BIOL 210 Perspectives of Science

Fall 2021

Instructors: Michael Hendricks [email protected]

Office: Stewart N5/12 Office hours: Thursdays 1 – 2 pm
***Office hours for Prof Hendricks during Oct 21 – Dec 2

Alanna Watt [email protected]

(Class Coordinator) Office: Bellini 265 Office hours: Thursdays 10 – 11 am
***Office hours for Prof Watt during Sept 1 – Oct 14

Teaching
Assistants (TAs): Kim Gruver [email protected]

Lisa Hanna [email protected]

Lotte Jensen [email protected]

What is Science? What does Science accomplish? Who does Science? How do we talk about science? This
course will provide an in-depth overview of how science is done in society today. It will arm students with the
tools to evaluate science both as citizens and in their own lives.
This course requires students to attend lectures, and to participate in weekly tutorials. Attending a (virtual)
scientific lecture on a topic of your choice is also required at least once during the semester. The course will be
evaluated by quizzes, a reflection on the Scientific lecture you attend, a short paper, and a group assignment.
Constructive evaluation of peers’ contributions -- an essential part of the process of science -- will be required
and evaluated. There is no text book for this class, although readings will be provided (If readings are required,
it will be indicated. Most readings are supplementary). There will be no final exam.

Learning Objectives
● This course will equip students with the tools and attitudes to understand scientific findings and how they
impact society.
● Students will learn about the scientific method and how science is conducted, communicated, and
funded.
● Students will gain insight into the scientific process and the utility and impact of curiosity-driven, or “basic”
science.
● Students will develop tools to evaluate how science is reported in the media and differentiate between
science and pseudoscience.

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Course Delivery & Evaluation
Lectures Wednesday and Friday, 8:35 – 9.55 am
Stewart Biology N2/2. Classes are recorded but attendance in class is strongly
encouraged.

Tutorials Weekly tutorials start the week of September 6th. There will be 1 in person and 1 online
per week, both on Tuesdays. While tutorials are not mandatory, students are
encouraged to attend. Important information will be communicated at tutorials, and they
will also be recorded & shared with students who cannot attend.
In-person tutorial: Tuesdays 9:30-10:30 am in Stewart S3/4
Online tutorial (Zoom): Tuesdays 7-8 pm. Meeting ID: 821 8977 4442; asscode:617645.

Evaluation Quizzes (6 Quizzes, 10 % each, lowest 60 %

grade will be dropped)

Scientific Seminar reflection 5%

Team Project (group mark, 15 + individual 20 %

reflection, 5):

Peer Review of Team Projects: 5%

Short Science Communication Essay 10 %

Evaluation Descriptions & Deadlines

Quizzes (6) Multiple-choice and/or short-answer quizzes will be posted on myCourses. Students will
60 % (10 % each) have a 72-hour window weekly during which to start the quiz (typically available on
Wednesday and due on Friday), and will have 2 hours to complete it after opening it. It
should take significantly less time to complete. Because some students may miss class
time because of the pandemic, the lowest Quiz grade will be dropped. Consult Weekly
Course Schedule below for due dates.

Students must attend 1 scientific seminar during the semester. Most departments at
Scientific Seminar McGill run weekly seminars, so you should be able to find something that you are
Summary 5 % interested in. Many will be online in the Fall of 2021, but you may need to register in
advance. A short written assignment (1 page single spaced) is due after attending this
Due: Dec. 6, 2021
scientific talk. A rubric will be provided. A list of appropriate recorded talks will also be
(or earlier)
posted. We encourage you to attend this lecture and submit the assignment early
in the semester.

Teamwork is an essential part of modern science. Working in a team of 4-5 students,

Team Project 20%
students should find an example of technology, medical advances, or something that is
Initial Due Date: possible because of the work of curiosity-driven “basic” science. Students should explain
October 29, 2021 what that basic finding was and describe its impact on the development of the
applied/medical/technological innovation. We want you to be creative in this project!
Create a video or record a presentation that highlights this in an interesting, engaging
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After Peer Review manner. What would things be like without the basic scientific finding upon which the
Revisions Due Date: technological advancement was made? The work needs to be divided up equitably
November 19, 2021 between team members. Team contributions will be agreed upon and reported. You will
receive peer review feedback on your initial submission, and then will have the
opportunity to revise it based on this feedback.

Peer Review of One of the bedrocks of science is peer review. You will emulate this by providing a written
Team Projects peer review for 3 Team Projects that will be assigned to your Team. An evaluation rubric
5% will be provided (on myCourses), and as a Team, you will evaluate how well the project
conveyed information, and how engaging and creative it was. Discuss this as a group to
Due Nov 10, 2021
come to a consensus opinion for the feedback. Aim for constructive criticism that can be
used to help improve it. Your Team will be evaluated on the quality of the peer reviews
you submit. Your reviews will be anonymously shared with the presenters, who will have
the opportunity to evaluate the utility and value of the review, and may modify their
projects in response. You can also modify your Team Project based on the feedback
you receive, as well as any other information you have gleaned from the Review process.

Short Science You will write a short essay on a topic of your choice. This will be an individual project;
Communication Essay although you can discuss your choice of topic with your friends, you will each write on a
10 % separate topic. Topics should be focused on Science Communication or something
related. Examples of suitable essay topics would be:
- Comparison of science communication in different media outlets
- Discussion of a recent or historical scientific controversy (may need to focus on
a specific aspect of this if topic is large)
Maximum 3-4 double-spaced pages. A rubric will be provided at the beginning of the
assignment. Use of citations is expected.

NOTE: The delivery of this year’s course is unusual because of our current Pandemic circumstances which
mean some things may change throughout the semester. We ask for everyone’s collaboration and cooperation,
as some challenges may arise. We will do our best to address them in a timely manner. We remind students
that videos and associated material are not to be reproduced or placed in the public domain. This means that
each of you can use course materials (videos, handouts) for your own personal purposes, but you cannot allow
others to use it by putting it up on the internet or by giving it or selling it to others who will copy it and make it
available. Thank you very much for your help with this.

Weekly Course Content

Week Who? Date Topics Tutorial Important

Topics deadlines

1 AW Sept 1 Introduction to class & instructor. Why is Science No tutorial

important?

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 Sept 3 Introduction to how Science is done & the principles of
Experimental Design

2 AW Sept 8 Experimental Design Skillset:

taking
Quizzes
Sept 10 Class Biometric data analysis and Clinical Trials

3 AW Sept 15 Science Communication with other scientists. Assign Skillsets: Quiz 1 due Sept
Scientific Seminar reflection. getting the 17
most out of
scientific (on Weeks 1-2)
lectures
Sept 17 Science Communication with the public. Assign
Science communication essay.

4 AW Sept 22 Publishing Papers; The Structure of a Scientific Paper Skillset:

writing an
essay
Sept 24 How Papers are evaluated: Peer Review

Predatory Publishing

5 AW Sept 29 Self-correcting Science Feedback on Quiz 2 due Oct

Quiz 1 1

Oct 1 Basic and Applied Science. Examples (on Weeks 3-4)

6 AW Oct 6 Standing on the shoulders of giants: linking basic and Team Project
applied science Workshops

Oct 8 Background for Team Projects and Assignment

OCT 13 & 15: NO CLASSES Science

Fall Reading week Communication
Essay due Oct
15

7 MH Oct 20 Scientific tools: epistemology, induction, and inference Feedback on Quiz 3 due Oct
Quiz 2 22

Oct 22 Science as a game: Inductive inquiry and puzzle (on Weeks 5-6)
solving

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 8 MH Oct 27 Interpreting science: Conditional probability, risks, and Skillset: October 29:
benefits Giving quality TEAM Project
peer review Due

Oct 29 Interpreting science: Diagnostic tests in a pandemic

9 MH Nov 3 Science, misinformation, and disinformation: Common Skillset: how Quiz 4 due Nov
fallacies and identifying b*llshit to talk about 5
science with
science (on Weeks 7-8)
Nov 5 Who controls science? Politics and public funding skeptics.

10 MH Nov 10 Who owns science? Intellectual property, publishing, Gatekeeping Nov 10: Peer
and profits in Science Evaluation Due

Nov 12 Science and Society: Who does science? How do you

become a scientist?

11 MH Nov 17 Science careers: the power of diversity Bioethics Quiz 5 due Nov
19
(on Weeks 9-10)
Nov 19 Research ethics: trustworthy science
Revised TEAM
Project Due Nov
19

12 MH Nov 24 Research ethics: human and animal experiments Skillset: facts

in a world of
alternative
Nov 26 The limits of science: what can we know? And can we facts
know when we know it?

13 AW Dec 1 Learning from our peers: Team Project Symposium Quiz 6 due Dec
Part I No tutorial 3 (on Weeks 11-
12)
Dec 3 Learning from our peers: Team Project Symposium Scientific
Part II Seminar
reflection Due
Dec 5

There will be no opportunity for additional work to elevate your grade.

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We know that the past year and a half during the pandemic has been a challenging time for McGill students. We
encourage you to reach out to use the following resources:

Support Resources: Resources for remote learning

Student wellness hub

To make it easier for you to keep track of the course, we have summarized all the assignment dates and
deadlines for the Assessments for 210 below. Please refer to this often so that you stay on track! We will also
publish reminders on myCourses.

Summary of Assessment Deadlines for BIOL 210

Assessment Assignment Due Date Value Where?
Date
Quiz 1 Sept 15 Sept 17 10 pts* myCourses
Quiz 2 Sep 29 Oct 1 10 pts myCourses
Science Sept 17 Oct 15 10 pts myCourses
communication
Essay
Quiz 3 Oct 20 Oct 22 10 pts myCourses
Quiz 4 Nov 3 Nov 5 10 pts myCourses
Team Project (initial Oct 8 Oct 29 Not graded, but PeerGrade
submission) cannot submit late.
Quiz 4 Nov 3 Nov 5 10 pts myCourses
Peer Review of Nov 1 Nov 10 5 pts PeerGrade
Team Projects
Quiz 5 Nov 17 Nov 22 10 pts myCourses
Revised Team Nov 10 Nov 19 20 pts myCourses
Project (after Peer
review), with Team
summary

+ individual Dec 1
reflections on
project
Quiz 6 Dec 1 Dec 3 10 pts myCourses
Scientific Seminar Sept 15 Dec 6 5 pts myCourses
reflection

*Note: since 1 Quiz will be dropped, the final weighted average of each 5 Quizzes that count will be
12.5, not 10, with the lowest Quiz grade dropped.

© Instructor-generated course materials (e.g., handouts, notes, summaries, exam questions, etc.) are protected by
law and may not be copied or distributed in any form or in any medium without explicit permission of the instructor.
Note that infringements of copyright can be subject to follow up by the University under the Code of Student Conduct
and Disciplinary Procedures.

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McGill University values academic integrity. Therefore all students must understand the meaning and
consequences of cheating, plagiarism and other academic offences under the Code of Student Conduct and
Disciplinary Procedures.

As the instructors of this course we endeavor to provide an inclusive learning environment. However, if you experience
barriers to learning in this course, do not hesitate to discuss them with the course instructors and the Office for
Students with Disabilities.

In the event of extraordinary circumstances beyond the University’s control, the content and/or evaluation scheme in
this course is subject to change.

End-of-course evaluations are one of the ways that McGill works towards maintaining and improving the quality of
courses and the student’s learning experience. You will be notified by e-mail when the evaluations are available on
Mercury, the online course evaluation system. Please note that a minimum number of responses must be received
for results to be available to students.

Additional policies governing academic issues that affect students can be found in the McGill Charter of Students'
Rights.

McGill University is on land which has long served as a site of meeting and exchange amongst Indigenous peoples,
including the Haudenosaunee and Anishinabeg nations. We acknowledge and thank the diverse Indigenous people
whose footsteps have marked this territory on which peoples of the world now gather.

McGill has policies on sustainability, paper use and other initiatives to promote a culture of sustainability at McGill.
(See the Office of Sustainability.)

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