Causality
From 'What' to 'Why'.
Original draft by
A raven wearing green sunglasses.
Gundula Bosch
Research Professor, Director, R3 Center for Innovation in Science Education, Johns Hopkins University
Meeting
Class
Book
1-hour interactive presentation. 3 lessons entice learners to speculate about causal explanations with testing prospects in mind, focus a critical lens on the directness of experiments that may mistake correlated outcomes for cause and effect, and apply a framework to classify the type of evidence a study is capable of generating to support causal reasoning. Spice up a lab meeting, teach a class, run a skill-building session for your team.
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3-hour interactive presentation. 8 lessons include and continue the Meeting version to address the accumulation of causal evidence, triangulation, diagramming, communication, and the indispensable value of causal research. Teach one week of class, or run an intensive workshop.
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Asynchronous, online reference resource. 8 chapters with built-in activities expand upon content in the Class version to support learners in exploring, reflecting, planning, and communicating research with reference to causality. Learn solo, assign it as coursework, or use it as a reference.
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Unit Overview

What you will do

Scientific reasoning is defined by stories connecting 'what' to 'why,' but confirming a cause is challenging. The space between rigorous assessment of cause and reasonable speculation is riddled with consequential mistakes. In this unit, we highlight the most common mis-steps, learn to diagram and classify evidence from individual studies, evaluate a case for causality with diverse types of data, and triangulate to collect complementary evidence. Finally, we discuss the delicate art of communicating in a world that seeks 'whys' and weigh the importance of the explicit pursuit of cause in spite of its many challenges.

Course highlights