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Mr. Mason’s Cruel Experiment
(or Mason’s version of the scientific method…)
8.30.12
1. First step of any scientific investigation?
1. Observation
1. Observation
• Some students do better in school than others
1. Observation
• Some students do better in school than others
• The students who do better also do more homework (positive correlation)
2.
2. Hypothesis
• More homework leads to higher student achievement
2. Hypothesis
• More homework leads to higher student achievement
– Do not use phrases like “I think…” State your hypothesis as a positive statement, as though it is fact.
3.
3. Design experiment and do research
• Have others already studied this relationship? If so, how did they do it?
3. Design experiment and do research
• Have others already studied this relationship? If so, how did they do it?
• How do you measure student achievement?– Final grades? Test scores? Future jobs/income?
3. Design experiment and do research
• Have others already studied this relationship? If so, how did they do it?
• How do you measure student achievement?– Final grades? Test scores? Future jobs/income?
• Vary levels of treatment– Some with normal amount, some with a lot
3. Design experiment and do research
• Have others already studied this relationship? If so, how did they do it?
• How do you measure student achievement?– Final grades? Test scores? Future jobs/income?
• Vary levels of treatment– Some with normal amount, some with a lot
• Test null hypothesis– Give one class no homework at all
3. Design experiment and do research
• Have others already studied this relationship? If so, how did they do it?
• How do you measure student achievement?– Final grades? Test scores? Future jobs/income?
• Vary levels of treatment– Some with normal amount, some with a lot
• Test null hypothesis– Give one class no homework at all
• Keep all other variables constant
4.
4. Do the experiment
5.
5. Analyze data
6.
6. Conclusion and replication
• See if any conclusions can be drawn from data
• If it can, do the experiment again to make sure that results are consistent
7.
7. Communication
8.
8. Verification
• Have other scientists do your experiment.
• Results and conclusions are only considered valid if other people get the same results.