Higher-Order Thinking in Chemistry Teaching and Learning

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Higher-Order Thinking in Chemistry Teaching and
Learning

• Dr Carol K.K. Chan, The University of Hong Kong
• Ivan C.K. Lam, Maryknoll Convent School

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Overview

• What is higher-order thinking?
• Model of learning and teaching of higher-order
  thinking
• Fostering higher-order thinking in chemistry
• Concept Mapping
• Questioning
• Reflection Learning Diaries
• Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning
• Group Work
• Video on classroom implementation on higher-order
  thinking

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• What is Higher-Order Thinking?

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What are the characteristics of HOT?

• HOT involves more than one fixed answer
• HOT is brought about by complex tasks
• HOT is about understanding
• HOT is both content-free and content-related

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What are some common questions about higher-order
thinking ?

• Are there lower-order and higher-order thinking?
• Are there specific thinking skills for different
  age groups?
• Are higher-order thinking skills applicable for
  low-ability students?

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• What are different kinds of HOT?
• Educators from different backgrounds have
  different conceptualization classification
  systems.
• Creative Thinking
• Critical Thinking
• Blooms Taxonomy
• Marzanos Dimensions of Learning
• Metacognition

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What is HOT?

• Creative Thinking (e.g., De Bono Perkins)
• Ability to generate novel and multiple solutions
• Aesthetics, risk-taking, edge of knowledge
• Lateral Thinking (I.e., six hats)

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What is HOT?

• Critical Thinking (Ennis)
• focus on a question
• analyze arguments
• observe and seek supports for evidence
• make inferences (induction deduction)
• identify unstated assumptions
• decide on an action
• employ strategies to interact with others in
  discourse

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What is HOT?

• Blooms Taxonomy
• Lower-level to higher-level questions
• Marzanos Dimensions of Learning
• Different Kinds of Thinking Skills

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• What is HOT?
• Metacognition higher-level understanding
  (Bereiter, Scardamalia, Resnick, Brown)
• Thinking about thinking (meta-cognition)
• Higher-order thinking is about students taking
  active roles in constructing meaning and deep
  understanding

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What is HOT?
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An example of metacognition
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An example of metacognition

• .It was the first time that I really take a
  chance to observe the things around me. I
  deliberately took out the bleach and have a look
  at it. In the past, I didnt have the sense of
  observationI was greatly surprised when I
  realized that milk and egg could be used to
  neutralize bleach, which I could never guess it

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• Why choose this system focusing on metacognition?
  
• Framework that relates well with current
  educational reforms in the knowledge-based era

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• Model of Learning and Higher-Order Thinking

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Prior Knowledge Good thinkers build on and
extend what they know

• Can one be a good thinker without knowing
  anything?
• Good thinkers need to think with something
• Good thinkers have well structured knowledge

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Prior Knowledge

• Teaching Strategies Concept Mapping (
  analogies)
• Maximize knowledge structure and organization
• Students learn to
• compare, contrast, classify, organize, and relate
  different parts
• examine and reflect on their own understanding
• process information deeply

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Learning Strategy Good thinkers self-direct
their thinking using inquiry-based strategies

• Ask higher-level questions
• How do you develop HOTs other than teacher
  questioning?
• If you want your students to develop HOTs, teach
  less and turn over to students what teachers
  would do for them.

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Learning Strategy

• Teaching Strategy From teacher questioning to
  student-generated questions
• Asking good questions is the hallmark of
  intelligence
• Students learn to
• formulate and find problems
• inquire, hypothesize, explain, solve problem
• check and monitor their own understanding

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Learning Strategy

• Other teaching strategies for maximizing student
  inquiry-based strategy
• From teacher-designed experiments and projects to
  student-designed experiment and projects
• From teacher assessment to student-directed and
  peer-led assessment

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Collaborative Learning Good thinkers work with
others in creatingnew knowledge

• Do good thinkers only work by themselves?
• In the current knowledge-based era, students need
  to learn to work with others
• Collaborative learning focuses on solving complex
  problems (no fixed answers) for creating new
  understanding in the learning community

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Collaborative Learning

• Teaching Strategy
• Concept mapping, generating questioning,
  reflection, projects are best conducted in
  collaborative group settings
• Computer-supported collaborative learning

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Collaborative Learning

• Students learn to
• reflect on own knowledge
• work with others
• communicate ideas/develop standpoints
• compare different viewpoints
• agree and disagree with reasons
• synthesize different ideas
• extend own community learning
• AND many others HOTs

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Learning and Assessment

• Purposes of assessment
• assessment of learning vs. assessment for
  learning
• Summative and formative assessment
• Learning and Assessment (constructive alignment)
• Backwash Effects
• Consider how students would study differently if
  they are assessed on MC, fill-in-blanks,
  open-ended questions, essays, projects,
  computer discussion
• Assessments should be designed in ways to promote
  student learning
• Change assessment - To foster students
  higher-order thinking, consider using different
  kinds of assessment

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A Framework for Promoting Higher-Order Thinking
Skills
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• Fostering higher-order thinking in Chemistry ??

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Classroom scenario

• Students may do well on Chemistry questions, but
  they may fail to acquire skills in solving
  everyday problems.
• Rote versus meaningful learning
• Teaching does not necessarily lead to learning,
  but learning can occur without teaching.

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Teaching and learning strategies for promoting
higher-order thinking in classroom

• Concept mapping
• Questioning
• Learning journals/diaries
• Computer-supported collaborative learning
• Analogy
• Inquiry-based experiments
• Project work
• Decision making exercises More.

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• Concept Mapping

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Concept Map Showing Key Concepts in Concept
Mapping
Adapted from Joseph Novak (1991) Clarify with
Concept Maps. The Science Teacher, 58(7), 45-49.
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Components of a concept map

• Concepts chemical terms or ideas
• Proposition a combination of two nodes
  (concepts) and a labeled line
• Hierarchy concepts drawn from general (most
  important) to specific (least important)
• Cross-links connections between one segment of
  concepts and another segment
• Examples specific events or objects

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Components of a concept map
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Concept mapping a metacognitive tool
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An example of concept map

• Francisco, et al. (2002)

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An example of concept map
Taber (2002)
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Variations of concept mapping

• Select and fill-in concept mapping
• Fill-in concept mapping
• - The blanks can be concepts or linking words
• - Found mostly in revised CE textbooks
• Student generated concept mapping

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How to construct a concept map ?

• 1. Brainstorming stage
• identify facts or ideas associated with the
  topic
• make a list of single words or short phases
• 2. Organizing stage
• create groups or sub-groups of concepts
• rank order the concepts (general to specific)

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How to construct a concept map ?

• 3. Linking stage
• add labeled lines to show relationships
• look for cross-links between concepts
• 4. Finalizing stage
• attach specific examples
• give a title of the map

But remember, there is no single way to draw a
concept map
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Highlights of concept mapping strategy

• Start with daily life concepts (e.g. food,
  animals or cars) in the training period
• Construct maps collaboratively to encourage
  deeper understanding through social interaction
• Ask students to think and prepare list of
  concepts beforehand that save more time for
  discussions
• Have students to present their maps and obtain
  feedback from classmates. Make changes and draw
  the final maps for assessment.

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• An example of concept map in the training period

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Evaluation of concept mapsQualitative assessment

• Are all important concepts included ?
• Are there any incorrect or missing linkages
  between concepts (misconceptions) ?
• Is the map laid out in a way that higher order
  relationships are apparent and easy to follow ?
• Is there a substantial amount of branching
  hierarchy and cross-linking (the complexity) ?

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Evaluation of concept mapsQuantitative
assessment

• Scoring rubric (modified from Mason, 1992)

No effort 0 Poor 1 Fair 2 Good 3 Excellent 4
Number of concepts
Focal concepts
Propositions
Validity of linkages
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Evaluation of concept mapsQuantitative
assessment

• Basics for determining the level of adherence

No effort 0 Poor 1 Fair 2 Good 3 Excellent 4
Number of concepts too few or too many concepts vs. only the major concepts too few or too many concepts vs. only the major concepts too few or too many concepts vs. only the major concepts too few or too many concepts vs. only the major concepts too few or too many concepts vs. only the major concepts
Focal concepts misses the major foci vs. hierarchically indicates the major foci misses the major foci vs. hierarchically indicates the major foci misses the major foci vs. hierarchically indicates the major foci misses the major foci vs. hierarchically indicates the major foci misses the major foci vs. hierarchically indicates the major foci
Propositions propositional links are vague or missing vs. explicit propositional links are vague or missing vs. explicit propositional links are vague or missing vs. explicit propositional links are vague or missing vs. explicit propositional links are vague or missing vs. explicit
Validity of linkages inaccurate linkages vs. accurate linkages inaccurate linkages vs. accurate linkages inaccurate linkages vs. accurate linkages inaccurate linkages vs. accurate linkages inaccurate linkages vs. accurate linkages
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Uses of collaborative concept maps in promoting
HOT

• To interconnect the abstract chemistry concepts
  or terms
• To relate the macroscopic, microscopic
  (particulate) and symbolic levels in chemistry
• To communicate the complex ideas by extending the
  prior knowledge
• To assess the connected understandings and
  diagnose misconceptions
• To engage students in reflective thinking

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• Learning Strategy and Deep Processing
• Questioning (Blooms Taxonomy Marzanos
  Dimensions of Learning)
• Learning Diaries, Self-Generated Questions, and
  Reflection

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• Asking higher-level Questions

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Blooms taxonomy of cognitive levels

• To recall facts
• Define the term rusting.
• State two substances that are needed for rusting
  to occur.

1. Knowledge
2. Comprehension
3. Application
4. Analysis
5. Synthesis
6. Evaluation

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Blooms taxonomy of cognitive levels

• To understand the meanings / organize facts
• Explain why rusting of iron nail occurs faster in
  salt solution than in tap water.

1. Knowledge
2. Comprehension
3. Application
4. Analysis
5. Synthesis
6. Evaluation

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Blooms taxonomy of cognitive levels

• To use (apply) facts, rules or principles
• Suggest a metal that is used to protect
  underground steel pipes. Explain your choice.
• Calculate the e.m.f. of the rusting process from
  the electrode potentials of half reactions.

1. Knowledge
2. Comprehension
3. Application
4. Analysis
5. Synthesis
6. Evaluation

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Blooms taxonomy of cognitive levels

• To break down the whole into it component parts
• Can you distinguish between tin-plating and
  zinc-plating to prevent iron cans from rusting?

1. Knowledge
2. Comprehension
3. Application
4. Analysis
5. Synthesis
6. Evaluation

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Blooms taxonomy of cognitive levels

• To put parts together into a new whole
• Design an experiment to show that oxygen is
  essential to cause rusting.

1. Knowledge
2. Comprehension
3. Application
4. Analysis
5. Synthesis
6. Evaluation

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Blooms taxonomy of cognitive levels

• To justify the value or merits of an idea/problem
• Discuss the effects of rusting on social,
  economic and environmental aspects of a society.

1. Knowledge
2. Comprehension
3. Application
4. Analysis
5. Synthesis
6. Evaluation

• Construct higher-level questions ? HOTs

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Marzanos Dimensions of Learning - Questions for
Different Thinking Skills

• Acquire and Integrate Knowledge
• Construct meaning - How does X relate to
  something you already know?
• Extend and Refine Knowledge
• Compare - How are X and Y alike? How are Y and Z
  different?
• Classify How can you group XYZ into groups?
• Induce - Based on such information, what would
  you conclude?
• Construct support What evidence do you have to
  support this..?
• Abstract What patterns can you observe from ?
• Analyze perspectives What are the reasons for
  the different explanations? Which is better?

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Marzanos Dimensions of Learning

• Use knowledge meaningfully
• Decision making What course of action is the
  best and why?
• Investigation/Experimentation What information
  is needed to solve this problem? Design an
  experiment to examineHow would you investigate
  that
• Problem Solving Identify the problemWhat are
  the possible solutions..

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• Learning Diaries
• From Teacher Questions to Student-Generated
  Questions

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Reflection Learning Diaries

• Guidelines for Self-Questioning (from Y.L. Chong)
• Identifying Topics and Tasks
• What is the topic/objective of todays lesson?
• What is the topic/objective of last lesson and
  what is the relationships between them?
• What is the main thing I have to do or find out?
  What is the aim of this experiment?

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• Compare new and old understanding
• What do I know about this topic? What is the new
  concept? What are the differences between them?
• Can my ideas explain this phenomenon? Can this
  new concept explain this phenomenon? Which one is
  better?

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• Evaluation and Application
• Are there any concepts I do not understand?
• What do the new concepts say? What are the common
  misconceptions? What have I learned in this
  experiment?
• Can I use this new concept to explain a novel
  phenomenon in daily life? What is the
  explanation?

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• Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning

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Computer-supported collaborating learning

• Knowledge Forum (KF)
• Online database for knowledge building
• Community of learners
• Knowledge-transforming
• Students pose questions, negotiate meanings
  (talk chemistry), and generate new ideas

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Related websites to KF

• http//www.knowledgeforum.com
• http//csile.oise.utoronto.ca/CSILE_biblio.html

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How KF promotes HOTs ?

• Questions / topics initiated by students
• A high level of control over own learning
• Shared ideas or written discourse about a problem
  (content, process product) recorded
• More ownership created
• Minimize competition in learning community

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• Group work
• break

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Final words on promoting HOT in classroom

• To create a classroom environment with positive
  climate
• To build on students existing knowledge
• To ask high-level thinking questions or even get
  students to ask and inquire into these questions
• To engage students in collaborative group
  learning tasks
• To use a variety of authentic assessment
  strategies

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