EDSC 514 - Teaching Scientific Argumentation & Critical Thinking (3)

Both the Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards emphasize the importance of argumentation in science education. That’s because argumentation requires students to generate and justify claims based on evidence, which leads to deeper understanding and more critical consumption of information. Using case studies and argumentation to engage students in thoughtful reasoning and debate is an effective way to teach not only academic content, but also process skills and critical thinking-all while allowing students to make connections between the classroom and everyday life.

In this course, you’ll learn how to use case studies to engage students in science content while improving their critical-thinking skills. You’ll review numerous examples of case studies that address a variety of science learning objectives and choose ones that you can integrate into your own instruction. In addition, you’ll cultivate several strategies for scaffolding argumentation in the classroom and developing questioning techniques that will motivate students and enhance learning. Finally, you’ll gain tools for evaluating student work using this educational framework.

By the end of the course, you will be able to incorporate case studies and argumentation into science instruction in a way that teaches critical thinking and deepens scientific understanding.