Science in Our World —Certainty and Controversy (SC200) is an entry-level General Education course NOT for Science majors. Andrew teaches it every Fall. It is, by analogy with literature, dance, wine, food and music appreciation courses, a science appreciation course. It assumes no background knowledge. It is particularly suited for students who loathed science at school. The aim of the course is to make the citizens and leaders of the future better consumers of science.
When the course is running, Andrew maintains a teaching blog, where there is also a lot of stuff about course philosophy, pedagogy and tall yarns about Penn State students. The students are required to actively contribute the Course blog.
This is the most challenging course Andrew has ever taught. Teaching evolution, microbiology, immunology, ecology and even statistics to British zoologists was a walk in the park. Teaching statistics to British immunologists was a challenge. But teaching science and critical thinking to the unwilling? Phew.
SC200 first happened in Fall 2010, with 70 students. It has 100 students for Fall 2011. The ambition for Fall 2012 is 178 students…and then to infinity and beyond. Unless Andrew has a breakdown first.