About This Course

Many societal and scientific challenges relate to systems that are too complex to understand by simple reasoning. The unique path to unravel these systems is to apply the scientific method: motivating the research - posing a question and proposing a testable hypothesis - experimenting - analysing - confirming or refuting the hypothesis. These steps form a closed circle, which is the pillar of modern science. The best way to understand how the scientific method works is to actually do science.

In this course we introduce the scientific method and we combine it with actual research. This way, you practice science and develop your own skills in working with the scientific method:

• The scientific method is a systematic way to perform research. Here, the historic and philosophy-of-science background is also taken into account.
• The students do research in order to answer the overall research question "How does cloud formation change in a changing climate ?"
• The research is performed using the conceptual model CLASS which serves as a virtual laboratory.

This SPOC (Small Private Online Course) is used in the blended course at Wageningen University: Learn the Scientific Method in a changing climate