selected audience, with explicit consideration made for relevant social, intellectual, developmental, linguistic and cultural characteristics of that audience;
• be able to select, with justification, and implement effective strategies to communicate an understanding of the role of inquiry in the disciplines of science.

Subject Assessment

• Participation > Class participation - (10%) - Individual
• Written > ePoster - (30%) - Individual
• Written > Project plan - (60%) - Individual.

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.