PřF:E3020 Soft-skills III - Sci Thinking - Course Information
E3020 Soft-skills III - Scientific Thinking
Faculty of ScienceAutumn 2023
- Extent and Intensity
- 0/1/0. 1 credit(s) (plus extra credits for completion). Type of Completion: z (credit).
- Teacher(s)
- Mgr. Peter Šebej, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Jakub Urík, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Albert Kšiňan, Ph.D. (seminar tutor) - Guaranteed by
- Mgr. Peter Šebej, Ph.D.
RECETOX – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: Mgr. Peter Šebej, Ph.D.
Supplier department: RECETOX – Faculty of Science - Timetable of Seminar Groups
- E3020/01: Mon 15:00–15:50 D29/252-RCX1, A. Kšiňan, P. Šebej, J. Urík
E3020/02: Wed 8:00–8:50 D29/252-RCX1, A. Kšiňan, P. Šebej, J. Urík - Prerequisites
- High-school level of general knowledge. Attention of course E2020 or similar might be helpful. General interest in the science is an advantage.
- Course Enrolment Limitations
- The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
- fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
- Biomedical bioinformatics (programme PřF, B-MBB)
- Epidemiology and modeling (programme PřF, B-MBB)
- Environment and Health (programme PřF, B-ZPZ)
- Course objectives
- The aim of this course is to give an introduction to the concept ond metodology of scientific work. We will discuss the cornerstones of modern science: critical thinking, building of falsifiable hypotheses and their approval or disapproval. On the technical level we will work with theory of experimental work, produced data(sets), their analysis and commenting in a scientific text.
- Learning outcomes
- After successful course completion students will be able to:
- Orientate in science and scientific methodology.
- Suggest simple experiments which should generate relevant and reproducible data.
- Recognise common logical mistakes and fallacies and avoid them.
- Clearly argue an idea in written and spoken form. - Syllabus
- 1. Introduction to the course, syllabus, requirements. Role of a university in education and science.
- 2. What is and what is not science. Observation and experiment. Cumulative and self-corrective ability.
- 3. History of critical and scientific thinking. Philosophical background of science.
- 4. Cognitive bias, limits of human mind. Role of facts in science and everyday life. Dunning-Kruger effect, impostor syndrome and other examples of cognitive bias.
- 5. Argument structure. Using arguments in communication. Dialogue, discussion, debate, polemic, propaganda. Examples of logical and argumantation fallacies.
- 6. Analysis of argument structre using argument mapping.
- 7. Moderated discussion on a given topic.
- 8. Experimental scientific work – formulation of hypothesis, its verifiabiliy and falsifiability. Scientific metodology.
- 9. Experiment and its planning, preparation and execution. Data collection, critical data processing, quality, error.
- 10. Final competitive debate. Argumentative essay.
- Literature
- recommended literature
- KUHN, Thomas S. The structure of scientific revolutions. Edited by Ian Hacking. Fourth edition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2012, xlvi, 217. ISBN 9780226458113. info
- POPPER, Karl R. Logika vědeckého bádání. Translated by J. C. B. Mohr. 1. vyd. Praha: Oikoymenh, 1997, 617 s. ISBN 8086005453. info
- not specified
- SYNEK, Miloslav, Pavel MIKAN and Hana VÁVROVÁ. Jak psát bakalářské, diplomové, doktorské a jiné písemné práce. 3., přeprac. vyd. Praha: Oeconomica, 2011, 61, [8]. ISBN 9788024518190. info
- BRADBURY, Andrew. Jak úspěšně prezentovat a přesvědčit. 2. vyd. Brno: Computer Press, 2007, viii, 109. ISBN 9788025116227. info
- KOHOUT, Jaroslav. Rétorika : umění mluvit a jednat s lidmi. 4. dopl. vyd. Praha: Management Press, 2002, 169 s. ISBN 8072610724. info
- POPPER, Karl R. The logic of scientific discovery. London: Routledge, 2001, 479 s. ISBN 041507892X. info
- The demon-haunted world : science as a candle in the dark. Edited by Carl Sagan. New York: Ballantine Books, 1996, xv, 457. ISBN 0345409469. info
- Teaching methods
- seminar and discussion of the topics, lecture, eventually practice with computers
- Assessment methods
- Credit is assigned for participating in moderated discussion, writing a short argumentative essay on a given topic or participating in a competitive debate, and for attending seminar lessons (not more than two absented lessons).
- Language of instruction
- Czech
- Follow-Up Courses
- Further Comments
- The course is taught annually.
- Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2023, recent)
- Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/sci/autumn2023/E3020