Title: Employ the scientific method and the technological/engineering method to solve biotechnology problems.
Course: Biotechnology Foundations in Agricultural and Environmental Science (18308-II) > Section: Preparing for Biotechnology Experiences

Employing the scientific method involves:

- Identifying the problem
- Formulating a hypothesis
- Designing and conducting an experiment
- Collecting data
- Analyzing data
- Drawing conclusions
- Making recommendations.

Employing the engineering design process should be based on the understanding that this process is concerned with the phenomena of the human-designed world and with obtaining artifacts and solutions to problems. The steps include

- identifying the need or opportunity for an engineering solution
- defining a design problem
- identifying the constraints of a design problem
- researching potential solutions to a design problem
- generating multiple solutions (brainstorming) to a design problem
- sketching solutions for a design problem
- evaluating potential solutions to a design problem
- choosing the optimal solution to a design problem
- implementing the solutions to a design problem
- communicating the solution to stakeholders
- testing the solution
- evaluating the test results
- improving the solution
- documenting the process.

The written report should include elements outlined in the FFA Agriscience Fair Final Report (https://www.vaffa.org/agriscience-fair), such as

- title page
- table of contents
- abstract
- introduction
- review of literature
- materials and methods
- results
- discussion and conclusion
- acknowledgements
- literature cited.

Process/Skill Questions:

- What are the steps in the scientific method? Scientific argumentation? Inquiry method? Why is each step important?
- What are the steps in the technological/engineering design method? Why is each step important?
- What are the similarities and differences between the scientific method and the technological/engineering design method? What conditions determine the method one would use?