Understanding University Success - Educational Policy ...

Natural Sciences
Those students who do well in my class aren’t afraid to fail. They are willing to take
risks. If they read a problem and they don’t instantly know how to do it, they don’t
quit or feel embarrassed. They understand they’re not failing the course as a result of
a failed experiment.
Faculty Viewpoint
Knowledge & Skills
Foundations
Science presents both technical and
psychological challenges for incoming
students. A number of subjects come
together in this field, including math and
statistics. Students who are prepared to
study science at the college level are capable
of integrating scientific methods and
contextual understanding, critical thinking
and hands-on skills.
Basic Knowledge
In the fields of physics, chemistry and
biology, successful students are familiar with
fundamental scientific concepts, including
the significance of time; the range of light
waves; the nature of force, velocity and
acceleration; and the principles of evolution.
Entering students who are well-prepared
for science courses have mathematical
skills. They have knowledge of basic
mathematical concepts and processes in
arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry and
geometry. They can translate and transform
fairly simple word problems into
mathematical equations and vice-versa. In
the sciences, as in mathematics, students
demonstrate a dependency on calculators.
Technology can help students with
scientific experiments but does not replace
the thinking processes required to estimate,
question and solve problems.
Thinking about Science
Beyond simple memorization of definitions
or theories, successful students
understand how scientific processes
operate and how those processes relate to
one another. Science is a process, and it
requires certain skills.
First, students ready to get the most out
of science courses have a measure of
scientific common sense; an overall
understanding of how scientific concepts,
definitions and applications fit together.
Second, these students are capable of
experimental thinking. They have an
understanding that experimentation is an
inherent part of the scientific process.
Incoming students will benefit greatly from
an understanding of the interrelationships
among scientific concepts and across the
sciences. For instance, a biology student
would do well to know about physics and
chemistry, and the ways that those
disciplines inform the study of biology.
Successful students use mathematical
reasoning as they work with chemical
formulas and as they try to solve and
explain problems. Once a solution is
reached, they can also defend why they
chose each math process. Evaluating
scientific issues in daily life and
understanding the origins of scientific
knowledge is important, as well. As they
study, successful students address questions
along the way, such as “Do I know for
sure?” and “How do I know?”
The relationship between a chemical
formula and its real-world application is
worth thinking about, too. There is a
formula behind the process of
photosynthesis, and it is applied in plant
life all around us. This type of
conceptualization helps students to realize
the position of humans within a global
context and to gain an appreciation for
everyday existence. Students who succeed in