A discussion on global science issues

Science: Methods and Practices course | Discussion on
Global Science issues with high school students | 4 hours field experience
(includes preparation and reflection time)

Background

This exercise was aimed at planning and holding a discussion with a group of high school students on global science issues. The group, consisting of 4 students, through the course of the discussion worked to identify a list of top 3 global science issues.

A complete audio recording of the discussion will be available soon. It captures method and process details along with the specific content of the discussion.

Method

Student selection

The students were invited to join the discussion and had the opportunity to decline if the topic did not interest them. Five students agreed to join the discussion. On the day of the discussion, one student was sick so the ultimate group had 4 students, 3 females and 1 male. In preparation for the discussion, the students were sent the attached email — Download Pre-work for global science issues discussion
. They were asked to identify 5 global science issues ahead of the meeting.

What is a "global" issue? Why are Science issues so critical?

The discussion was guided by questions I posed to the group. At the very outset, I reminded this group of students of how they had defined a "global" issue in the context of their discussion on global social issues. They were asked if they wanted to amend their definition in anyway. With the definition of global being settled on, the group ventured to define the significance of science issues. They came up with the following reasons for their significance:

— it makes more things available
.. leads to efficiency
.. sustains human life
.. enables humans to understand and control their environment
.. solves problems

Having a foundation of why a science issue is critical helped the group think about how they would prioritize issues.

Identifying the full list of issues

The following was the complete list of issues the group came up with based on their pre-work:

Merucry pollution
Water scarcity and other environmental issues like deforestation, healthy ecosystems
Population
TB, HIV-AIDS
Designer babies
Cloning
Sustainable agriculture, GMO
Global Warming
Health related to food, food safety/security
Psychology, of leadership
International security
Anti-bacterial soap
Planetary life explorations
Octoplet mom

The top 6:

Food safety/security
International security
Sustainable agriculture, GMO
Population
Global Warming
HIV-AIDS, TB

The top 3, er 4 (not in order of priority):

Population
Global warming
Sustainable agriculture, GMO
HIV-AIDS, TB

Learning

This was my second discussion with this particular group of students. I was struck once again by how enjoyable such a discussion is with a group of grown, hard-thinking youth. Their considerations and points of view seem so mature and well-considered. They make a tremendous effort to think holistically and beyond their years.

Pre-work was a critical component in making this discussion meaningful. It allowed students to grapple, on their own time and at their own pace with a boggling topic. Global issues in general can be top of mind for many people however those specific to science can be illusive. In preparing for the discussion, I found that science issues can be quite esoteric and steps away from ordinary lives of all people non-scientific. Science and its issues occupy such a separate space in human life. Science is something that a few people do and tell all of the rest of us about.

It was evident from the get go that the students had the outcome of the discussion at the top of their minds. They were so focused on identifying the top 3 issues. All of their process suggestions were geared towards getting to the end goal. It makes me wonder why that is the case. This was certainly a group of go-getting students. Our education systems tends to groom our already go-getting students into being so results focused.

Arguments started before the list of issues was even up on the board. It struck me how involved and excited students can be when learning and intellectual activity lies in their hands. Most of the arguments were about the factual significance of an issue. That said, the students did not offer up very many concrete facts in making their arguments. I wonder what helps people remember scientific facts. How can we make the facts so meaningful that they just stick? The arguments were also not personalized which was good in some ways but it did not result in much effectiveness. I asked the students to consider what would make their arguments stronger while offering the tip that if they directed their arguments to the particular person they were trying to convince, they might have greater success. I am moved to consider the significance of debating, argument-making and intellectual discussion in our education of students.

As a facilitator, I found that it was important for me to not offer my own opinions on the issues. This was easy to do. I focused on the process of the discussion and sometimes offered factual information. It was also important for me to ensure that all students felt included and heard. Finally, it was critical for me to hold the space in which difficult and tiresome considerations could occur.

The students worked hard and long at narrowing down their list. When it came time to pare down the list of 6 to 3, they quickly agreed on 2 that had to go on their final list. However, 2 of the student labored and struggled to arrive at the last one. This was a time when I really needed to hold the space, offer process suggestions and keep the students focused on the process and not the outcome. I also wanted them to end with a list they felt good about and not one that seemed like a cop out, not after all the work they had done. So, when they ended with 4 and were trying to fudge the last item to make it all encompassing, I let them end with 4. It was critical to realize that the learning, for all of us was in the process, in the deliberations, in the case-making, in the communication and the foundation of dialoging, not in the exact items that ended up on the list.

All learning needs to focus on the process and not the outcomes. Magic happens when you focus on the process. Results emerge, many of which are far beyond your expectations. Learning sticks. We learn how to learn. Very little learning is focused on process. How do we change that?