With the tremendous amount of information available to us today, the ability to discern what’s reliable from what’s not is crucial to combating the spread of misinformation. In 2023, we sat down with Jonathan Osborne, an expert in science education to talk about the tools our students (and really all of us!) need to critically evaluate science news and information. We hope you’ll tune into this episode again to hear about the three valuable skills Osborne says we should be teaching our students so they can debunk scientific misinformation.
Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your quest. You can send questions to thefutureofeverything@stanford.edu.
Episode Reference Links:
Connect With Us:
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Introduction
Russ Altman introduces Jonathan Osborne, a professor of education at Stanford University.
(00:01:50) State of Science Education
Current education's failure to prepare students for misinformation.
(00:03:46) Internet-Age Challenges
Why younger generations struggle with evaluating credibility online.
(00:05:07) Tools for Evaluating Claims
Three key questions to assess scientific credibility.
(00:08:10) Teaching Credibility
Using interactive challenges to teach critical thinking.
(00:10:46) Attitudes Toward Science
Flaws in the way science education is currently taught to youth.
(00:14:28) Barriers to Reform
Resistance to curriculum changes and systemic challenges.
(00:19:02) Scientific Argumentation
The importance of teaching reasoning behind scientific discoveries.
(00:24:03) Modes of Scientific Argumentation
Deductive, abductive, and inductive reasoning as key scientific methods.
(00:25:45) Inspiring Curiosity in Science
Framing science as imaginative, evidence-backed ideas to engage students.
(00:28:06) Adapting Science Standards
The need for flexible standards to address evolving education challenges.
(00:29:57) Conclusion
Connect With Us:
Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website
Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon
Connect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook
