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Re: student debates on pseudoscience



One of the problems with this is that the students will not think about the
topic as much. When students actually do the debating, they will always
wonder where the truth lies, and will devote much more thought to the topic.
One of the primary ideas behind constructivist teaching is that the teacher
must not readily provide answers. Shayer and Adey essentially have the
teacher go around and sow seeds of doubt in each group, so they do not stop
at an easy obvious answer.

I would also like to point out that students who are convinced of a
particular pseudoscience conception will tend not to believe what is said in
class by the other side. These sort of misconceptions are just as resistant
to instruction as physics misconceptions. There was a very good article a
while ago in the NY Times science section by a scientist who now refuses to
debate proponents of pseudoscience such as creation science. Unfortunately
these people are so good at twisting facts that they can easily demolish a
good thoughtful scientist. If they must be debated, then the scientist must
study their writings and come fully armed with the flaws in their arguments.
Unfortunately a good scientist usually does not have the time to study the
kooks because they are too busy studying science.

Incidentally good scientists are also easily tricked by fakery. They need a
professional magician to expose tricks, as the magician has actually studied
how the tricks are done. There is a very good NOVA on this topic. Johnny
Carson was able to single-handedly defeat Uri Geller. He had Geller on his
show and presented him with a table full of ordinary tableware and asked him
to do his spoon bending feats. Geller refused because the material had not
been prepared and he knew that Carson was a magician and would spot his
tricks.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX

-----Original Message-----
From: Forum for Physics Educators [mailto:PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu]On Behalf
Of Jack Uretsky
Sent: Monday, December 23, 2002 2:50 PM
To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
Subject: Re: student debates on pseudoscience


You take the pro side.
Regards,
Jack
On Mon, 23 Dec 2002, Ben Crowell wrote:

I'm teaching a conceptual physics course at a
community college, and would like to have my students
debate each other on issues related to pseudoscience.
Can anyone give me any tips on what might work? I can
easily imagine that if I don't set it up correctly,
the results could be bad. For instance, I could ask
one student to present the "pro" side on astrology,
and another to take the "anti." The "anti" student
doesn't prepare, does a lousy job, and the class then
votes that astrology is a real science.