Question Posing, Inquiry, and Modeling Skills of Chemistry Students in the Case-Based Computerized Laboratory Environment

A new learning unit in chemistry, Case-based Computerized Laboratories (CCL) and Computerized Molecular Modeling (CMM) was developed at the Technion. The CCL and CMM curriculum integrates computerized desktop experiments and molecular modeling with an emphasis on scientific inquiry and case studies. Our research aimed at investigating the effect of the CCL and CMM learning environment on students’ higher-order thinking skills of question posing, inquiry, and modeling. The experimental group included 614 honors 12th grade chemistry students from high schools in Israel who studied according to this learning unit. The comparison group consisted of 155 12th grade chemistry honors students who studied other chemistry programs. Pre- and post-tests questionnaires were used to assess students’ higher-order thinking skills. Students’ responses were analyzed using content analysis rubrics and their statistical analysis. Our findings indicated that the scores of the experimental group students improved significantly in question posing, inquiry and modeling skills from the pre-test to the post-test. The net gain scores of the experimental group students were significantly higher than those of their comparison peers in all three examined skills. In modeling skills, experimental group students significantly improved their achievements in making the transfer from 3D models to structural formulae, but only about half of them were able to transfer from formulae to 3D models. By presenting a case-based chemistry assessment tool and content analysis of students’ responses in this paper, we enable teachers and educators to analyze their students’ higher-order thinking skills both qualitatively and quantitatively.     

Perceptions of chemistry: Why is the common perception of chemistry,the most visual of sciences,so distorted?

Chemistry has evolved from a science dominated by mathematics into a science highly dependent on spatial-visual intelligence. Yet the chemical content of introductory courses remains taught essentially the same as 40–50 years ago. Chemistry, today, is recognized by chemists as the molecular science. Yet, school chemistry is alienated from that perception. Thanks to the computer, young people are more comfortable with visual imaging than their instructors were at the same age. Thus the time is rife to reinvigorate chemistry education by means of the visual-spatial approach, an approach wholly in conformance with the way modern chemistry is thought about and practiced.     

在中学化学教学中情感教育的实施

在新课程改革教学中,越来越重视学生综合素质的发展和培养,以往的教学中教育者往往过分重视学生的认知教育,而忽视学生的情感教育,导致学生的学业和未来人生不能和谐地发展。作为一名化学教师,要不断地思考怎样的教学是最有效的教学,如何把学生的智力因素和非智力因素统一结合起来,引导学生积极主动地学习,形成积极的情感态度和正确的价值观,提高科学素养。在化学教学中渗透情感教学有利于培养学生学习化学的兴趣,能唤起学生学习的积极情感,使学生变消极学习为积极学习,提高学生对化学学科的兴趣,调动学生学习的积极性,增加学生的学习动力,有效地提高化学教学的效果。     

Instructional Misconceptions in Acid-Base Equilibria: An Analysis from a History and Philosophy of Science Perspective

The implications of history and philosophy of chemistry are explored in the context of chemical models. Models and modeling provide the context through which epistemological aspects of chemistry can be promoted. In this work, the development of ideas and models about acids and bases (with emphasis on the Arrhenius, the Brønsted–Lowry, and the Lewis models) are presented. In addition, misconceptions (alternative and instructional ones) on acid-base (ionic) equilibria are examined from the history and philosophy of science perspective. The relation between the development of the models and students misconceptions are investigated. Finally, the hypothesis that history and philosophy could help educators anticipate students misconceptions is examined.     

试论“模型认知”思维在高中化学教学中的培养

核心素养已经成为化学教学中的重要内容,而“模型认知”则是学生必须具备的核心素养之一。学生具备良好的“模型认知”思维,可以认知化学现象的本质和规律,实现思维能力的有效提升。教师应将“模型认知”思维贯穿于电解质的电离、离子键、原子结构、化学反应与能量转化等化学知识的教学中,提高学生的化学核心素养。     

Conceptual profile of chemistry: a framework for enriching thinking and action in chemistry education

Understanding the nature of chemical thinking and action, as well as their application and impact on our world should be central goals of chemistry education at all educational levels. However, traditional school chemistry is still mostly focused on having students learn the body of declarative knowledge built over the years in the discipline. Achieving changes in curriculum and teaching practices in this context remains a challenging task. Studies in the history and philosophy of the discipline suggest that chemistry has unique characteristics that need to be recognised and considered in chemistry education. Many of these studies point to a pluralism in the discipline, and in the understanding of and about chemistry, that should be characterised and incorporated into our educational models. In this essay, we have attempted to build such a characterisation using conceptual profiles theory to propose a framework that can be used to enrich and support the thinking and action of chemistry teachers at all educational levels.     

Heuristic Reasoning in Chemistry: Making decisions about acid strength

The characterization of students’ reasoning strategies is of central importance in the development of instructional strategies that foster meaningful learning. In particular, the identification of shortcut reasoning procedures (heuristics) used by students to reduce cognitive load can help us devise strategies to facilitate the development of more analytical ways of thinking. The central goal of this qualitative study was thus to investigate heuristic reasoning as used by organic chemistry college students, focusing our attention on their ability to predict the relative acid strength of chemical compounds represented using explicit composition and structural features (i.e., structural formulas). Our results indicated that many study participants relied heavily on one or more of the following heuristics to make most of their decisions: reduction, representativeness, and lexicographic. Despite having visual access to reach structural information about the substances included in each ranking task, many students relied on isolated composition features to make their decisions. However, the specific characteristics of the tasks seemed to trigger heuristic reasoning in different ways. Although the use of heuristics allowed students to simplify some components of the ranking tasks and generate correct responses, it often led them astray. Very few study participants predicted the correct trends based on scientifically acceptable arguments. Our results suggest the need for instructional interventions that explicitly develop college chemistry students’ abilities to monitor their thinking and evaluate the effectiveness of analytical versus heuristic reasoning strategies in different contexts.     

试论化学教学中培养学生的思维能力

利用化学学科的特点和教材所蕴含的智力因素,优化课堂结构,调动学生求知欲望;加强学法指导,培养学生分析和综合思维能力;拓宽信息渠道,培养和训练学生的创造思维能力。通过抓思维的启发、诱导、训练和发展,以达到培养能力、开发智力的目的。     

初中化学课改应涉及的教育内容--初中化学课改初探

在化学课改中,除传授化学知识外,还应适当增加进行政治思想、唯物辩证法(特别是对立统一规律)、历史文化、地理景观、生物、物理、文学基础、天文科学、现代科学、民族传统、医疗卫生、环境保护等方面的相关知识的教育,用以开发学生智力,开阔学生视野,激发学生学习热情,培养学生观察、思考、分析问题、解决问题、计算、实验操作的能力,树立学生的辩证观点,使之逐渐形成实事求是、严肃认真的学风和作风.     

A Study on Teaching Gases to Prospective Primary Science Teachers Through Problem-Based Learning

The aim of this study was to compare the achievement of prospective primary science teachers in a problem-based curriculum with those in a conventional primary science teacher preparation program with regard to success in learning about gases and developing positive attitudes towards chemistry. The subjects of the study were 101 first year undergraduate students, who were in two different classes and who were taught by the same lecturer. One of the classes was randomly selected as the intervention group in which problem-based learning (PBL) was used, and the other as the control in which conventional teaching methods were used. The data were obtained through use of the gases diagnostic test (GDT), the chemistry attitude scale (CAS), and scales specific to students’ evaluation of PBL such as the peer evaluation scale (PES), self evaluation scale (SES), tutor’s performance evaluation scale (TPES) and students’ evaluation of PBL scale (SEPBLS). Data were analysed using SPSS 10.0 (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). In order to find out the effect of the intervention (PBL) on students’ learning of gases, independent sample t-tests and ANCOVA (analysis of co-variance) were used. The results obtained from the study showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of students’ GDT total mean scores and, their attitude towards chemistry, as well as PBL has a significant effect on the development of students’ skills such as self-directed learning, cooperative learning and critical thinking.     

A flexible framework for online collaborative learning

This paper presents a framework for online collaborative learning, also known as telecollaboration. At the centre of this flexible framework are online collaborative educational experiences where knowledge creation and knowledge in action are the nexus of social, teaching and cognitive presence based on the Community of Inquiry model of Garrison, Anderson and Archers [Garrison, D.R., Anderson, T., and Archer, W. (1999). Critical thinking in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. Internet and Higher Education, 2(2–3), 87–105]. The framework provided should guide educators as they design, develop and implement authentic educational experiences within local, national or international settings in partnership with other educational stakeholders.     

Cooperative studyware development of organic chemistry module by experts,teachers, and students

Experts, teachers, and students took active part in a process of organic chemistry studyware development. A unique characteristic of this process was the active involvement of three different groups of people in the authoring process: science educators, chemistry teachers, and chemistry students studying towards an education certificate. The science educators—the experts—advised the team on new methods of presenting the subject matter in an appealing way, using 3D computerized molecular modeling. The in-service chemistry teachers contributed from their rich field experience to constructing the studyware. This mutual development helped maintain the balance between expert requirements and expectations from students on one hand, and the actual student capabilities, as perceived by teachers through constant contact with the students, on the other. Finally, the preservice teachers—the undergraduate chemistry students—were often zealous, enthusiastic, and willing to put in the extra time and effort needed to produce quality studyware, while following the guidelines of the experts and teachers. Feedback on the qualities and shortcomings of the studyware was obtained in two cycles. The first one was done while the studyware was still under development by peers, and the second by individual target students, serving as a beta-site. This double feedback helped improve the studyware, mainly by elaborating on portions that require more detail and explanation. The paper describes the process as well as representative parts of the studyware. The combination of experts, teachers, and students in the development team seems to have the potential to yield studyware that is appropriate for effective science education in general and chemistry teaching in particular.     

逻辑学在有机化学教学中的应用

将逻辑学的方法应用到有机化学教学中,帮助学生建立起有机化学的思维模式,并通过讲授有机化学概念、理论、反应、机理、合成等内在的逻辑关系,精心设计挑选习题,使学生的逻辑思维能力得到训练和发展。     

Student affect and conceptual understanding in learning chemistry

This study explores the relationship between affective and cognitive variables in grade 9 chemistry students (n = 73). In particular, it explores how students' situational interest, their attitudes toward chemistry, and their chemistry‐specific self‐concept influence their understanding of chemistry concepts over the course of a school year. All affective variables were assessed at two time points: at the middle of the first semester of grade 9, and at the end of the second semester of grade 9, and then related to students' postinstructional understanding of chemical concepts. Results reveal that none of the affective variables measured at the earliest time point have a significant direct effect on postinstructional conceptual understanding. Looking at the different affective variables as intermediary constructs, however, reveals a pattern in which self‐concept and situational interest measured at the middle of grade 9 contribute to self‐concept measured at the end of grade 9, which in turn, has a positive, significant effect on students' postinstructional conceptual understanding. These results reveal the importance of a strong and positive self‐concept, the feeling of doing well in the chemistry class, for developing a meaningful understanding of scientific concepts. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 44: 908–937, 2007     

计算机化学软件在大学有机化学教学中的应用研究

为了能够准确地反映一些基本的化学问题,比如稳定性、反应机理等等,需要对分子进行分析,就涉及到理论分析和计算问题,因此计算机化学得到了较快的发展.这些计算机化学软件具有其独特的性质,可以实现人机的交互,并且可展示具有形象直观等特点.笔者从具体的教学案例入手,在化学教学中,利用计算机化学软件,丰富课堂的教学内容,活跃课堂学习气氛,提高了学生对学习化学的热情,课堂教学的效果显著.     

化学实验教学与学生创新意识的培养

化学实验是学习和研究化学的重要手段．通过化学实验，可以培养学生的创新意识，让学生在学习中亲身经历从实验中发现问题到解决问题的过程，展示学生的聪明才智、独特个性．从而激发学生的学习兴趣，培养学生的主动性、独立性和独特性等．     

新课程理念下化学教学中学生非智力因素的开发与利用

在影响化学有效教学的两类因素（智力因素和非智力因素）中，非智力因素对化学教学的影响远大于智力因素，学生非智力因素的开发与利用是化学教育工作者的重要课题之一，其内容主要包括学习兴趣、学习动机、意志品质、焦虑水平、情感态度、注意力等。     

新时期创新教育在大学化学教学中的实践

社会已经进入知识经济时代,创新是社会不断发展的动力源泉,因此需要培养一批具有创造素质的劳动者。化学专业是一门对理论和实践能力有着较高要求的专业,化学教学方式的创新对于人才的培养有着重要作用,创新教学是高校化学教育工作者面临的重要课题。     

教育思维方式的展开和构成

教育思维是客观存在的,它是教育工作者进行教育创造的文化心理基础。教育思维的性质、状况,制约着教育者教育行为的方式和质量。解决问题的教育思维和为达到目标而努力的教育思维,其展开方式是不同的;构成教育思维方式的要素有:知识要素、智力要素、观念要素和思维习惯要素。