Technology, Accuracy and Scientific Thought in Field Camp: An Ethnographic Study
Technology, Accuracy and Scientific Thought in Field Camp: An Ethnographic Study
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野外露营中的技术、准确性和科学思想：民族志研究
DOI：
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发表时间：
2010
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Anthony D. Feig
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Anthony D. Feig
为了观察和记录学生的生活经历，在本科生的田野课程中进行了一项民族志研究。这篇文章评估了几个新出现的主题之一：技术依赖，以及它如何启发学生对科学现实的理解。在野外，学生们试图用尽可能高的精确度武装自己。他们认为技术等同于精确度，而精确度又等同于科学事实；即精确度。学生们拒绝接受这样的观点，即在某些情况下，低水平的精确度可能就“足够好”，就可以做到准确。技术依赖这一主题暗示了五个广泛的含义。首先，很少有人教学生，也很少理解精确度和精确度之间的区别。其次，应该教学生评估一种情况，以应用适当的精确度，而不是认为越多越好。第三，应该教育学生重视“手工”做事的过程，比如在地形图上定位自己。第四，学生应该有充分的机会探索物理和科学现实的复杂性。最后，野外训练营是塑造未来地球科学家职业成长的一个较晚的机会，因此理应在地球科学课程中占有突出地位。
An ethnographic study was conducted on an undergraduate field course to observe and document lived experiences of students. This paper evaluates one of several emergent themes: that of technology dependence, and how it informs students’ understanding of scientific reality. In the field, students tried to arm themselves with as high a degree of precision as possible. They assumed that technology was equated with precision, and in turn, precision with scientific reality; i.e., accuracy. Students rejected the notion that in some situations, low levels of precision may be “good enough” to be accurate. This theme of technology dependence suggests five broad implications. First, students are rarely taught, and rarely understand, the difference between precision and accuracy. Second, students should be taught to appraise a situation to apply an appropriate level of precision, rather than to assume that more is better. Third, students should be taught to value the process of doing things “by hand,” such as locating oneself on a topographic map. Fourth, students should have ample opportunity to explore the complexities of physical and scientific reality. Finally, field camp is a late opportunity for shaping the professional growth of future geoscientists, and thus deserves a prominent place in geoscience curricula.