Outline

Overview

Climate change, disease outbreaks, public health challenges, mass movements of people, renewable energy, sustainable cities, social media and AI and automation are some examples of the "wicked problems" that we all face as we move through 21C. Science provides many of the solutions to these challenges, yet sceptics and deniers continue to flourish. What is it about many scientific claims that often generate mistrust and confusion in the broader public? Creating and communicating valid scientific evidence and arguments requires a skilful balance of truth, objectivity and evidence. Science is not black and white becausewicked problems have not only scientific but also economic, historical, social, legal, environmental and moral dimensions. In this unit you willdevelop skills used to address challenging problems and consider the ethical, political, social and regulatory issues that create further complexity. You will work together with students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds to explore case studies and conduct experiments around campus. You will learn how data collection and models are used to create knowledge anddevelop core skills in scientific and critical thinking. You will learn how to leverage ways of interdisciplinary and inter-cultural thinking and points of view to communicate your decisions to a variety of professional and lay audiences. These are skills that enable to you to make valuable contributions to future society no matter what your career.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	History and Philosophy of Science Academic Operations
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Hans Pols, hans.pols@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Pauline Ross, pauline.ross@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Januar Harianto, januar.harianto@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Scientific poster Produce a poster to present the results of experiments conducted	20%	Week 03 Due date: 09 Jul 2021 at 23:00 Closing date: 30 Jul 2021	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Quiz Online Canvas quiz	10%	Week 04 Due date: 16 Jul 2021 at 09:00 Closing date: 18 Jul 2021	30 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Final exam (Take-home short release)	Final exam Written exam. Four short (< 600 words) short answers.	40%	Week 07 Due date: 06 Aug 2021 at 12:00 Closing date: 06 Aug 2021	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Action research case study Select a case study from those presented & answer the associated questions.	30%	Week 07 Due date: 03 Aug 2021 at 23:00 Closing date: 03 Aug 2021	Max 2,000 words
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ? = Type D final exam ?

Assessment summary

Poster—group exercise. Preparing a poster that present the results of the smartphone experiment in a way that conveys these result adequately and consicely. Due at the end of week 3.
Online task on the material covered in week 3 (Use and Misuse of Data, and Uncertainty in the Scientific Process. At the end of week 4.
Action Research Case Study. Students are requested to pick a case study out of those presented and answer the questions associated with it.
Final exam. Four short answers (<600 words) in response to five scenarios presented (students pick 4 out of 5).

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	At HD level, a student demonstrates a flair for the subject as well as a detailed and comprehensive understanding of the unit material. A ‘High Distinction’ reflects exceptional achievement and is awarded to a student who demonstrates the ability to apply their subject knowledge and understanding to produce original solutions for novel or highly complex problems and/or comprehensive critical discussions of theoretical concepts.
Distinction	75 - 84	At DI level, a student demonstrates an aptitude for the subject and a well-developed understanding of the unit material. A ‘Distinction’ reflects excellent achievement and is awarded to a student who demonstrates an ability to apply their subject knowledge and understanding of the subject to produce good solutions for challenging problems and/or a reasonably well-developed critical analysis of theoretical concepts.
Credit	65 - 74	At CR level, a student demonstrates a good command and knowledge of the unit material. A ‘Credit’ reflects solid achievement and is awarded to a student who has a broad general understanding of the unit material and can solve routine problems and/or identify and superficially discuss theoretical concepts.
Pass	50 - 64	At PS level, a student demonstrates proficiency in the unit material. A ‘Pass’ reflects satisfactory achievement and is awarded to a student who has threshold knowledge.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

5% of the grade will be deducted for every day the assignment is late, unless a special consideration request is approved.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	The Big Picture	Lecture (1 hr)
	The Big Picture, II	Individual study (1 hr)
	Trust in Science	Lecture (1 hr)
	Trust in Science, II	Individual study (1 hr)
	Smart Phone Experiments	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 02	Climate Modelling	Lecture (1 hr)
	Climate modelling, II	Individual study (1 hr)
	Modelling COVID-19	Lecture (1 hr)
	Modelling COVID-19, II	Individual study (1 hr)
	Smart Phone Experiments	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	The Use and Misuse of Data	Lecture (1 hr)
	The Use and Misuse of Data, II	Individual study (1 hr)
	Uncertainty in the Scientific Process	Lecture (1 hr)
	Uncertainty in the Scientific Process, II	Individual study (1 hr)
	Use and Abuse of Data	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 04	58 Degrees of Ecosystem Loss	Lecture (1 hr)
	Ecosystem collapse I	Individual study (1 hr)
	Knitting While Australia Burns	Lecture (1 hr)
	Ecosystem collapse II	Individual study (1 hr)
	Ecosystem Collapse	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 05	Traditional Chinese Medicine	Lecture (1 hr)
	Traditional Chinese Medicine, II	Individual study (1 hr)
	Traditional Chinese Medicine and Science	Lecture (1 hr)
	Traditional Chinese Medicine and Science	Individual study (1 hr)
	Traditional Chinese Medicine	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 06	Science and Social Responsibility	Lecture (1 hr)
	Science and Social Responsibility, II	Individual study (1 hr)
	Pressing Issues	Lecture (1 hr)
	Pressing Issues, II	Individual study (1 hr)
	Science and Social Responsibility	Tutorial (2 hr)

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Use epistemic concepts such as objectivity and evidence and explain how they are relevant to scientific research.
LO2. Explore the use, misuse and limitations of science, mathematics and statistics in decision making. Topics covered will include the authority and mystic of science, false positives and negative test results, the counter intuitive nature of statistical outcomes, and uncertainties inherent in the scientific process.
LO3. Explain and appreciate the uncertainties inherent in the scientific process and the place of conditional probabilities and Bayesian logic
LO4. Articulate the power of science for understanding and manipulating the world and the impact on local, global and international communities. Examples to be used include Sydney Science contributions such as gravitational waves, rust in wheat, renewable energy.
LO5. Describe the influence of social, moral and political contexts on science and be inclusive of knowledge systems which are non-science and are important in decisions.
LO6. Use technologies and design experiments to collect data and solve simple and complex science problems on the Camperdown campus.
LO7. Analyse and appreciate how mathematical models explain systems and the values associated with their use.
LO8. Identify, describe and communicate the nature of interdisciplinary problems where science has made impact in industry, and regulatory practice. For example, asbestos, neuronal disorders, climate change, health and well-being.
LO9. Describe scientific knowledge is used in policy formulation and the constraints on policy-makers and other real-world actors.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

This is the first time this unit has been offered.

Additional information

Science student portal

Work, health and safety

We are governed by the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 and Codes of Practice. Penalties for non-compliance have increased. Everyone has a responsibility for health and safety at work. The University’s Work Health and Safety policy explains the responsibilities and expectations of workers and others, and the procedures for managing WHS risks associated with University activities.

General Laboratory Safety Rules

No eating or drinking is allowed in any laboratory under any circumstances
A laboratory coat and closed-toe shoes are mandatory
Follow safety instructions in your manual and posted in laboratories
In case of fire, follow instructions posted outside the laboratory door
First aid kits, eye wash and fire extinguishers are located in or immediately outside each laboratory
As a precautionary measure, it is recommended that you have a current tetanus immunisation. This can be obtained from University Health Service: unihealth.usyd.edu.au/

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

SCIE1001: Sydney Science 2050: Towards the Future

Intensive July, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect