While judging a science fair recently, the fair organizer announced that the scientific method is passe and that in a few years, it will not even be a category for judging projects. I almost fell out of my chair when I heard this. I thought that they were joking, but none of the other judges in the room laughed or even looked bewildered. So when was this decision made and what is going to replace it? I tried to Google this and this is the most relevant article that I found:
http://www.theonion.com/articles/rogue-scientist-has-own-scientific-method,1976/
I also found a few stories how modeling and simulation were being added to the scientific method to optimize experimental design, but nothing about school districts dropping the scientific method from their science class curriculum. I'm not sure how to search for this properly as I don't know what is replacing the principal principle of scientific inquiry. Education professionals, please enlighten me so that I can modernize my research endeavors. I really really hope that this is just going to be a name change since "the scientific method" supposedly sounds boring and does not inspire kids to become scientists.
http://www.theonion.com/articles/rogue-scientist-has-own-scientific-method,1976/
I also found a few stories how modeling and simulation were being added to the scientific method to optimize experimental design, but nothing about school districts dropping the scientific method from their science class curriculum. I'm not sure how to search for this properly as I don't know what is replacing the principal principle of scientific inquiry. Education professionals, please enlighten me so that I can modernize my research endeavors. I really really hope that this is just going to be a name change since "the scientific method" supposedly sounds boring and does not inspire kids to become scientists.
