The Forum: New Directions for General Chemistry: Recommendations of the Task Force on the General Chemistry Curriculum

Lloyd, Baird W.; Spencer, J. N.

doi:10.1021/ed071p206

Cited by 42 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Historically, college general chemistry courses have focused on skill development and knowledge (Lloyd & Spencer, ). For example, students might be assessed on their ability to draw chemical structures or to determine molecular geometry and shape using a set of rules.…”

Section: Promoting Model‐based Reasoning With Sketching In Chemistrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Sketching the Invisible to Predict the Visible: From Drawing to Modeling in Chemistry

Cooper

Stieff

DeSutter

2017

Topics in Cognitive Science

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Sketching as a scientific practice goes beyond the simple act of inscribing diagrams onto paper. Scientists produce a wide range of representations through sketching, as it is tightly coupled to model-based reasoning. Chemists in particular make extensive use of sketches to reason about chemical phenomena and to communicate their ideas. However, the chemical sciences have a unique problem in that chemists deal with the unseen world of the atomic-molecular level. Using sketches, chemists strive to develop causal mechanisms that emerge from the structure and behavior of molecular-level entities, to explain observations of the macroscopic visible world. Interpreting these representations and constructing sketches of molecular-level processes is a crucial component of student learning in the modern chemistry classroom. Sketches also serve as an important component of assessment in the chemistry classroom as student sketches give insight into developing mental models, which allows instructors to observe how students are thinking about a process. In this paper we discuss how sketching can be used to promote such model-based reasoning in chemistry and discuss two case studies of curricular projects, CLUE and The Connected Chemistry Curriculum, that have demonstrated a benefit of this approach. We show how sketching activities can be centrally integrated into classroom norms to promote model-based reasoning both with and without component visualizations. Importantly, each of these projects deploys sketching in support of other types of inquiry activities, such as making predictions or depicting models to support a claim; sketching is not an isolated activity but is used as a tool to support model-based reasoning in the discipline.

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Section: Promoting Model‐based Reasoning With Sketching In Chemistrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Sketching the Invisible to Predict the Visible: From Drawing to Modeling in Chemistry

Cooper

Stieff

DeSutter

2017

Topics in Cognitive Science

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“…Throughout the literature there have been several efforts to reform General Chemistry in regard to what is taught and how it is taught (Cooper, 2010;Havighurst, 1929;Lloyd & Spencer, 1994;Sumter & Owens, 2011;Taft, 1997). General Chemistry is critically important as it is responsible for providing students with a taster of major significant fields in chemistry such as analytical, organic and inorganic chemistry.…”

Section: International Studies Such As the Trends In International Mamentioning

confidence: 99%

Teaching large undergraduate chemistry classes: A challenge or an opportunity

Flaherty

O’Dwyer

Leahy

et al. 2015

LUMAT

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Teaching introductory modules and classes of undergraduate programmes can present a number of subjective and objective challenges. Objective challenges include a high degree of variation in students' prior learning experiences combined with a high student-teacher ratio. Subjective challenges include the transitional changes which first year students undergo that include cognitive, affective and physiological changes as they make the leap from the often small and secluded secondarylevel environment to the all-consuming tertiary-level environment. For introductory chemistry modules, such as General Chemistry, the pertinence of these challenges can have negative repercussions on students' acquirement of basic chemical concepts in first year which could inherently go on to hinder their successful progression through their third-level education. In an effort to tackle the challenges posed against effective learning in General Chemistry modules, this exploratory research study set out to understand how the potential incorporation of a new approach to teaching and learning would be received by the three main cohorts involved. The attitudes and recommendations of undergraduate students, post-graduate students who have a role as laboratory demonstrators and module leaders towards the potential incorporation of Student-Inquiry activities and laboratories into General Chemistry were investigated. All three cohorts welcomed the incorporation of Student-Inquiry as part of the approach to teaching and learning. While the researchers and module leaders had an initial awareness of the challenges that come with teaching General Chemistry, little was known of the potential significance of the opportunity which lay amongst these challenges.

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“…Not surprisingly, calls for curriculum reform in chemistry often echo these sentiments. One theme for implementation of suggestions such as these notes the need for data-driven and evidence-based curriculum and assessments (2)(3)(4)(5).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Non-Content Goals in the Assessment of Chemistry Learning

Reed

Holme

2014

ACS Symposium Series

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As technology continues to make information and facts readily accessible, the importance of understanding the context of the information and demonstrating how to use it appropriately will provide better indications of learning than factual recall. This chapter examines the manner in which curriculum and assessment reforms are moving toward promotion of student skill development beyond traditional content knowledge recall. A discussion of the current state of non-content skill assessment in chemistry is presented noting in particular that instructor interest in non-content aspects of learning appears to outpace the measurement of them. Additionally, the chapter presents data from a national survey. These data were used to understand the relative importance of non-content goals and skills in the general chemistry classroom. How these data will inform future efforts to create appropriate formative and summative assessments of goals and skills beyond content knowledge is also discussed. As technology continues to make information and facts readily accessible, the importance of understanding the context of the information and demonstrating how to use it appropriately will provide better indications of learning than factual recall. This chapter examines the manner in which curriculum and assessment reforms are moving toward promotion of student skill development beyond traditional content knowledge recall. A discussion of the current state of non-content skill assessment in chemistry is presented noting in particular that instructor interest in non-content aspects of learning appears to outpace the measurement of them. Additionally, the chapter presents data from a national survey. These data were used to understand the relative importance of non-content goals and skills in the general chemistry classroom. How these data will inform future efforts to create appropriate formative and summative assessments of goals and skills beyond content knowledge is also discussed.

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The Forum: New Directions for General Chemistry: Recommendations of the Task Force on the General Chemistry Curriculum

Abstract: Findings and recommendations of the Task Force on the General Chemistry Curriculum of the ACS regarding reform in the general chemistry curriculum.

Cited by 42 publications

References 3 publications

Sketching the Invisible to Predict the Visible: From Drawing to Modeling in Chemistry

Sketching the Invisible to Predict the Visible: From Drawing to Modeling in Chemistry

Teaching large undergraduate chemistry classes: A challenge or an opportunity

The Role of Non-Content Goals in the Assessment of Chemistry Learning

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