Month: September 2018

The Scientific Method

by sohan75105@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg

The Scientific Method is a topic of great controversy, with many many versions of it floating around on the internet, some looped endless cycles suggesting that we will never have a definitive answer, and others linear processes that arrive at a ‘scientific truth’. As a class, we wholly agreed that the Scientific Method would be looped and endless only ever getting us closer to the ‘truth’ and developed this diagram:

To summarise our thought process we decided that after observing data we had to use inductive reasoning to develop a general law or theory that would fit the data and then from this law, we would deduce a hypothesis and design an experiment to test our theory/ general law. After conducting an experiment is when the cycle loops back to various places on our diagram; if the data given by our experiment does not support our law/theory then we are presented with 3 options; to repeat our experiment as it is and ensure the reliability of our findings. Or we reject the law/ theory and hypothesis and develop new ones to continue the cycle with. On the other hand, if our data supports our theory/law we are once again presented with a variety of options; we can once again repeat the cycle to confirm our findings or simply repeat the stages of experimentation and developing hypotheses. Or we can publish/ show our findings to other scientists for a fresh pair of eyes on the topic so that they may repeat the cycle or check our conclusions/ methods and help increases the accuracy of our results.

This endless cycle concept proves controversial because it suggests that science will never arrive at the actual answer but in fact, we may never know if we have arrived at the correct answer or not because there is so much of our world and universe that we simply know nothing about and haven’t discovered yet. As we will never know for sure if our answer is the truth, a repetitive process is required as if as long as we are actively trying to falsify the law/ theory and failing then we can be more certain of its value and claim to truth than in a linear process where whether or not the data fits after that one initial test determines its truthfulness.

Muay Thai – Post 1

by sohan75105@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg

When I lived in the UK, I studied Karate for around 5 or 6 years and I have a deep love of the sport and so when I shifted to Singapore I fully intended to continue my training at another dojo, however, I encountered the problem of not being able to continue my training from my current level (brown belt) and having to start again from scratch. Being so close to a black belt already, this news was very frustrating especially as in the time frame I’m living in Singapore the training system wouldn’t allow for me to progress to black belt. To combat this issue I chose to continue fighting but to switch disciplines and in turn train myself as an MMA fighter rather than simply just a Karate one, and so I picked up Muay Thai which is traditional Thai boxing.

I have thoroughly enjoyed learning this discipline and it’s similarities to Karate have not only allowed me to practice old skills and moves but also progress quickly when learning new techniques as I am familiar with the fighting style. I have also found training to be an immense stress reliever which is a Godsend as everyone knows IB is a highly stressful time… I am eager to see how my journey with Muay Thai progresses and to perhaps pick up Ju Jitsu so that I cover all my bases and become well on my way to becoming an MMA fighter.

Final Term 1 RDA Session – Lynette

by sohan75105@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg

Today was my final session working with Lynette (who suffers from cerebral palsy a condition leaving her non-verbal and wheelchair-bound), I found this session particularly rewarding as her improvement over the last 10 weeks was clear as day. She showed visible excitement before mounting the horse and when we told her we would take her to the garden ( the greener side of the RDA/SPC stables) she began giggling and smiling, which was a welcome change to how shy and uncertain she was of me during our first session. Over the past few weeks, her communication skills have improved drastically and she has clearly enjoyed our sessions together, her mother says that any mention of horses or RDA gets her all giddy and excited at home and Lynette is always without fail the first rider to arrive, she is often there long before we arrive.

Although the mental improvements in Lynette have been the most enjoyable to observe due to the relationship building that followed, she has shown significant physical improvements.  During stretches, I have noticed that she has made the connection of copying my movements and her range of motion has increased as a result of the horse riding. Alice (my partner at RDA) and I have been working on strengthening Lynette’s right hand which she tends to curl around her thumb, we have seen noticeable improvements in this area; she has progressed from tensing her arm up the entirety of the ride to being able to hold thin objects such as plastic spoons, and then bowling pins and finally she was able to support herself on the vaulting girth

Conceptual Understandings for Science

by sohan75105@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg

1. Science seeks to establish reasoning behind what we see around us in our daily lives.

We saw this in the card game as although the aim was simply to rid ourselves of our cards the fastest we ended up altering the game to see with who could find the rule the fastest. We also tended to grow increasingly frustrated the longer it took to see the rule indicating that there is a  need within us to find order in the seeming chaos of whether our card would be accepted or not.

2. Science combines observation and data to arrive at a rule or theory confirming or disproving a hypothesis or theory

We derived our rules by observing the cards that were rejected and seeing what possible solutions were left as well as trying to spot a trend in the cards that were accepted. We also aimed to test our theories of possible rules by offering cards we thought would be rejected / (or accepted) whilst comparing variables such as the suit, colour or number.

3. We can advance our scientific knowledge through experiments and the process of deductive/inductive reasoning

In the card game using both inductive and deductive reasoning, we aimed to find the rule and therefore being better able to offer cards that would be accepted and ultimately win the game

Justified Knowledge & My IB Subjects

by sohan75105@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg

Two Most Justified Subjects

Maths

What we learn in Maths Class is based on common knowledge to a large extent, almost everyone knows that 2 + 3 = 5 from this we can derive that 2x+3x=5x and from this, we can derive more complex problems and so on and so forth. And common knowledge relies on people’s memory to some extent of course which although can be unreliable at times, is an extra layer of justification. We also often have to prove formulas that many regard as common knowledge or true in our course which shows a clear method of how we got to that point and in turn verifies the accuracy of that equation, rather than just relying on the authority of the teacher told us this so it must be true.

Design and Technology

Design and Technology is a largely practical subject which means that it relies heavily on sense perception as well as memory and common knowledge. We use our memory of concepts we have learnt and deem as true due to the authority of our teachers and the fact that for many concepts such as mechanisms a physical model can prove that this combination does indeed achieve that output. Sense perception plays a huge role in DT as we are constantly modifying our designs based on the touch, smell or appearance of our materials or components and often based solely on a combination of memory and instinct we find solutions to our problems.

Two Least Justified Subjects

English

The concepts in English usually rely on a person’s interpretation of a text type which means that they can greatly vary from person to person which makes them very hard to prove or trace back in the way that formulas or given facts can be. This knowledge may be based in faith or a person’s value judgement but there is no definitive justification for the subject as a whole.

Psychology

Psychology is a relatively new field and the conclusions that are drawn from it are constantly changing and being refuted and as a subject what we learn as true is largely based on the authority of our teacher and perhaps the finding of studies although there is often another study another study that refutes it. Most concepts can be explained logically but as a whole, most of the knowledge from the subject is prone to change easily.

3 Differences Between An Excellent TOK Essay And A Mediocre One

by sohan75105@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg

1. Addresses Question

The excellent TOK essay was very focused on the essay question although it did branch out to explore different avenues related to the topic there was a consistent, clear sense of the essay question. Whereas in the mediocre essay it became very difficult to follow due to the fact that at first it appears that the author is attempting to show how neutral questions only exist in factual subjects such as mathematics but then at the end suddenly deviates to say there is no such thing as a neutral question in contrast with most of their previous points. This causes slight confusion resulting in rereading sections of the essay to try and grasp how they came to this conclusion and after 3 reads I have only identified one sentence that could support it.

In conclusion, to write an excellent TOK essay you must remember to focus on the essay question and try not to deviate or branch out into other topics, as this makes it very difficult to follow.

2. Clear Structure

Both essays were comparing their essay question across two subjects; in the excellent essays case it was Art and Science and in the mediocre one it was History and Maths, a clear distinguishing factor between the two essays was how easy it was to tell what the author was focusing on in that paragraph or section. In the excellent essay, there was a clear sense of structure; an introduction followed by a paragraph on what is robust knowledge, followed by one on consensus and the remainders were Art, Science, Art + Science and a conclusion (each paragraphed respectively). This created a clear distinction between the author’s points and a flow which led to it being easier to read and follow that simply wasn’t there in the mediocre essay.

In summary, a good TOK essay or any essay for this matter needs to have a clear sense of structure which aids in creating a flow for the reader to follow.

3. Thesis/ Opening

A strong thesis statement can make an essay, it sets the scene, tone and topic for the following essay and helps the reader to properly understand what exactly the essay is focused on. Both the essays did have a thesis, however in the case of the mediocre essay in their whole first paragraph only one sentence was truly on topic. The excellent essay had a clear thesis, spanning across multiple sentences that really clarified the aim of the essay and how the author planned on achieving it. As a reader, this greatly assisted in following the author’s argument and discussion throughout the rest of the essay as it showed what the author was attempting to convey in greater detail.