HON 293 - Foundations of Scientific Inquiry

1. The student will be able to understand science as a method of inquiry through knowing its foundational characteristics, basic processes, and culture.
2. The student will be able to trace the development of scientific inquiry as a practice from the Classical Age, through the Medieval and Renaissance periods, to the modern period including the Enlightenment and Scientific Revolution.
3. The student will be able to compare and analyze multiple approaches to practicing scientific inquiry.
4. The student will be able to explain the major issues and ideas in the area of philosophy of science including induction, inference from best explanation, falsifiablity, realism and the nature of scientific revolutions.
5. The student will demonstrate the ability to effectively analyze and evaluate scientific claims to determine their validity and reliability.
6. The student will be able to make a reasonably informed assessment of whether a field of study is scientific.
7. Students will engage the community in the context of an extra-curricular experience of at least two hours and typically not exceeding ten hours specified by the instructor, such as a service learning project, attending a relevant academic lecture or workshop, engaging in an internship, or visiting a local museum.