jurnal 2- encouraging independent chemistry learning through multimedia design experiences

7/29/2019 JURNAL 2- Encouraging Independent Chemistry Learning Through Multimedia Design Experiences

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Chemical Education International, Vol. 3, No. 1, AN-8, Received November 1, 2002

Encouraging Independent Chemistry Learning through

Multimedia Design ExperiencesAbstract: A new approach to teaching secondary school chemistry through design activities

in a technology-based and inquiry-oriented learning environment was developed and testedwith secondary school students in the United States. The materials and their effects on theinteractions between teachers and students are described, along with the adjustmentsrequired as teachers become facilitators and students become independent learners.1. IntroductionMany secondary school chemistry teachers would like to incorporate inquiry-based activelearning methods and technology into their classrooms, but the time and effort required toadapt to new ways of teaching and learning can be daunting. The authors of this articlewere involved in a project to introduce multimedia learning into secondary school chemistryclassrooms and anticipated that the change would be difficult for teachers and students.

However, an interesting finding of the project was that teachers who used multimedialearning in a truly central fashion found that the technology could facilitate inquiry-basedlearning in a way that benefited both students in their learning of content and skills andteachers in their increased repertoire of teaching practices. The fact that this finding hasbeen observed in other settings suggests that this experience can be duplicated in othermultimedia classrooms (1).

One classroom in which the change to a multimedia chemistry course has been made is thatof Dr. Mary Ann Varanka Martin. A recent visitor to her classroom found that students,instead of sitting in rows, gathered in groups around computers. One group was usingdatabases to plot trends in oxidation numbers and ionization energies. Another debated thebest way to set up mathematical formulas in a spreadsheet and to design problems for

other students to complete. A third group was discussing how to construct an anion byadding electrons to an atom. A fourth group was working with Dr. Varanka Martin todetermine the best path to solve a design challenge.

In her classroom Dr. Varanka Martin is using ChemDiscovery, a technology-based chemistrycourse that was designed to help teachers cope with the dilemma of meeting the needs ofstudents of varying abilities and interests and to prepare their students for the demands ofthe information age (2,3).2. Learning Chemistry through Design ActivitiesThe ChemDiscovery curriculum (originally known as ChemQuest) was developed at the

University of Northern Colorado by a group of chemistry professors, graduate students,education and technology specialists, and secondary school teachers and students from fourstates. The United States National Science Foundation funded the development as an effortto incorporate some of the software and ideas from innovative programs developed inRussia and in the United States into a new technology-based secondary school chemistrycourse. The course is centered on interactive web pages that link to activities, databases,and design studios, and that are coordinated with a set of hands-on small-scale laboratoryactivities.

One of the goals of the ChemDiscovery curriculum is to provide a structured learningenvironment in which students work together in pairs or in cooperative learning groups tocomplete inquiry activities. According to the United States National Science Education

Standards, inquiry is more than process skills:


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When engaging in inquiry, students describe objects and events, ask questions, constructexplanations, test those explanations against current scientific knowledge, andcommunicate their ideas to others. They identify their assumptions, use critical and logicalthinking, and consider alternative explanations. In this way, students actively develop theirunderstanding of science by combining scientific knowledge with reasoning and thinkingskills. (4)In order for students to be engaged in inquiry, they must spend some time workingindependently, either individually or with other students in order to propose their own ideasand test them. These activities are conducted with the guidance and encouragement of theteacher, rather than under the direction of the teacher. In general, students in traditionalsecondary school chemistry classrooms do not spend much time working independently, butrather listen to lectures and complete worksheets or other assigned activities. InChemDiscovery, students also listen to lectures and complete worksheets, but theseactivities are usually completed to support the projects students are investigating andlectures are often presented at the request of the students. That is, students seek theknowledge required to complete their activities rather than performing activities to illustrateconcepts that have been presented to them. By working in pairs or groups, they supporteach other's learning and reinforce their own by offering explanations and critiquing the

explanations of others.

Chemistry can be a difficult subject to teach because not only do students often havenegative preconceptions about chemistry, but it is a molecular science in which many of theconcepts and processes are not visible to the eye (5). To address these problems,ChemDiscoveryemploys a set of synergistic learning strategies, including the following:

Approaching content within relevant contexts Visualizing and modeling the molecular level of matter Engaging in inquiry through authentic science and design activities Discovering knowledge in a step-by-step manner Learning independently and in cooperative learning groups Self-constructing meaningful learning (from computer feedback to problem-solving

and problem-constructing strategies) Accepting responsibility for the environment Designing individual learning pathways through the course

The ChemDiscoverycurriculum uses technology to implement these strategies through theinteractive design of a virtual world. The curriculum consists of eight Quests, or projects,that integrate chemistry with other science disciplines. To complete these Quests studentsmust design and construct atoms, molecules, crystals, chemical reactions, and largersystems, such as a water treatment plant, ina computer environment (Fig. 1).

The design process requires students tounderstand the content deeply, to formulatehypotheses, and to use chemical laws,theories, and rules. Instead of consulting atextbook, students find the information theyneed through links in the web pages. Thecourse is matched to the provisions andrequirements of the National ScienceEducation Standards for teaching, content,and assessment.

The Quests can be completed in almost any

order and some teachers have used them assupplements to a more traditional, textbook-based course. However, teachers whocompleted them in the order given in Table 1 felt that by working from the smallest to

Figure 1. In this design studio studentsselect orbitals from a kit and use them todesign and construct atoms and molecules.The computer provides appropriate feedbackto students on their designs. (Larger View)


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larger particles students learn how the properties of a bulk sample of matter arise from theproperties of the atoms and molecules that make up the sample.

Table 1: The Eight Quests ofChemDiscovery

Quest Content Motivation1 To design atomic nuclei and atomsTo design a set of atomic nuclei

To design electronic structuresOrigin of the universeThe SunRadioactive isotopes in everydaylife

2 To design electronic structures of atoms StarlightHistory of science

3 To design models of monatomic ions Ions in the plasma in outer spaceIons in food, glass, seawater

4 To design elemental substancesGaseous elementsLiquid substancesSolid substances: Elemental crystals

Stars and planets (core, crust,and atmosphere)Air pollution, solar cells,automobiles

5 To design chemical reactions betweenelements Atmosphere, hydrosphere, andgeosphere of Earth

Corrosion6 To design models of binary compounds

Formulas and bondingBasic molecular shapesBasic types of crystal packings

The water, carbon, and nitrogencycles

7 To design and explore systems:Solutions The water cycle and water pollutionWater treatment

8 To investigate and design a system:Chemical reactionsStoichiometryKineticsEquilibriumThermochemistry

EcologyMetabolic cycles

ChemDiscovery is delivered on a CD-ROM with a teacher guide and two accompanyingbooks: a student guide, and a hands-on laboratory manual. In addition, the teacher CD-ROM contains detailed information on the Quests, solutions to assignments, and photocopymasters for worksheets and assessments.

3. How ChemDiscovery Works

Each Quest formulates learning goals that students can meet directly through the activitiesor by first exploring one of two contextual motivation tools: Design of the Universe and/orLiving in the Universe. These tools allow students to enter the world of chemistry fromenvironmental, scientific, and social perspectives. Because students choose their startingpoint and design unique pathways through the learning environment, a teacher canaccommodate different learning styles and different levels of difficulty in the sameclassroom. A field work guide shows teachers how to introduce field experiences that relatethe principles they are learning to their lives.

Design activities are not ordinarily encountered by secondary school students (6). Yetdesign processes play important roles in our daily lives as well as in science and engineering(7,8). The ChemDiscovery design activities involve students in understanding needs andresponsibilities, selecting raw materials, checking databases, predicting the properties ofobjects (nuclei, atoms, ions, molecules, crystals, and larger systems), designing them, and


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evaluating their predictions by performing hands-on laboratory experiments. As they carryout their design projects, students become engaged in authentic scientific practices. That is,students using ChemDiscovery work like scientists with the aid of course learning tools(Table 2).

Table 2: Learning Tools Provided by the ChemDiscoveryLearning Environment

These Inquiry Steps Use These Supported Learning ToolsObserve phenomena and formulateproblems The environmentHands-on labs

Video labsSearch for information and choosematerials Resources and databasesDesign, model, and construct chemicalobjects or phenomena Design studiosAnalyze structures and predictproperties Interactive computer activitiesWorksheetsCheck predictions and make discoveriesin the laboratory Computer feedbackHands-on labs

Video labsAssume responsibility for theenvironment Living in the UniverseField work

ChemDiscoveryassessments include both traditional tests and evaluations of inquiry skills.For example, the assessments require students to design, model, and construct chemicalobjects and phenomena. They also evaluate student ability to use professional scientificdatabases, the same type used by scientists.

4. A Typical Class

A day in a typical ChemDiscovery classroom begins when the teacher introduces thelearning objectives for a topic and relates them to previous work. She then gives eachstudent a navigational checklist to fill in while completing the activities. Each group ofstudents maps out a learning pathway and begins to work the hands-on lab or to solve theproblems presented by the computer. Some of the activities are completed on the computerand the results are printed for the teacher to review. Others are completed on worksheetsusing the resources and databases on thecomputer.

For example, in Quest 5 (Fig. 2), students use

periodic table databases to predict the formulasof the products formed when two elements react.They enter formulas on a computer web pageand receive feedback on their predictions fromthe computer. In the design studio studentsmodel chemical equations for reactions betweenthe elements (Fig. 3). They then use model kitsalong with a worksheet to complete molecular-level drawings of chemical reactions. Afterstudents have worked on their assignments for awhile the teacher reviews the main points of thelesson. A final Quest 5 assignment may involve afieldwork activity in which students find examplesof chemical reactions such as corrosion in theirneighborhoods.

Figure 2. This menu introduces studentsto a series of design and predictionactivities. (Larger View)


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5. The Classroom Impact

During the field testing of theChemDiscovery curriculum threeaspects of learning chemistry wereinvestigated: the level to whichteachers adapted to the new

approach, the barriers toimplementation, and changes inclassroom climate and interactions.Teachers in several of theclassrooms were observed usingChemDiscovery and students andteachers in all classrooms kept dailyjournals in which they reported theirexperiences and concerns.

Traditional as well as technicalbarriers are commonly encountered

when teachers introduce computer-based chemistry experiences. Therefore, it was notsurprising that most of the field-test teachers needed help in locating enough computers torun the curriculum. The State of Colorado was approached to inquire whether the statewould be willing to provide computers for ten classrooms. The classrooms would then serveas model science technology classrooms and the teachers would serve as technologyexperts in their districts. The state agreed and once the computers were in place, thehardware problems encountered implementing the curriculum were mainly associated withthe local area network configurations in the schools. In general, teachers found that settingup their computer classrooms took longer than they had anticipated and in some cases, thecomputers were not even delivered by the beginning of classes. However, eventually all theteachers were running the software. As with any new approach, teachers found they neededto allow extra time for preparation and for dealing with unexpected problems.

Observers noted that the integral use of technology in the classroom changed the focus ofstudent-teacher interactions from a teacher-led lecture format to one in which studentsspent more time working cooperatively in groups and teachers spent more time acting asfacilitators (9). During the field test of the curriculum two of the teachers were observed ona regular basis and the time spent by teachers and students on different classroom activitieswas noted (10). Each teacher taught one class in a traditional manner, without the use ofcomputers, and one in which the class used ChemDiscoveryas the primary curriculum.Inthe ChemDiscovery classrooms the teachers spent about the same amount of timefacilitating independent student work (38%) as they did lecturing (40%). However, inclassrooms where they used traditional teaching methods the teachers spent much moretime lecturing (58%) than they did facilitating (13%). All the teachers alternated the

facilitator role with more traditional roles, depending on the classroom activity. The degreeto which a teacher played a facilitator role depended on the degree to which the teacherwas committed to student-centered learning. The extent to which lectures and textbookswere used was also related to the degree to which the teacher was committed toindependent learning. Teachers who were fully committed to independent learning weremore likely to use the curriculum as intended. Those more comfortable with traditional,lecture-based methods of teaching were more likely to add lectures or textbooks.

Learning to teach in accord with the science teaching standards, which were new at thetime, especially learning to teach via inquiry, required additional training and ongoingsupport for the teachers. However, all the teachers felt that they had learned new skills.One teacher reported (11):

The presence of computers in my classroom has dramatically altered my approach toinstruction, enhanced my understanding of my instructional areas, re-energized myinstruction, and changed my professional goals. I was a classroom teacher with 21 years of

Figure 3. Students use this design studio to modelchemical reactions between the elements. (LargerView)


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successful experience but I was preparing to become an administrator, in part because theclassroom had lost its challenge. The addition of computers to my classroom caused me towonder exactly how this new technology would mesh with what I knew so well. What hasevolved is a dynamic learning environment in which both instructor and studentcontinuously refine their knowledge base through web access. The availability of world-wideaccess to informational resources has caused me to restructure my course work so thatinformational support of content is not only text based, but also web based.

One of the biggest differences between a ChemDiscovery classroom and a traditionalclassroom is the extent to which students learn independently. Students who were used tomore traditional learning environments, with textbooks and lectures, found independentlearning a challenge and needed more guidance to begin. However, despite the initialresistance from some students, teachers found advantages to the active learning approach.For example, one teacher claimed that her students had learned the material to such adepth that they no longer needed to cram for exams (9):

It became their information instead of information that they were cramming, you know,from a book. It was inside of them. They had the pieces. And they had the understandingwithout trying to, they have the puzzle put together. There was much more coherent,

cohesive understanding of how it all goes together.

Another teacher reported (11),

The students have had to learn how to learn in a whole new way. They are no longer giventhe knowledge that I think is important but have to search and research for themselves.Making critical decisions of this kind has certainly stretched and frustrated them. I think thatthey have become better learners in the long run.

6. Conclusions

Previous studies have shown that students are willing to learn with new technologies andfind unique advantages to learning with molecular modeling tools and simulations whenthey have control over the modeling and simulation process (12,13,14,15). The findings ofthe field test of this new approach to teaching chemistry are consistent with those studies.A primary goal of the field test evaluation was to discover whether using a computer-centered inquiry curriculum fosters independent student activities. Both observer reportsand teacher journals imply that the students were not only working independently, but thatthey may have been becoming more successful learners. Students successful at learninguse more active learning strategies than those used by immature learners (16). Forexample, they connect new knowledge to what they already know, they organize and reviewtheir knowledge and monitor their understanding, while immature learners use morepassive learning strategies. This study suggests that interactive multimedia courseware maybe able to help teachers to provide a learning environment that encourages the

development of active learning strategies by requiring students to learn independently.

7. Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Ron Anderson, University of Colorado at Boulder, and hisformer students Cory Buxton and Megan Mistler-Jackson, for their insightful evaluation ofChemDiscovery classrooms, and Richard Mayer, University of California at Santa Barbara,for helpful comments on this article. The authors would also like to acknowledge the supportof the National Science Foundation Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Informal ScienceEducation, for their funding of the development and evaluation of ChemDiscoverythroughProject #ESI-9550545. Additional funding was provided by the Soros Foundation and by theTechnology Learning Grant and Revolving Loan Program of the State of Colorado

Department of Higher Education.

References


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(1) Mayer, E.R., The Promise of Educational Psychology, V. 2; Prentice-Hall: Upper SaddleRiver, NJ, 2002.

(2) Agapova, O., Jones, L, & Ushakov, A., ChemDiscovery, Kendall-Hunt: Dubuque, IA,2002: http://www.chemdiscovery.com

(3) Agapova, O., Jones, L., and Ushakov, A., Informatika I Obrazovanie, 1, 105-109, 1996.

(4) National Research Council, National Science Education Standards. National AcademyPress. Washington D.C., 1996. Available at:http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/html/

(5) Jones, L, Jordan, K., and Stillings, N., Molecular Visualization in Science Education:Report from the Molecular Visualization in Science Education Workshop (2001):http://pro3.chem.pitt.edu/workshop/workshop_report_180701.pdf

(6) Jones, L. L., Uniserve News, 14, November, 1999:http://science.uniserve.edu.au/newsletter/vol14/jones.html .

(7) Agapova, O.I., Ushakov, A.S., Think, 12, 7-9, 1998.

(8) Agapova, O.I., Ushakov, A.S., Technos, 8, (1), 27-31, 1999.

(9) Anderson, R., Buxton, C. and Mistler-Jackson, M., Evaluation of the ChemQuest programin the context of the third year field test. National Science Foundation (1999)

(10) Schoenfeld-Tacher, R., Madden, S., Pentecost, T., Mecklin, C. and Jones, L., ASystematic Comparison of Technology-Based and Traditional High School ChemistryClassrooms, National Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching,Boston, MA, March 30, 1999.

(11) Jones, L. L., Technology Excellence in Learning Award Final Report: Technology-basedModel Science Classrooms. Colorado Commission on Higher Education (1999).(12) Jones, L. L., New Initiatives in Chemical Education (Summer, 1996):http://www.inform.umd.edu:8080/EdRes/Topic/Chemistry/ChemConference/ChemConf96/Jones/Paper3.html(13) Wu, H-K., Krajcik, J. S., and Soloway, E.,Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 38,(7), 821-842, 2001.(14) Dori, Y. J., and Barak, M. Educational Technology and Society, 4, (1), 61-73, 2001.(15) Jones, L. L. and Smith, S. G., Pure and Applied Chemistry, 65, 245-249, 1993.(16) Friedler, Y., Nachmias, R., and Songer, N. B., School Science and Mathematics, 89,58-67, 1989.Posted February 25, 2003.

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