Freshmen can perform well in basic science courses such as chemistry through effort and repetitive practice. But, understanding the importance of science and the scientific method on their lives and those in their communities may not be clear. During the Fall 2015 semester, seven classes (both traditional STEM courses and non-traditional STEM courses) in the STEM Residential College in Arkansas Hall at the University of Central Arkansas banned together to engage students in evaluating pseudoscience topics, including students in College Chemistry I. The end result of the students’ efforts was forty-nine pseudoscience topics being presented by one hundred and seventy-two students at a Pseudoscience Fair on the university campus with a portion of those topics being presented at science nights within the local community. The students learned scientific integrity, critical thinking and inquiry, communication, and teamwork skills.<br/> <br/>Faculty chose the topics discussed at the Pseudoscience Fair and assigned those topics to groups of students. Each group was required to evaluate the science involved, determine whether the science was valid or invalid, and to provide documentation, in the form of peer-reviewed articles, to support the validity of the science. Students realized the importance of researching a topic thoroughly before taking a stance. Additionally, they discovered that not all science was reported with absolute integrity, which readily impacts and influences individuals’ decisions on products and information described in the media. Students concluded that they have a duty to their community to provide accurate information in order to help individuals make good decisions.  Qualitative data related to student opinion of this exercise and the impact it had will be reported.

Impact of incorporation of a “Pseudoscience Fair” in the STEM curriculum

251st National Meeting (2016)

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