Test your science literacy skills

[Dubious Dick]

This from Scepticon.

As a non scientist managed a score of 25 0ut of 28 with which I was quite pleased.

Good luck!

Of course class, I am expecting some good results from you lot!!!!!!

http://scepticon.wordpress.com/2013/01/ ... cy-skills/

[chaggle]

This from Scepticon.

As a non scientist managed a score of 25 0ut of 28 with which I was quite pleased.

Good luck!

Of course class, I am expecting some good results from you lot!!!!!!

http://scepticon.wordpress.com/2013/01/ ... cy-skills/

Looks like fun. Will try it tomorrow when I'm ....

... in a better frame of mind.

[Dubious Dick]

This from Scepticon.

As a non scientist managed a score of 25 0ut of 28 with which I was quite pleased.

Good luck!

Of course class, I am expecting some good results from you lot!!!!!!

http://scepticon.wordpress.com/2013/01/ ... cy-skills/

Looks like fun. Will try it tomorrow when I'm ....

... in a better frame of mind.

Do you mean 'better' or 'sober' frame of mind? If the latter then :br for not being so now! Sometimes feel a tipple the only way to overcome the pain the nonsense that surrounds us causes!

[Asthmatic Camel]

A miserable 20 out of 28. Still, not too bad for a pissed-up layman.

I'd be interested to know which answers people got wrong.

You obtained a final score of 20 out of 28

For Identifying valid scientific arguments you achieved 2 out of 3.
For Evaluating and distinguishing sources you achieved 6 out of 6
For Evaluating uses of scientific information you achieved 2 out of 3
For Evaluating research design you achieved 2 out of 4
For Making a graph you achieved 1 out of 1
For Interpreting graphical information you achieved 1 out of 4
For Quantitative problem solving you achieved 3 out of 3
For Interpreting statistics you achieved 3 out of 3
For Interpreting quantitative data you achieved 1 out of 2

[bindeweede]

I mun also leave it until the morra. That homeopathic camomile tea has just got me zonked............

[Dubious Dick]

B, you are such a paragon of virtue compared to Chaggle and AC. what with them special pleading as a result of alcohol and you camomile tea!!

A miserable 20 out of 28. Still, not too bad for a pissed-up layman.

I'd be interested to know which answers people got wrong.

3, 14 and 15 wrong.

By way, the writer of Scepticon works at an environmental testing lab. I commented on the blog that I have sent the test to my daughter and suggested she takes to school and shows the science teachers as a possible useful learning tool, and revealed my score and the writer has just replied to say that they also got 25 out of 28 so now I am puffing out me chest with pride! :trt


Mind you, there is a follow up piece on Scepticon as follows so maybe an excuse for getting wrong on 12 and 14. Clarification as follows:

First off it’s becoming clear that some of the questions are ambiguously worded. This is especially obvious in the results for questions 12 and 14.

Question 12, looking at categorizing sources, is worded in such a way that it is not clear whether the question refers to the story extract itself or the sources used in the story extract. This means that respondents incorrectly label the source as “Primary” (correct for the sources used for the story extract) and “Tertiary” (correct for the story extract itself and therefore the correct answer for the question).

The other one that people are obviously getting wrong because of the wording (including myself) is question 14. This question asks what element of a study design is not a strength of the study.

This implies that you are to critique the design as it is actually presented, not how it could have been. Thus people are choosing the option that is “least wrong”. A bit of a change in this wording to make it clear what design could have been used but wasn’t or that could have made the study better or even restricting the answer options to just the study elements present in the background information would probably bring the score for this question up.

[Matt]

26/28 Q9, I simply misread. Q15 I still think Graph C conveys more information than D and the shortened Y axis is perfectly acceptable to my mind.

[Dubious Dick]

26/28 Q9, I simply misread. Q15 I still think Graph C conveys more information than D and the shortened Y axis is perfectly acceptable to my mind.

Well, seems it was getting late when you took the test so not really surprising that you might misread the question!

Interesting you got 12 and 14 correct when the author has admitted there is potential ambiguity there.

As for 15 I am going to look at again. Since you are so well respected in such matters perhaps you have found another flaw. If so will let Darcy know.

Overall guess it can't be that difficult given my result as a confessed non-scientist, but still seems quite interesting to me in that it does appear to cover some of the common problems we see, especially with media reporting and advertising of science and pseudo science, and definitely think it could be useful in schools as a tool for teaching critical thinking.

Just checked back on Q 15 and seems there is someone else who has commented along the same lines. Although I can see that C confers more information, I am a bit confused as the question specifically asks 'Which graph would be most appropriate for displaying the mean (average) blood pressure scores for high-stress and low-stress groups of people?' and I am not sure whether the fact that C conveys more information makes it better in relation to the question? Perhaps you can clarify?

[Asthmatic Camel]

I did think some questions were difficult to answer with any certainty; more a matter of whether or not one agrees with the author's point of view than a rigorous test.

(Muffed it with the graphs, though; graphs are tricky after a gallon of ale.)

[panama]

25/28

Q2, 9, & 15 wrong. I misread 9 so not too bad.

[chaggle]

How long does it take to send you your results? I've done it three times and nothing received yet.

[Dubious Dick]

How long does it take to send you your results? I've done it three times and nothing received yet.

Came through within a few minutes at most when I did it.

Perhaps the process can't cope with zero scores! Just kidding!!!

Maybe send a comment on the site to check if any problems?

Apparently Darcy has added some demographic questions now. perhaps that is slowing things up?

[chaggle]

Finally!!!

27/28 - question 12 wrong. :a

[Dubious Dick]

Finally!!!

27/28 - question 12 wrong. :a

Smug bugger!

Mind you, well done!