Facebook: An avenue to reflective discussions through case studies

Abstract

Students were introduced to using Facebook as a platform for communicating science through case studies in a general chemistry course. They explored biased headlines centered on unresolved problems in science as they role played different characters. They developed a realization of the need for a baseline scientific literacy in the general public as they honed their own skills of assessing scientific sources for bias, sound arguments, and accuracy. Through the use of Facebook, my students showed a 62% increase in the number of resources they used to formulate decisions and debate science during the case study discussion.