Critical Appraisal of Research Lessons

 

Topic: Critical Appraisal Lessons

 

Rationale: Looking for a way to teach critical appraisal skills in an engaging, systematic way? D’Scerner the Lifelong Learner lessons were developed to do just that. Students begin by reading a report from an actual scientific study published in a peer-reviewed journal. Teachers and graphic designers have transformed the original reports into age-appropriate materials. Students can read for themselves what the researchers reported about their study. There are modules that guide students in finding sources of potential bias in the study; reading tables and graphs; and analyzing the results.

 

Included in the lesson is a media report on the same study. It is their job to decide if the media reported the results accurately. Another module guides students as they compare and contrast the reports. They will plan and create a Venn Diagram to help them decide.

 

Almost daily, we hear someone say “research says. . . “, from the D’Scerner lessons, students will learn to ask “Did the research really say that?” And better yet – they will have the skills to decide for themselves!

 

 

Keywords: Critical appraisal skills, compare/contrast, analyzing results of a study, study design, variables, controlled variables, graphing

 

Search Curricular Keywords

 

 

Research Lessons:

Topiramate: D’Scerner: Critical Appraisal of Topiramate Study (Treating Alcohol Dependence)

D’Scerner: Critical Appraisal of a Study: “Dopamine May Affect Thrill-Seeking Behavior in Humans” *Content Support Lessons

D’Scerner: Critical Appraisal of a Study “Genetic Analysis Shows Gene Expression is Changed by Cocaine”

D’Scerner: Critical Appraisal of a Review Article on the Role of Dopamine in Addiction

Study Design Pyramid from CAST

 

Objectives:

Using instructional materials in the activity, students will be able to:

 

Module 1 Thinking About the Study

• Find sources of potential bias in the study and describe how they might affect the results
• Identify the type of study design
• Identify independent, dependent, and controlled variables in the study
  

Module 2 The Results

• Find summative data in the study
• Create data tables and graphs from the study data
• Determine which type of graph is most appropriate for the type of data collected in the study

Module 3 Analyzing the Results

• Analyze the observed results in the study in a systematic manner to
  determine the meaning of the data

Module 4 Comparing and Contrasting

• Compare and contrast the journal and media reports to determine
  accuracy of the media report
• Complete a Venn Diagram that compares the journal and media reports

 

top

 

Funding

Critical Appraisal to Improve Neuroscience Education (CAINE) 2009-2013:

National Institutes of Health

National Institute on Drug Abuse

Grant # R25DA025578

 

top