SCTS 11 - Module 1 - Learning Guide
SCTS 11 - Module 1 - Learning Guide
Module Overview
In this module, the rationale of studying this particular subject, Science,
Technology, and Society (ScTS or STS) pertaining to your particular course, will
be discussed. This module will start with the interconnectivity of science,
technology, and society. Recent scientific discoveries and how these benefits
society, along with other examples, will be discussed. A bit of a review of what
science is, types of knowledge, goals, and approaches will also be tackled.
Contrasts of ideal science from pseudoscience will also be presented. In a
participatory manner, the scientific method will be reviewed as among the tools
on how scientific findings are validated that may lead to a paradigm shift. The
concluding part will be the values of science to society.
Motivation Question
Can you still recall when you first took the subject science?
Do you think it is still relevant to take this subject now as a
university student?
Module Pretest
Lesson Summary
In this lesson, you will recall the definition as well as the differentiation of
science, technology, and society. The relevance of science, then, now and in
the future, will be presented as you relate this to your field of specialization, as
indicated by your course.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, the learner will be able to:
1. Define science, technology, and society;
2. Establish the connectivity of science, technology, and society, and
3. Cite specific examples wherein a technology became outdated as
when replaced by a state of the art technology.
Motivation Question
Look at your writing material.
Do you agree that it is a product of S&T? Why? Why not?
Discussion
Let us see if you get it right in the questions above. Science is the
systematic body of knowledge. Technology is the practical application of
knowledge to facilitate the accomplishment of things and make life easier.
Society is a group of people living together following certain norms to be in
order (Fig. 1). Did you get it right in the pretest above?
Science generates knowledge, like an explanation of how things work.
These can be expressed in words that everyone can deal with, or numbers in
formula or mathematical equations that need a certain degree of training for
one to comprehend. Remember, mathematics is the language of science.
This pool of knowledge is often combined to see a tangible product for
use to accomplish tasks, to make life easier. For instance, many algorithms or
equations are used to have a functional cell phone. A layman operates and
benefits from this 'necessity' gadget without knowing neither understanding
how the required operating system (OS) or bandwidth was put together.
What were the functions of your first cell phone? Probably, call and text
functions? Have you looked at the history of cellphones? Feature of voice call
was the primary function of a cellphone, an analog device in its oldest version.
Then came the 'texting' function. Look at your gadget or observe the capability
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Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation.
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge TP-IMD-02
V0 07-15-2020
and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
No. 01-ScTS11-DBS-IM2020
For instructional purposes only • 1st Semester SY 2020-2021 3
of the cellphone of your friend. Most probably, it's digital, with a camera,
recorder, built-in GPS. Looking back, what tasks were made easier by using a
cellphone? Calling a friend for a meet-up rather than going to his place and
talking to his parents after pacifying the barking dog? Or simply texting your
parents to send the code of the money transfer? Watching a movie or playing
games to pass boredom during the quarantine period? How about you? What
other functions do you think should be added to this electronic device? A cell
phone that shields you from COVID-19? Scientists like computer programmers,
applied physicists, data analysts, virologists, etc. will continue to work to
generate equations to bring to reality your novel idea. You, as a member of the
society, express if not demand that science must address your concern.
Innovations, if not new inventions, will emerge, with the ideal goal of improving
the quality of life.
However, despite the noble goal of improving the quality of life, there
were instances of which science and technology were used to destroy life, do
you agree? The classic example is dynamite. Maybe you heard of it as
something destructive, like dynamite fishing. However, in the demolition of
huge structures like buildings or massive boulders in construction site, this
manageable explosive property of dynamite is of good use. After WWII,
dynamite fishing became rampant. However, the inventor Alfred Nobel, a
Swedish chemist, did not want to be remembered associated with this
destructive invention. He left a massive amount as prize money for works that
benefit society, the Nobel Prize. Again, look at your cell phone. What good can
it do? How about harm?
Have you heard of a tardigrade a.k.a. 'water bear'? Despite its size (0.184
mm long), being smaller than a grain of salt this animal is dubbed as the
'toughest organism on earth', why?
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Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation.
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge TP-IMD-02
V0 07-15-2020
and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
No. 01-ScTS11-DBS-IM2020
4 ScTS 11: Science, Technology and Society
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Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation.
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge TP-IMD-02
V0 07-15-2020
and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
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For instructional purposes only • 1st Semester SY 2020-2021 7
Lesson Summary
This lesson emphasizes the nature of science, its rigid protocols to ensure that
any scientific knowledge is indeed reliable.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, the learner will be able to:
Motivation Question
Discussion
According to a French chemist, Pierre Eugene Marcelin Berthelot (1827-
1907), "All chemical phenomena depended on the action of physical forces
which can be determined and measured." He opined that everything could be
explained. Do you agree with his statement? Maybe it's the reason that man
don't just stop and wonder at nature but instead tries to understand it.
Types of knowledge
Furthermore, research knowledge does not claim fact but rather claims
logical circumstantial explanation in the light of the requirement. Are
you familiar with the abiogenesis or theory of spontaneous generation?
A classic example would be the statement that flies emerge from rotten
meat- a dead thing that gave rise to a living organism. As observed,
maggots will appear a few days after in a slice of exposed rotten meat.
These are observations. Do you remember who refuted this theory? By
experimentation, Louis Pasteur disproved this theory. Can you outline
how Pasteur did it? How about in your locality, have you heard of
something similar to events explained based on spontaneous generation
theory? Can you disprove it?
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Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation.
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge TP-IMD-02
V0 07-15-2020
and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
No. 01-ScTS11-DBS-IM2020
For instructional purposes only • 1st Semester SY 2020-2021 9
Hypothesis
• tentative explanation by the pattern created by two or more facts
• based on observation
• has predictive value
• testable, open to being proven wrong
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Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation.
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge TP-IMD-02
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and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
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10 ScTS 11: Science, Technology and Society
Death of hypothesis
• data are found to disprove it, especially empirical data
• its predictions constantly fail
• it is supplanted by the new hypothesis that better explains the data
• it used to be introduced that hypothesis, when not subjected to
contradictions though time, becomes a theory. Then this theory is
elevated into law. However, some opined that a hypothesis is only a
limited and temporary explanation of a phenomenon. While a scientific
theory is an in-depth explanation. But theories can also change when
new information is validated. A scientific law, on the other hand, is a
statement that is not supposed to go wrong. When that law is proven
to be wrong, then the science supported by it becomes also wrong.
2. Empirical science
• deals with objects and observations
NO truth; no right or wrong but there are limitations including but not
limited to the availability of equipment to aid the senses e.g. telescope
for a detailed view of a distant object
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Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation.
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge TP-IMD-02
V0 07-15-2020
and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
No. 01-ScTS11-DBS-IM2020
12 ScTS 11: Science, Technology and Society
Lesson Summary
In this lesson, you will appreciate the true essence of science that should make
it an indispensable part of any society.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this lesson, the learner will be able to:
Motivation Question
You have heard of "fake news", right? Any tips to spot this?
How about pseudoscience, can you recognize when you are told of
one?
Discussion
What is good science?
1. eliminates as many variables while entertaining as many alternate
interpretations of the observations as possible.
e.g., experiments will manipulate variables being investigated and keep
minimal all other confounding effects
Do you remember the different models used to represent the atomic
structure? What were these changes in every newer version that is
introduced?
Spotting pseudoscience
• repeated reference to authority rather than primary observation
• In Anatomy, Galen, who is known for pioneering works in animal
dissection, used animals aside from humans. However, his work
was often cited and applied to human anatomy, thus the
perpetuation of error
• unwillingness to admit ignorance or exceptions
• pride can prevent some to accept lapses especially that good
scientific works are often peer-reviewed before publication
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Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation.
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge TP-IMD-02
V0 07-15-2020
and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
No. 01-ScTS11-DBS-IM2020
For instructional purposes only • 1st Semester SY 2020-2021 13
3. dynamic
• changes over time
• as research knowledge is based on facts and evidence, when
new facts are discovered, then the former facts are discarded.
State of the art technology, like a high definition camera, can
reveal structures and behavior of an organism not seen using a
camera in your cell phone
Presupposes that:
• There is an order in nature, and therefore the material universe is
knowable
• The human mind is capable of knowing this order
• Knowable within the limits of:
1. human mind - there is an established level of capacity of humans in
a certain age bracket. Have you been told either to be too immature or
mature at your age? Do you know of someone clinically diagnosed with
mental retardation?
2. culture - in some culture, it is taboo to discuss sex education openly,
so it will follow that birth control is not also learned
3. technology -access to state of the art technology is an advantage to
perform the task efficiently, thus provide an opportunity to engage in
another productive learning experience
e.g., for a long time, the Philippine education system implemented the 4-
year high school. However, in your case, another two years of senior high
school is added to the curriculum based on studies that this is the
standard duration before achieving a high school diploma
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Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation.
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge TP-IMD-02
V0 07-15-2020
and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
No. 01-ScTS11-DBS-IM2020
For instructional purposes only • 1st Semester SY 2020-2021 15
Lesson Summary
This lesson brings you back to the scientific method, the most common
process in doing things in scientific research to generate new knowledge. You
will also have a deeper understanding of the different approaches to scientific
inquiry and get to know a typical scientist.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this lesson, the learner will be able to:
Motivation Question
Have you been told, "you're like a scientist!"?
What could be the reason/s for such perception of you?
How did you feel about it? Is it affirmatory or sarcasm?
Discussion
What means does science use now?
Types of reasoning
Which steps of the scientific methods are deductive? Inductive? Which one
should be practiced in science?
Page 16 of 77
Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation.
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge TP-IMD-02
V0 07-15-2020
and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
No. 01-ScTS11-DBS-IM2020
For instructional purposes only • 1st Semester SY 2020-2021 17
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Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation.
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge TP-IMD-02
V0 07-15-2020
and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
No. 01-ScTS11-DBS-IM2020
20 ScTS 11: Science, Technology and Society
Lesson Summary
The final lesson in the module for the introduction will remind you of the value
of science. You will look at your own experience if indeed science is relevant to
your life.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this lesson, the learner will be able to
1. Establish the value of science, and
2. Reflect on the reliance on scientific knowledge on life decisions.
Motivation Question
At this point, can you mention a specific example of which science
made a positive impact in your life?
Discussion
Recently, when changes are introduced, it's not uncommon to hear 'is it
scientific? Is it science-based? The following are just a few of the reasons why
science is of high value.
• Predictive power - the mathematical modeling of the distance reached
by the droplets in coughing and sneezing led to the policies of social
distancing and the measurement of the size of SARS Cov 2 virus on the
type of effective material for facial mask
• Honesty and courage - researchers were brave enough to contradict
what was earlier mandated that healthy persons need not wear a facial
mask
• More informed decisions – e.g., understanding how the virus is
transmitted and how to slow down if not totally eradicate it led to the
legislation of the specific distance to be observed in social distancing
and the description of the proper materials and alternative Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE) including the facial mask.
Page 20 of 77
Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation.
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge TP-IMD-02
V0 07-15-2020
and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
No. 01-ScTS11-DBS-IM2020