Approaching Critical Thinking Through Science

One unanticipated development of University Studies is the degree to which it rapidly became seen not just as general education, but as the replacement for all generally re quired courses. Because the natural sciences had com prised one of the distribution areas of the old program, expectations that the new program would teach science quickly flowered, although exactly what faculty mean by that term has yet to be established. In fact, discussions of what we intend by science education have brought in creased attention to these expectations as we continually revisit the goals of University Studies. The matter is far from resolved, however, as natural scientists themselves continue to grapple with what constitutes, if not the essential definition of scientific understanding, then at least one that is meaningful and instructive. Meanwhile, University Studies faculty have introduced a wide range of scientific practice?both natural and social?into their courses as important forms of critical thinking