Learning Chemistry through Design and Construction

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Learning Chemistry through Design and Construction

• Loretta L. Jones
• University of Northern Colorado
• USA

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What does it mean to design?

• to design
• to conceive and plan out in the mind
• to make a drawing, pattern or sketch
• Websters New Collegiate Dictionary

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Why design?

• Design processes are important
• in daily life
• our appearance (clothing, hair style, etc.)
• our lifestyle (behavior, exercise, etc.)
• in industry
• drug design
• new materials

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Why design?

• Introductory chemistry courses focus mainly on
  discovery and analysis.
• Chemists also design experiments and materials.

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Design activities require different thought
processes than analysis does.

• Design
• Generate ideas.
• Make a plan.
• Draw a sketch.

• Analysis
• Evaluate ideas.
• Follow a plan.
• Interpret a sketch.

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Why design?

• Authentic scientific activities what scientists
  do.
• School science activities what children do.
  These activities often are not authentic science.
• Design activities are authentic science that
  children can do.

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Authentic Science

• Scientists
• Make observations
• Formulate problems
• Search for information
• Design experiments and materials
• Make and check predictions
• Make discoveries

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School Science

• Children
• Solve problems for which the answers are
  already known.
• Report laboratory work by filling in blanks.
• Memorize information.
• Take multiple-choice tests.
• School science is not authentic science.
• However, inquiry activities are authentic
  science.

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How can we provide design activities for students?

• Design activities require more effort from the
  teacher.
• Fortunately, computers can help.

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Four kinds of design activities

• Designing laboratory experiments
• Designing molecular structures
• Designing substances and crystals
• Designing reactions and solutions

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Designing experiments

• Comprehensive Chemistry Curriculum

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Designing molecular structures

• Molecular modeling software (WebLab ViewerPro,
  HyperChem, etc.)

See www.pro3.chem.pitt.edu/workshop/workshop_repor
t_180701.pdf
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Designing substances and crystals

• ChemDiscovery (www.chemdiscovery.com)

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Designing reactions and solutions

• Visualization CD for Chemistry Molecules,
  Matter, and Change

Also see www.whfreeman.com/bridgingtothelab
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Does it work?

• Comprehensive Chemistry
• 21 college students who did multimedia design
  simulations scored higher on a test than 49
  college students who did a verification
  laboratory.

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Do design activities prepare students for
practical work?

• Comprehensive Chemistry
• 26 college students designed virtual experiments
  that used a spectrometer simulation.
• 22 college students read the spectrometer manual.
• Later, in the laboratory, the students who had
  designed virtual experiments took less time and
  made 1/3 as many errors as students who read the
  manual. They could use the spectrometer as though
  they had used it before.

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Do design activities change the secondary school
classroom?

• ChemDiscovery observations
• Two secondary schools
• Two classes taught by a teacher at each school
• Two experimental (ChemDiscovery)
• Two control (Traditional)
• Two observers one per school
• Observations made every 5 minutes
• Twelve visits to each site

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Summary of findings

• Students are more active.
• Teachers spend more time facilitating student
  work and less time lecturing.

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Teachers Role
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Using ChemDiscovery (Eufala High School,
Alabama)
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What We Have Learned

• Design activities help students to learn
  chemistry and to be more independent.
• Design activities help students to develop
  authentic scientific skills.
• Computers can facilitate the use of design
  activities.

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Resources for Teachers

• www.dlese.org, www.nsdl.org
• serc.carleton.edu
• http//www.scienceyear.com/wired/index.html.
• Select Planet 10, then Play, World Builder.
• atlas.geo.cornell.edu/education/student/continenta
  l_puzzle.html
• Physics www.physics.unco.edu/pt3
• Chemistry www.whfreeman.com/chemcom/
• All http//www.scienceonestop.com
• Biology http//www.accelrys.com/gallery/
• http//www.umass.edu/microbio/rasmol/

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Acknowledgements

• National Science Foundation
• W. H. Freeman and Company
• Coauthors
• Comprehensive Chemistry Curriculum
• Stanley Smith and Steve Gammon
• ChemDiscovery
• Olga Agapova and Alex Ushakov
• Bridging to the Lab/Visualization CD
• Roy Tasker, University of Western Sydney, CADRE

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Software to investigate today

• Chemistry
• ChemDiscovery
• Bridging to the lab
• Molecular modeling
• Earth science and biology
• Digital library for Science education
• SERC
• Worldwatcher
• Physics
• Online inquiry modules
• www.sciencenetlinks.com