ERIC ED400208: Discovery Lab in the Chemistry Lecture Room: Design and Evaluation of Audio-Visual Constructivist Methodology of Teaching Descriptive Inorganic Chemistry.

32 Pages·1996·0.47 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 400 208
SE 059 154
AUTHOR
Young, Barbara N.; Hoffman, Lyubov
TITLE
Discovery Lab in the Chemistry Lecture Room: Design
and Evaluation of Audio-Visual Constructivist
Methodology of Teaching Descriptive Inorganic
Chemistry.
PUB DATE
[96]
NOTE
30p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the
American Association of Colleges for Teacher
Education (Chicago, IL, February 21-24, 1996).
PUB TYPE
Reports
Research/Technical (143)
Speeches /Conference Papers (150)
EDRS PRICE
MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS
Academic Achievement; *Audiovisual Instruction;
*Demonstrations (Science); Discovery Learning;
Educational Strategies; *Inorganic Chemistry;
*Science Experiments; Science Instruction; Scientific
Concepts; Secondary Education; Student Attitudes;
Teaching Methods; Technology
ABSTRACT
Demonstration of chemical reactions is a tool used in
the teaching of inorganic descriptive chemistry to enable students to
understand the fundamental concepts of chemistry through the use of
concrete examples. For maximum benefit, students need to learn
through discovery to obsezve, interpret, hypothesize, and draw
conclusions; however, chemical discovery labs
are time consuming to
prepare and present and may involve hazards. The purpose of this
study was to design an effective audio-visual method for teaching
descriptive inorganic chemistry and to investigate whether
an
audio-visual method could be a viable alternative to the live
demonstration method. Data were collected for quantitative and
qualitative analysis. Quantitative analysis indicated that the
audio-visual method does not account for a statistically significant
proportion of variance in students' achievement
scores. Qualitative
analysis of data indicated that there was an equal preference of
students for each method. Students favored either method of
presentation (audio-visual or live demonstration) over the
traditional lecture method. It was concluded that audio-visual
discovery lab experiments can be used in teaching descriptive
inorganic chemistry, but further research needs to be done to improve
the quality and methodological design of audio-visual presentations.
Contains 12 references. (JRH)
***********************************************************************
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that
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from the original document.
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DISCOVERY LAB IN THE CHEMISTRY LECTURE ROOM:
DESIGN AND EVALUATION OF AUDIO-VISUAL
CONSTRUCTIVIST METHODOLOGY OF TEACHING
DESCRIPTIVE INORGANIC CHEMISTRY.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL
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HAS B EN GR NTED BY
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Points of view or opinions staled in this docu-
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INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
2
ABSTRACT
into classes, types, and groups
reactions, and properties
Cateeorizina compounds,
which must be acquired
of information
deal with the diversity
(concepts) helps students to
understanding of abstract
however, the
chemistry;
learn descriptive inorganic
in order to
large proportion
Studies suggest that a
thinking.
formal or operational
concepts requires
and theories;
operations to abstractions
difficulty applying mental
of college students have
and collected data.
based on observations
certain mental operation's
instead, they carry out
students in
level for most college
be presented at the concrete
Thus, the content needs to
understanding.
order to facilitate
the teaching of
be better used in
reactions is a tool to
Demonstration of chemical
understand the
students to more fully
and it should enable
inorganic descriptive chemistry,
examples. However, unless
chemistry through use of concrete
fundamental concepts of
demonstrations. For
from these chemical
students do not benefit
presented properly, many
interpret, to
discoveiy: to observe, to
need to learn through
maximum benefit, students
conclusions.
hypothesize, and to draw
experiments in
cycle discovers' lab
effectiveness of learning
Studies examining the
A
successful.
method to be very
found this teaching
descriptive inorganic chemistry
often quite
chemical discovery labs are
the observation that
limiting factor though was
demonstrations may
Furthermore, chemical
and to present.
time consuming to prepare
involve hazards.
lts purpose
these obstacles.
in an attempt to overcome
This study was conducted
descriptive inorganic
method for teaching
effective audio-visual
was to design an
learning)
approach to teaching, and
the cognitive theoretical
chemistry (which incorporates
and to investigate whether
an audio-visual method could be a viable alternative
to the live
demonstration method. Data were collected for
qualitative and quantitative analysis.
Quantitative analysis indicated that this
methodology (audio-visual method
vs.
live
demonstration method) does not
account for a statistically significant proportion of
variance in students' achievement
scores, as measured by knowledge questions. from
an
instructor's exams. Qualitative analysis
of data indicated that there was
an equal preference
among students for each method. Students favored either
method of presentation (audio-
visual or live demonstration)
over the traditional lecture method.
The conclusion was
drawn that audio-visual discovery lab
experiments can be used in teaching descriptive
inorganic chemistry, but further
research needs to be done to improve the quality and
methodological design of audio-visual
presentations.
4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
IN'T'RODUCTION
1
I
.
8
2. RESEARCH DESIGN
3. PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS
13
CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS,
5.
22
RECOMMENDATIONS
25
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
5
CHAPTER ]
INTRODUCTION
of Canterbury,
Stigland, the patriotic Archbishop
found it advisable."
"Found what?" asked the duck.
know
rather grossly. "Of course, you
"Found it" replied the mouse,
what "it" means?"
the duck.
I find the thing," said
"I'll know what "it" means, when
did the
The question is, what
It's generally a frog or a worm.
Archbishop find?
Wonderland).
(Alice's Adventures in
(reaction) chemistry is significant
descriptive inorganic
The importance of learning
compounds must have a
chemists who use inorganic
for two main reasons. First,
appropriately and safely. Second,
these compounds
knowledge or "feeling" of how to use
explanation
order to understand an
descriptive chemiStry itself, in
students must know the
theoretical chemistry.
chemistry offered by "advanced"
of phenomena of descriptive
material students must
plethora of detailed descriptive
The fact that there is a
of
chemistry makes the teaching
about descriptive
acquire in order to be knowledgeable
effectively as possible
methods to instruct students as
this subject challenging. Seeking
visual presentation of subject
systematization, organization, and
includes the challenge of
matter.
The Problem
Statement of the Problem
discovery lab experiments
audio-visual learning cycle
The problem was to design
6
if students perceived these to be viable
in descriptive chemistry and to determine
lab experiments.
alternatives to live demonstration discovery
Significance of the Problem
of simple
concepts and principles
instead
of basic
understanding
The
of descriptive chemistry.
"memorization" of material is essential for the effective learning
the building
Thinking is the process that produces understanding. The concepts are
of information into manageable
blocks of thinking which help to organize vast amounts
form concepts we would find life a
units. Reed (1992) stated that without the ability to
of grouping things
confusing series of unrelated experiences. There would be no way
about similar objects and
together, no symbols or shorthand for talking and thinking
communication would be impossible.
events. Nothing would be like anything else, and
and groups
Categorizing compounds, reactions, and properties into classes, types,
for learning
(concepts) helps one to deal with the diversity of information necessary
which do not exist in the real
descriptive chemistry. However, concepts are abstractions
operational thinking which is the ability
world. Understanding of concepts requires. formal
objects, to think hypothetically, to consider
to go beyond observable data and familiar
alternatives, and to identify all possible combinations.
function at a
Studies suggest that a large proportion of college students do not
Jean Piaget
formal operational reasoning level, which is defined by Swiss psychologist
these students will ave
(1963) as the highest stage of mental development. This means that
abstractions and
difficulty gasping conceptual topics and applying mental operations to
7
3
the formal
thinkers), who are functioning below
theories. The students (concrete
observations
certain mental operations based on
operational level, are able to carry out
level for most
level needs to begin at the concrete
and collected data. Thus, the content
seeing
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,
college students. Recalling the quotation from
conceptual
Herron (1975) suggested that
the "thing" would help to understand
"it.".
examples which model the abstract
chemistry can be expressed in terms of concrete
thinkers and formal
effective with both concrete
concepts. Concrete instruction
is
operational learners.
examples is a powerful teaching
The use of chemical demonstrations as concrete
the thought process, and develops
tool which displays chemical phenomena. stimulates
students do not benefit much from
observatiOn skills; however, unless presented properly,
the intellectual debate of ideas, the
such demonstrations (Roadruck, 1993). encourage
of observed facts are the
weighing of evidence and have an emphasis on making sense out
of formal thought.
ones that lead to the development
organized and
order to be effective, must be
Chemical demonstrations,
in
and learning. The cognitive view sees
presented using the cognitive approach to leaching
seek out information to solve problems,
people as active learners who initiate experiences,
insights. Instead of being, passively
and reorganize what they already know to achieve new
choose. practice, pay attention,
influenced by environmental events. people actively
goals (Woolfolk. 1995).
ignore. and make any other decisions as they pursue
simply be given "right
Roadruck (1993) maintained that students should not
the students must be asked to
answers" when observing chemical demonstrations. Rather,
8
4
their own conclusions. In
analyze hypotheses, and to draw
interpret, to hypothesize, to
just the presentation.
experience the phenomenon, not
short, students must
(Bruner,. Goodnow, & Austin,
cognitive instructional model
In Jerome Bruner's
situations in which students
role is defined as creating
1956; Bruner, 1966), the teacher's
Bruner (1966) stated:
can learn on their own.
little living libraries on that
We teach a subject not to produce
think...for himself, to
subject, but rather to get the student to
take part in the process
consider matters as an historian does, to
(p.
is a process, not a product.
of acquiring knowledg. Knowing
72)
which
in the "learning cycle" concept
Discovery learning models are incorporated
almost thirty years: Robert
in science classrooms for
has been implemented and researched
functioning model,
influenced by Pines Mental
Karplus (Karplus and Thier, 1967),
which consists of three
inquiry-based curricular model
initiated the development of an
discovery.
phases: exploration, inlIellti017, and
experiences, active involvement of
The learning cycle concept includes concrete
David Johnson and Roger
and social interaction.
students in the discovery process,
of social interaction this way:
Johnson (1985) described the power
interpersonal. It is through inter-
Motivation to learn is inherently
learn to value learning for
action with other people that students
their
learning and take pride in
its own sake, enjoy the process of
of skill. Of the inter-
acquisition of knowledge and development
classroom, peers may be the
personal relationships available in the
motivation to learn. (p. 250)
most influential on the
and
achievements, increasing self-esteem,
Cooperative learning leads to higher
Students working in pairs or teams can
improving relationships among the students.
immediate help from team
learning. Motivation is greater since
support each other's
problems.
members is available when students encounter
9
5
by Ryan,
descriptive chemistry
The learning cycle concept was applied to
and Wulfsberg (1983). The experiments
Robinson & Carmichael (1980), Whisnant (1982),
discovery laboratories in which students were forced to
were organized as learning cycle
observations and
invent abstract principles of periodicity which organize the students'
"memorization"
enable them to predict unobserved facts of descriptive chemistry. The
personal
required can not be of isolated facts or numbers from a table, but are memories of
themselves.
experiences and principles of periodicity which the students have "invented"
of the learning cycle
The quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the effectiveness
teaching descriptive
discovery lab experiments/demonstrations showed this method of
inorganic chemistry to be very successful (Wulfsberg, 1983).
of discovery lab
apparent evidence for the effectiveness
Although there
is
descriptive chemistry
experiments, the main obstacle to the use of this method of teaching
and to present.
is that chemical demonstrations are often very time-consuming to prepare
teachers avoid
Furthermore, demonstrations may involve hazards. For these reasons, many
live demonstrations in the teaching process (Roadruck, 1993).
problem.
Utilization of audio-visual technology appears to offer a solution to this
time-efficient
Educational media has the capacity to illustrate demonstrations in a safe and
attention through effects, and to
way to enhance visualization, to capture. the students'
for students to
provide the alternative learning experiences which increase motivation
learn (Kozma, 1987; Leonard, 1991).
Audio-visual learning cycle discovery lab experiments which incorporate the
cognitive approach to teaching and learning could be a viable method of teaching
descriptive inorganic chemistry: however. a review of the literature showed that attempts
in the teaching of chemistry have not vet been
to design an
audio-visual discovery lab
(not
made. The research in evaluation of effectiveness of audio-visual vs. conventional
discovery) chemical labs is very minimal.
0