Chemistry Demonstrations: A Learning Tool

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

The Chemistry Demonstrations project will incorporate an active learning approach into the widespread use of chemical demonstrations. Many students find chemistry a challenging subject as it is difficult to connect observed phenomena to the unseen behavior of atoms and molecules. Practice making these connections is crucial to developing the reasoning skills needed for success in chemistry. This project will deliberately study how demonstration exercises can be transformed into active exercises that engage students in the reasoning process. Each exercise will take students through a structured process of predicting the outcome, observing the demonstration, and explaining what happened at the atomic level. Through repeated practice, students are expected to improve their scientific reasoning skills, and increase their engagement in chemistry. The Chemical Demonstrations project will explore the efficacy of chemical demonstrations as a means to improve student learning, with particular attention to learning gains by under-prepared students. Although in-class demonstrations are used almost daily in most chemistry courses, they are rarely studied. Consequently, the learning that results from demonstrations has been questioned. The project will transform the common practice of show and tell demonstration to a formal predict-observe-explain (POE) format that engages students in reasoning that connects macroscopic observations to atomic and molecular explanations. A quasi-random experimental design will be used to compare increases in content learning and scientific reasoning skills. The POE demonstrations will be modular and easy to integrate into existing class sessions, allowing instructors to switch from traditional to evidence-based demonstrations with minimum effort. Since general chemistry is a gateway course for many STEM disciplines besides chemistry, this project will promote student success in STEM to a broad audience.