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How Science Turns Data Into Knowledge

4.6 Filled star Filled star Filled star Filled star Half star
Based on 10 ratings
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Elle O'Brien

How Science Turns Data Into Knowledge teaches you how to evaluate scientific claims critically, address experimental limitations, and recognize the roles of trust and responsibility within research.

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How Science Turns Data Into Knowledge teaches you how to evaluate scientific claims critically, address experimental limitations, and recognize the roles of trust and responsibility within research.

During the course, you’ll explore the nuances of significance testing, scientific research methods, and science communication, emphasizing the importance of carefully interpreting statistical results. After learning about the scientific process, you’ll learn how science can make its way into the news cycle—and how critical context can be lost amidst the noise. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to think more critically about the media you consume and how you can view science news and information with a more nuanced perspective.

This is the second course in Understanding Data: Navigating Statistics, Science, and AI Specialization, in which you’ll gain a core foundation for statistical and data literacy and gain an understanding of the data we encounter in our everyday lives.

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What's inside

Syllabus

Welcome, Introduction & Significance
Experimental Design
How Science Becomes News
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Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Course content aligns closely with evaluating data within a scientific context
Practice analyzing experimental limitations and how they may impact results
Develops critical thinking skills in evaluating scientific claims and assessing their credibility
Enhances understanding of how science is translated and communicated to the public
Requires some base understanding of statistics or research design

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Reviews summary

Demystifying scientific data & news

According to students, this course offers a largely positive and foundational understanding of how science processes data into knowledge. Learners consistently praise its ability to break down complex scientific concepts into understandable chunks, making it highly accessible for a general audience. The modules on 'How Science Becomes News' and 'Science and Society' are highlighted as particularly insightful and unique, fostering a critical perspective on media claims. While the instructor's explanations are clear and engaging, some learners with prior scientific or statistical backgrounds found the pace somewhat slow or examples too basic, suggesting it's ideal for those seeking a conceptual overview rather than deep technical dives.
Features clear explanations and well-produced learning materials.
"The instructor's explanations were clear and engaging."
"Excellent course! ...The instructor was engaging and the material was presented clearly."
"The videos were well-produced."
Provides valuable insights into how science is communicated in news.
"The modules on 'How Science Becomes News' and 'Science and Society' were particularly insightful..."
"The focus on trust and responsibility in research was unique and important."
"It really changed how I approach scientific articles and news."
"...insights on media portrayal of science were invaluable."
Makes complex scientific concepts easy to understand for all learners.
"The way it broke down complex scientific concepts into understandable chunks was brilliant."
"I found the 'Experimental Design' module very helpful."
"I appreciate the effort to make it accessible."
"The lectures were clear and the insights on media portrayal of science were invaluable."
Best suited for general data literacy, not deep technical analysis.
"Sometimes, the pace felt a bit slow, especially if you already have some background in statistics. But for a general audience, it's perfect."
"I was hoping for more practical application of data analysis. It's good as an introduction, but don't expect deep dives."
"My only minor critique is that some of the examples felt a little too basic for someone with a scientific background..."
"Disappointed. I expected more depth on how *data* is turned into knowledge, like specific tools or methodologies. This was more about critical thinking of *science*."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in How Science Turns Data Into Knowledge with these activities:
Review Basic Statistics Concepts
Strengthen your foundation by reviewing basic statistical concepts.
Browse courses on Statistics
Show steps
  • Review Descriptive Statistics
  • Revisit Probability Distributions
  • Practice Applying Concepts
Organize Course Notes And Assignments
Enhance your retention by organizing and reviewing course materials.
Show steps
  • Review And Organize Notes
  • Compile Assignments And Quizzes
  • Create A Study Plan
Design And Conduct A Mini-Experiment
Apply your knowledge of experimental design by designing and conducting your own mini-experiment.
Browse courses on Experimental Design
Show steps
  • Define A Research Question
  • Develop A Hypothesis
  • Design And Conduct The Experiment
  • Analyze The Results
  • Draw Conclusions And Discuss Implications
Five other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all eight activities
Complete the interactive data analysis exercises
Practice applying the statistical concepts you're learning in the course through interactive exercises.
Browse courses on Experimental Design
Show steps
  • Review the lecture material on statistical significance testing
  • Go through the interactive data analysis exercises
  • Interpret the results of the data analysis exercises
Explore Supporting Resources For Significance Testing
Deepen your understanding of significance testing by exploring additional resources and tutorials online.
Show steps
  • Identify Reputable Resources
  • Review Tutorials And Articles
  • Practice Applying Concepts
Analyze Experimental Designs Critically
Improve your ability to evaluate experimental designs and identify potential limitations.
Browse courses on Experimental Design
Show steps
  • Review Different Experimental Designs
  • Identify Strengths And Weaknesses
  • Consider Alternative Designs
Summarize Key Points From Science News Articles
Enhance your understanding of science communication by summarizing key points from scientific news articles.
Browse courses on Science Communication
Show steps
  • Read And Analyze Articles
  • Identify Main Points And Supporting Evidence
  • Write A Clear And Concise Summary
Read "Bad Science" by Ben Goldacre
Expand your understanding of the role of trust and responsibility within scientific research.
View Bad Science: Quacks, Hacks, and Big Pharma... on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read And Analyze The Book
  • Identify Key Concepts And Arguments
  • Reflect On The Implications For Science Communication

Career center

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Course image
Rating
4.6 Filled star Filled star Filled star Filled star Half star
Effort
11 hours to complete
Level
Introductory
Via
Coursera
Institution
University of Michigan
Instructor
Elle O'Brien
Language
English
Traffic lights
Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Course content aligns closely with evaluating data within a scientific context
Practice analyzing experimental limitations and how they may impact results
Develops critical thinking skills in evaluating scientific claims and assessing their credibility
Enhances understanding of how science is translated and communicated to the public
Requires some base understanding of statistics or research design
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