Day 7: Field Research
Teacher Section
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Objectives: When students finish today's activities - they will have a better understanding of collecting data, observations, inferring and the research process.
Assignment: Pg 15
Scientists and all other researchers of their various fields will have a chance from time to time to collect information "out there" in the field, instead of always in the office. This may range from a reporter who goes out to the field to interview those involved with a breaking story or a historian who may directly investigate an authentic historical artifact. It may also range from a medical doctor who practices on their patients to a detective at the scene of a crime, or a lawyer heading a case. Whatever role is being played, people will head out to the field to do direct first hand research, have to collect and interpret evidence and infer the meaning behind the articles of evidence.
In our activity - you were playing the role of a researcher who had to go out into the field - aka, the hallway, to collect information - or data. After collecting enough data, you headed back to your office or lab and took the time to try to decipher what this data means. Some students alphabetized their data, others clustered their words into groups based on some form of common theme - which eventually evolved into a story that seemed to form. Eventually, many groups realized that they needed even more information - so I presented you with some further research that "other professionals" in this similar field of study have come across. This is like reading the articles, books or other means of communication from other credible researchers within the same field. Credibility, at this point, becomes vitally important to the credibility of your work as well; quote a source that is unreliable - and your credibility goes down the tubes.
Data analysis at this point becomes even more crucial - because you now have even more information to sort through and process, and it must all be considered. But how can it make sense - when it doesn't seem evidently clear what exactly it is that you are looking at?
This activity expresses some of the beauties and experiences of a person undergoing research. Some of the things you may have learned are:
Assignment: Pg 15
Scientists and all other researchers of their various fields will have a chance from time to time to collect information "out there" in the field, instead of always in the office. This may range from a reporter who goes out to the field to interview those involved with a breaking story or a historian who may directly investigate an authentic historical artifact. It may also range from a medical doctor who practices on their patients to a detective at the scene of a crime, or a lawyer heading a case. Whatever role is being played, people will head out to the field to do direct first hand research, have to collect and interpret evidence and infer the meaning behind the articles of evidence.
In our activity - you were playing the role of a researcher who had to go out into the field - aka, the hallway, to collect information - or data. After collecting enough data, you headed back to your office or lab and took the time to try to decipher what this data means. Some students alphabetized their data, others clustered their words into groups based on some form of common theme - which eventually evolved into a story that seemed to form. Eventually, many groups realized that they needed even more information - so I presented you with some further research that "other professionals" in this similar field of study have come across. This is like reading the articles, books or other means of communication from other credible researchers within the same field. Credibility, at this point, becomes vitally important to the credibility of your work as well; quote a source that is unreliable - and your credibility goes down the tubes.
Data analysis at this point becomes even more crucial - because you now have even more information to sort through and process, and it must all be considered. But how can it make sense - when it doesn't seem evidently clear what exactly it is that you are looking at?
This activity expresses some of the beauties and experiences of a person undergoing research. Some of the things you may have learned are:
- There is a difference between facts and inferences. Facts are your nuggets of data and direct information (i.e. the words you collected in the hallway). Inferences are the interpretation of your data (i.e. when you interpreted the facts and made sense of it).
- There are many ways to go about doing science / research.
- There is no one correct way.
- What may have lead you to one conclusion - may be a different conclusion of another researcher.
- Inferences may also be wrong, but its the best idea of what we may think it is based on the evidence presented.
- Cultural background information helps to interpret the meaning - but sometimes it may taint it as well.
- There is still a lot of information yet to be discovered - research is on going and built upon from what others have accumulated in their research.
- Research may take us in different directions. Sometimes it's fruitful, and sometimes it's not.
- Further research should drive more questions that demand answers.
- As we gain better understanding - our idea of what is going on may change in light of new evidence.
- We are constantly reviewing our understanding of a topic as we face new evidence that may conflict with our understanding.
- We must be vigilant with Data Bias - or filtering data because it conflicts with our belief system.