Share the Wealth: A Catalytic Activity

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Share the Wealth A Catalytic Activity

• Kate Walsh, MCEP Cohort- 6
• EDUC 536 The Teaching and Learning of
  Chemistry
• Dr. Kate Scantlebury
• Fall 05/Spring 06

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Project

• The presentation which follows was presented at
  the Annual Meeting of the Metro-Washington DC
  Chemistry Teachers
• The focus was on the results of my research on
  the implementation of POGIL in my AP Chemistry
  Course

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Meeting Format

• 2 other presentations were made.
• Dr. Diane Bunce, Catholic University presented
  Different Strokes for Different Folks Using a
  variety of teaching styles to reach more of our
  students
• Dr. Angel de Dios, Georgetown University
  presented on the freshman chemistry cirriculum at
  Georgetown University.

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Meeting Format

• Each presentation was followed by questions and
  answers and a chance to share best practices
• We also toured Georgetown Visitations science
  facilities

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Feedback

• Meeting organizer, Sharon Hillerys, follow-up
  email
• Dear fellow chemistry teachers, Thank you to all
  who attended yesterdays meeting at Visitation.
  I found Kate Walshs presentation to be very
  enlightening about POGIIL (Inquiry learning) and
  Dr. Diane Bunce as always- gives a great
  lecture and provided much for us to think about
  as we examine our teaching styles and methods.
  Dr. de Dios web page for the schools in the
  Philippines seems like a good resource for us as
  well. I hope those who attended had a good day.
  I would appreciate any feedback positive or not
  and also suggestions for a future day maybe
  in the autumn.
• Sharon
• Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School
• 1524 35th Street, N.W.
• Washington, D.C. 20007
• 202-337-3350  voice mail ext. 4417
• hillery_at_visi.org

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Fighting the Good Fight

• Implementing POGIL in an AP Chemistry Course

Kate Walsh Georgetown Preparatory School April 6,
2006
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Background

• POGIL
• P- Process
• O-Oriented
• G-Guided
• I - Inquiry
• L Learning
• Developed by Spencer Moog at Franklin
  Marshall College

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Background

• Key Components
• 1. Small groups of Students
• 2. Information
• 3. Leading questions which allow students to
  formulate knowledge
• 4. Group discussions of conclusions and/or
  simultaneous reporting
• 5. Hands-off position for instructor

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Background

• Reflecting on my first year (2004-2005) of
  teaching AP Chemistry poor ability to explain
  answers
• Reflecting on my own experience with POGIL- as an
  undergrad I took 2 semesters of rigorous organic
  chemistry and did quite well yet 2-3 years later
  retained little to none of it and never really
  understood much of it.

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Basic Hypothesis

• Use of the POGIL Method will improve students
  ability to explain/conceptualize their
  understanding of chemical concepts.
• Since this is a vital component of the AP Test I
  felt my AP Students were a perfect test group.

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Test Group

• 12 boys
• 3 juniors, 9 seniors
• All take a minimum of 2 AP courses, some as many
  as 5
• This is a second year of Chemistry for all of the
  boys.
• All of the boys are enrolled in AB Calculus at a
  minimum, most are enrolled in BC Calculus.

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The Test

• Testing was implemented by teaching the Kinetics
  unit using a traditional chalk and talk style
  and then teaching the Equilibrium unit using
  exclusively POGILs.
• The POGILs were obtained from the POGIL website
  or from the text Chemistry A Guided Inquiry
• Students were tested after each unit using tests
  compiled from the JCEd websites conceptual
  question bank and from the ConcepTest question
  bank compiled at the Univ. of Wisconsin
  Madison.

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Challenges

• This group of students was much more comfortable
  with the chalk and talk presentation.
• They were generally uncomfortable with the idea
  of interdependence and had a tendency to want to
  work only with those with whom they were most
  comfortable.
• I had to very carefully moderate the discussions
  between groups.

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Challenges

• After about the 3rd POGIL students began to warm
  up to the idea.
• One major break through occurred when I had the
  groups simultaneously report their results to the
  question, define what is meant by the term at
  equilibrium
• I think the students finally saw why there was
  value in the group effort

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Outcomes
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Challenges

• Small sample
• The 2nd exam was the last of the quarter
• All male and high achieving test group

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QUESTIONS ? References www.pogil.org Contact
info kwalsh_at_gprep.org