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psychlotron.org.uk
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Name of resource: Master Mind game
Author(s): 
Specification: AQA-B
Details: This online version of Master Mind can be used for an entertaining demonstration of the classical view of
science based on Fay's (1996) analogy.  Get the web page up on your projector. Invite a student to play the game.  
Explain the rules of the game to the group.  Support student if necessary by explaining the feedback on their first
guess.  Gradually, the rest of the group may start to offer suggestions, argue amongst themselves & with player
about the meaning of the feedback, comment favourably or unfavourably on the player's guesses etc.  Player should
get more and more accurate as guesses accumulate.  At end of game (either player gets it right or runs out of guesses) 
the following analogy can be made to the class:

Player is a scientist.
Hidden combination of beads is the real world.
Each guess is a hypothesis about the hidden combination.
Feedback on each guess is evidence from an empirical test.
The class is the scientific community, evaluating hypotheses/methods, debating findings & guiding research.
During the game the scientist moves incrementally towards an understanding of the real world.
The game ends when the scientist's beliefs align perfectly with the nature of the real world.