Student-Generated Submicro Diagrams: A Useful Tool for Teaching and Learning Chemical Equations and Stoichiometry

Autor/inn/en	Davidowitz, Bette; Chittleborough, Gail; Murray, Eileen
Titel	Student-Generated Submicro Diagrams: A Useful Tool for Teaching and Learning Chemical Equations and Stoichiometry
Quelle	In: Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 11 (2010) 3, S.154-164 (11 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1756-1108
DOI	10.1039/C005464J
Schlagwörter	College Freshmen; College Science; Chemistry; Teaching Methods; Stoichiometry; Visual Aids; Scientific Concepts; Comprehension; Instructional Materials; Misconceptions; Feedback (Response) + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Studienanfänger; Chemie; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Stöchiometrie; Anschauungsmaterial; Verstehen; Verständnis; Lehrmaterial; Lehrmittel; Unterrichtsmedien; Missverständnis
Abstract	This paper reports on a pedagogical approach to the teaching of chemical equations introduced to first year university students with little previous chemical knowledge. During the instruction period students had to interpret and construct diagrams of reactions at the submicro level, and relate them to chemical equations at the symbolic level with the aim of improving their conceptual understanding of chemical equations and stoichiometry. Students received instruction in symbol conventions, practice through graded tutorial tasks, and feedback on their efforts over the semester. Analysis of the student responses to formative test and summative exam items over consecutive years indicates that there was a consistent improvement in the abilities of the various cohorts to answer stoichiometry questions correctly. The responses provide evidence for diagrams of the submicro level being used as tools for reasoning in solving chemical problems, to recognise misconceptions of chemical formulae and to recognise the value of using various multiple representations of chemical reactions connecting the submicro and symbolic levels of representation. The student-generated submicro diagrams serve as a visualisation tool for teaching and learning abstract concepts in solving stoichiometric problems. We argue that the use of diagrams of the submicro level provides a more complete picture of the reaction, rather than a net summary of a chemical equation, leading to a deeper conceptual understanding. (Contains 8 tables and 8 figures.) (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Royal Society of Chemistry. Thomas Graham House, Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WF, UK. Tel: +44-1223 420066; Fax: +44-1223 423623; e-mail: cerp@rsc.org; Web site: http://www.rsc.org/cerp
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10