The first set of principles concerns the ins- and outs of the scientific research or design process the students will complete. Students working through open inquiry:
Work in an authentic setting, which implies:
Real stakeholder or person/problem/object
(Authentic) Research setting – work like a researcher
Both failure and success are possible acceptable (learning) outcomes.
Follow expert ways of working, such as the ways of a:
Scientific researcher
Designer
Professional (company)
Iterative steps of design- and research processes
Includes a safe working environment or practice.
Formulate a design problem or research question and hypothesis, which includes:
Design problem and possible (multiple) solutions or plans
(quantitative) Research question and hypothesis
Hypothesis is testable
Formulate when their design or research is successful (or not) and how they know.
Consciously and critically look for information from:
Experts (teaching assistants, researchers, teachers, students from previous years, content people)
Books, the web, literature
Other students
Interpreting, questioning, reflecting on the information and advice from others
Dealing with conflicting information and simplifications.
Concisely (re)formulate design criteria or a hypothesis, which means:
A description of an acceptable means to arrive at a quantifiable, measurable answer to the research question or design problem
Returning to the description to reformulate in iterative manner.
(re) Design a prototype or set-up an experiment, which means:
Make choices
Check on safety
Iterative
Construct a prototype and/or run the experiment, which includes:
Repetition
Quick test results,
Calibrations,
Feasibility,
Uncertainty,
Pilot studies
Having alternative plans.
Interpret results, these include:
Relate to design and hypothesis
Reliability, Error
Reproducibility
Validity
Iterative -when possible in view of time, materials etc..
Report on results in various ways:
Present their results to others in:
Presentation
Report
Article
Defend results and choices and decision made
What the results mean to others, implications
Successes and failures.
Draw conclusions, where they
Describe their conclusions to the research question
What the conclusion means to others; implications.