KQ: A model is a simplified representation of some aspects of the world. In what ways may models help or hinder the search for knowledge? The quest for the absolute truth and knowledge is an unending and tiresome process in which we set out to confirm answers to questions, statement, problems, aspects of life, and theories, which are apparent in our society. The use of models as learning tools is a rudimentary and greatly helpful in understanding and answering questions. Models are fundamental in our search for knowledge as they simplify ideas to be easily interpreted by masses of populations. Being just a representation models are usually more simple then the actual concept or idea itself, this leads to the model hindering us in our search for knowledge. Models provide us with capacity to comprehend and carry out a valid assessments for real life situations, in both social sciences and natural sciences, but they all come with their hinderances to knowledge claims. Models are thought to be used effectively in natural sciences to visually display concepts and information as illustrations, graphs, and diagrams. In natural sciences when we come up with a theory, to investigate the validity of a theory we create models and designs which are tested out in an experiment. This experiment is based of of models and designs which can be recreated to give same results and explain the experiment and theory in relation to the model. However, in some cases models can help to little avail. In addition to this use of models, the natural sciences also use models to illustrate observations. When looking through a microscope one would need to model the cell or any such microscopic being, however it is impossible, as well as illogical, to grab wha... ... middle of paper ... ...se and validity of models, leading to a hinderers in the knowledge we gain. Take into account a map, they are not fully to scale to represent the three-dimensional world around us, which has several levels of elevations and can 't be perfectly modelled as a map. We will never be able to a microscope with our naked ey, but the infinity evolving models of atoms give us a better understanding of them. Models will never be fully perfect but they will give us the chance to think and understand a concept and make valid judgments based on a given situation. Will we ever be able to establish specifically what knowledge is? No. But the use of models will give us a somewhat near realistic understanding of what is actually happening. All in all the usage of models as learning tools helps us a great deal, however their functions and applications will always come with hinderances.
a key factor within our responsibilities. We must learn how to apply different theories to certain
In order for us to fully understand why we cannot achieve real learning one must understand the roots as well as the problem. Twenge talks about the problem ...
Observations (page 26) are only clues to a mystery. The schema created by the observer can affect the results. "Therefore, observations like those discussed in the preceding sections could be collected and put in systematic form by men whose beliefs about the structure of the universe resembled those of the ancient Egyptians" (page 26).
Theories are used as explanations of an experiment or study. A theory can be tested and then is used a predictor of something. People in criminal justice use criminological theories to explain why individuals commit crimes and based off of these theories, they can also see try to predict whether people will commit crimes and based off this try to prevent individuals from offending. In the criminal justice work field another set of theories are used called Management Theories. Similar to criminological theories, management theories can also help predict and explain people’s behavior. Management theories help explain behavior in the workplace. They are executed to aid in the expansion of employee output.
”Theories tell how and why things work; how and why one variable is related to another. Research findings that are theory based can be place in a framework that advances science further than findings that are unconnected to formal theory.” (O'Connell, 2009, p. 33).
Mistakes do lead to discovery. Without mistakes, scientists would not know what they have to fix in their research or what they are doing wrong. A chocolate bar melting in Percy Spencer’s pocket led to the invention of the microwave. He made the mistake of leaving the chocolate bar in his pocket near the Magnetron, but it lead to the invention of the microwave! So, I believe that mistakes lead to discovery of new things.
A model is a simplified representation of the structure and content of a phenomenon or system that describes or explains the complex relationships between concepts within the system and integrates elements of theory and practice (Creek et al 1993).
Anderson, T., Lunnen, K. M., & Ogles, B. M. (2010). Putting models and techniques in context.
In the essay “Studies In the Logic of Explanation”, Carl Hempel attempts to break down scientific explanation into its fundamental components in pursuit of defining what it means to explain a phenomenon scientifically. In doing so, he proposes a set of rigorous criteria that he believes constitute a true explanation. He starts by separating an explanation “into two major constituents, the explanandum and the explanans” (136). The explanandum is the phenomenon that is to be explained, while the explanans represent a series of statements which “account for the phenomenon” (137). According to Hempel, the explanans can be further subdivided into particular antecedent conditions and certain general laws which can be combined in such a way to
How we approach the question of knowledge is pivotal. If the definition of knowledge is a necessary truth, then we should aim for a real definition for theoretical and practical knowledge. Methodology examines the purpose for the definition and how we arrived to it. The reader is now aware of the various ways to dissect what knowledge is. This entails the possibility of knowledge being a set of truths; from which it follows that one cannot possibly give a single definition. The definition given must therefore satisfy certain desiderata , while being strong enough to demonstrate clarity without losing the reader. If we base our definition on every counter-example that disproves our original definition then it becomes ad hoc. This is the case for our current defini...
4. “Without application in the real world, the value of knowledge is greatly diminished.” Consider this claim with respect to two areas of knowledge.
A scientific theory is an explanation that is well- substantiated explanation in regards to some aspect of the natural world that is attained through scientific method and is tested numerous times and usually confirmed through vigorous observation and experimentation. The term theory can be seen as a collection of laws which allow you to show some kind of phenomenon. The strength of a scientific theory associated with the diversity of phenomena can explain its elegance and simplicity. However when new evidence is gathered a scientific theory can be changed or even rejected if it does not fit the new findings, in such cases a more accurate theory is formed. Scientific theories are used to gain further
A theory is a way organizing and systematizing what is known about a phenomenon. It is, in fact, “a rationalized set of assumptions or hypotheses that provides a person with tools that can be utilized to explain the past and predict the future” (Johnson, 2000). Therefore, theories provide direction and when tested and supported, can assist in expanding our knowledge.
The word theory emanated from the Greek word meaning “contemplate” It has been viewed by scholars in different ways. Theory can be defined literally as an explanation of phenomena and its associations with variables that it is attempting to predict. There are no general agreed definitions of theory because scholar’s views of what constitute theory differ based on the purpose, nature and what make up of a good theory (Gelso, 2006; Harlow, 2009; Stam, 2007, 2010; and Wacker 1998). For instance, Wacker, (1998), pointed out that a theory must have four basic criteria such as conceptual definitions, domain limitations, relationship-building, and predictions. He, also, opined that for any theory to be regarded as a good theory, it must have qualities for `good ' theory, such as “uniqueness, parsimony, conservation, generalizability, fecundity, internal consistency, empirical riskiness, and abstraction, which apply to all research methods” (p.364). Stam (2010) interpreted theory as ...
In addition to the aforementioned information Neufeld (2009:82) states that we construct knowledge on top of what we already know. As new information come to us from the environment we perceive it as arrangement of figures that can be incorporated into our picture-frame that references the world to us. If that new information cannot be incorporated into our existi...