Mr. Mason’s Cruel Experiment

(or Mason’s version of the scientific method…)

8.30.12

1. First step of any scientific investigation?

1. Observation

1. Observation

• Some students do better in school than others

1. Observation

• Some students do better in school than others

• The students who do better also do more homework (positive correlation)

2.

2. Hypothesis

• More homework leads to higher student achievement

2. Hypothesis

• More homework leads to higher student achievement

– Do not use phrases like “I think…” State your hypothesis as a positive statement, as though it is fact.

3.

3. Design experiment and do research

• Have others already studied this relationship? If so, how did they do it?

3. Design experiment and do research

• Have others already studied this relationship? If so, how did they do it?

• How do you measure student achievement?– Final grades? Test scores? Future jobs/income?

3. Design experiment and do research

• Have others already studied this relationship? If so, how did they do it?

• How do you measure student achievement?– Final grades? Test scores? Future jobs/income?

• Vary levels of treatment– Some with normal amount, some with a lot

3. Design experiment and do research

• Have others already studied this relationship? If so, how did they do it?

• How do you measure student achievement?– Final grades? Test scores? Future jobs/income?

• Vary levels of treatment– Some with normal amount, some with a lot

• Test null hypothesis– Give one class no homework at all

3. Design experiment and do research

• Have others already studied this relationship? If so, how did they do it?

• How do you measure student achievement?– Final grades? Test scores? Future jobs/income?

• Vary levels of treatment– Some with normal amount, some with a lot

• Test null hypothesis– Give one class no homework at all

• Keep all other variables constant

4.

4. Do the experiment

5.

5. Analyze data

6.

6. Conclusion and replication

• See if any conclusions can be drawn from data

• If it can, do the experiment again to make sure that results are consistent

7.

7. Communication

8.

8. Verification

• Have other scientists do your experiment.

• Results and conclusions are only considered valid if other people get the same results.