Particulate Pictures and Kinetic-Molecular Theory Concepts: Seizing an Opportunity

Waner, Mark J.

doi:10.1021/ed100304q

Cited by 4 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Therefore, it is important that 2D illustrations, such as those in textbooks, also serve to increase students' domain-specific conceptual knowledge and representational fluency. Though the importance of illustrations in science textbooks has been discussed extensively (Cheng and Gilbert, 2009;Levie and Lentz, 1982;Mayer et al, 1995) and many have examined textbook illustrations in chemistry (Allendoerfer, 1990;Bonicamp and Clark, 2007;Stroud and Schwartz, 2010;Waner, 2010), we have found no studies which specifically address the role textbook illustrations and supporting text have in clarifying the conceptual and 3D spatial information implied in 2D projections in Organic Chemistry. In this study, we directly address this concern by using a self-designed rubric to evaluate the degree of success of several well-known Organic Chemistry texts in introducing and describing the Newman and Fischer Projections, as discussed below.…”

mentioning

confidence: 90%

Evaluating the effectiveness of organic chemistry textbooks in promoting representational fluency and understanding of 2D–3D diagrammatic relationships

Kumi

Olimpo

Bartlett

et al. 2013

Chem. Educ. Res. Pract.

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mentioning

confidence: 90%

Evaluating the effectiveness of organic chemistry textbooks in promoting representational fluency and understanding of 2D–3D diagrammatic relationships

Kumi

Olimpo

Bartlett

et al. 2013

Chem. Educ. Res. Pract.

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“…This instrument has been used in studies probing the alternate conceptions of students − as well as instructors . Many authors refer to the CCI as a measure of common student misconceptions − or to establish examples of student understanding. − Some authors refer to the CCI as a source of items ,,− or as an example of item types − when designing their own instrument.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Psychometric Analysis of the Chemical Concepts Inventory

Barbera

2013

J. Chem. Educ.

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The Chemical Concepts Inventory (CCI) is a multiple-choice instrument designed to assess the alternate conceptions of students in high school or first-semester college chemistry. The instrument was published in 2002 along with an analysis of its data from a test population. This study supports the initial analysis and expands on the psychometric data available. The CCI was given to over 2500 students from four universities. Data were analyzed using classical test theory and Rasch model methods. The classical test theory analysis found the CCI to have acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.73, pretest, and 0.76, posttest) and good test–retest reproducibility (Pearson correlation = 0.79, posttest). Most items were found to have good difficulty and discrimination values; however, a few had values that may warrant further evaluation. The Rasch analysis showed that the instrument and the items nicely fit the Rasch model. The data showed good separation reliability and that the instrument overall is at an appropriate level for the population. However, several gaps were found along the range of item difficulties, leading to less accurate estimations of student abilities. Overall, the CCI was found to be suitable for the large-scale assessment of students’ alternate conceptions.

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“…12−35 This particular gas question had been used by chemical education researchers for over 20 years. 12,13,[16][17][18][19]31,33 Many of these studies [16][17][18][19]31 have corroborated Nurrenbern and Pickering's assertion that students are generally more successful at answering algorithmic problems correctly compared to particulate conception questions. While Pickering 17 concluded that this difference was due to students' lack of factual knowledge and not inherent ability, Cracolice et al 31 concluded that students' scientific reasoning skills seem to be at least partly responsible for this difference in ability to answer algorithmic versus particulate conceptual questions.…”

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Concept Learning versus Problem Solving: Evaluating a Threat to the Validity of a Particulate Gas Law Question

2013

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Three different samples of students were asked to answer five multiple-choice questions concerning the properties of a sample of helium gas (particle speed, state of matter, sample volume, sample pressure, and particle distribution), including a particulate question first used by Nurrenbern and Pickering (particle distribution). In the first experiment, half of the students were given the boiling point of helium under these conditions while the other half were not; in the second experiment, half of the students were explicitly told that the cooled gas sample would not liquefy or solidify under these conditions while the other half were not; in the third experiment, half of the students received instruction that asked them to focus on whether the container for the gas sample was rigid or nonrigid while the other half received traditional instruction that did not focus on the rigidity of gas container. The responses from students in these three experiments were compared. The first experiment was unable to show any significant difference in students’ responses to the five questions and found that the proportion of correct answers for the two groups was equivalent for the particle speed, sample volume, and sample pressure questions. The second experiment found that students given the explicit information were more likely to correctly predict the state of matter for the sample, but the responses from the two groups of students were equivalent for the other four questions. The third experiment suggested that students receiving instruction regarding the rigidity of the gas container were more likely to choose the correct answer for the questions related to the sample volume, sample pressure, and particle distribution. The results of the first two experiments suggest that choosing an incorrect state of matter for the gas sample does not appear to be a major threat to the validity of Nurrenbern and Pickering’s particulate question. The last two experiments suggest that providing students with instructional or assessment cues with the goal of helping students activate schema related to the behavior and properties of gases appeared to improve their answers to some of the five multiple-choice questions asked in these studies.

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Particulate Pictures and Kinetic-Molecular Theory Concepts: Seizing an Opportunity

Cited by 4 publications

References 21 publications

Evaluating the effectiveness of organic chemistry textbooks in promoting representational fluency and understanding of 2D–3D diagrammatic relationships

Evaluating the effectiveness of organic chemistry textbooks in promoting representational fluency and understanding of 2D–3D diagrammatic relationships

A Psychometric Analysis of the Chemical Concepts Inventory

Concept Learning versus Problem Solving: Evaluating a Threat to the Validity of a Particulate Gas Law Question

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