Patricia Schank Anders Rosenquist Vera Michalchik Tina Stanford Reina Fujii Patty Kreikemeier Robert Kozma

1. Tools for Investigating, Visualizing, and Discussing chemistry in the Classroom Patricia Schank Anders Rosenquist Vera Michalchik Tina Stanford Reina Fujii Patty Kreikemeier Robert Kozma Center for Technology in Learning SRI International

2. Tools for Investigating, Visualizing, and Discussing chemistry in the Classroom Judy Larson – San Leandro High School, San Leandro, CA Britt Hammon – Antioch High School, Antioch CA Irene Hahn – Miramonte High School, Orinda, CA Nikki LeBoy - Miramonte High School, Orinda, CA Richard Kassissieh – University High School, San Francisco, CA Alexi Velis – University High School, San Francisco, CA

3. Problem Students leave high school chemistry courses with profound misunderstandings about the nature of matter, chemical processes, and chemical systems. • ????? process of inquiry ????? • ????? concepts and principles can be used to explain real world phenomena ????? • ????? systems of interacting molecular entities ?????

4. Problem Students leave high school chemistry courses with profound misunderstandings about the nature of matter, chemical processes, and chemical systems. • ????? process of inquiry ????? • ????? concepts and principles can be used to explain real world phenomena ????? • ????? systems of interacting molecular entities ????? These difficulties influence • attitudes toward future science courses • future success in science • everyday decision-making in our scientifically complex world.

5. Our Theoretical Framework Visualizations in science help students • Access features of aperceptual phenomena (Kozma) • Reason about causality (Gobert & Clement) • Coordinate multiple representations (Kozma) • Engage in "disciplinary seeing" (Stevens & Roth, Goodwin)

6. Our Theoretical Framework Social Constructivism • Building on shared knowledge gives learners an opportunity to identify problems, analyze alternatives, and reflect on their thinking (Bereiter, Herrenkohl)

7. Our Theoretical Framework Situative theory • Visual representations are symbolic tools within environment; part of the constraints and affordances of the setting (Greeno)

8. Our Approach Drawing on this work, we have developed a computer-based collaborative learning environment and associated activities to increase students’ chemical understanding and representational competence.

9. The ChemSense KBE • a virtual representation workspace • tools to share, view, and edit text imported images graphs student generated drawings, and student generated animations • use w/ data loggers / probeware for real-time data collection

10. The ChemSense KBE "Build on" dialog Search dialog

11. The ChemSense KBE (continued) • lab-based curriculum units that focus on themes of chemical change (connectivity, state, geometry, aggregation, concentration) • students express & discuss ideas in chemistry • project-based investigation • peer review

12. Prior Findings - ChemSense I • concomitant tool development and classroom try-outs • 1 teacher, low s.e.s, “low-performing” (CA rankings) • ~ 50 students 2 week “drop-in” unit (solubility issues – gas in liquid, ionic solid in liquid, covalent solid in liquid, temperature changes, pressure changes etc.) pre- and post-tests student ChemSense-generated artifacts videotaped student pairs

13. Prior Findings - ChemSense I • concomitant tool development and classroom try-outs • 1 teacher, low s.e.s, “low-performing” (CA rankings) • ~ 50 students • 2 week “drop-in” unit (solubility issues – gas in liquid, ionic solid in liquid, covalent solid in liquid, temperature changes, pressure changes etc.) pre- and post-tests student ChemSense-generated artifacts videotaped student pairs

14. Prior Findings - ChemSense I • concomitant tool development and classroom try-outs • 1 teacher, low s.e.s, “low-performing” (CA rankings) • ~ 50 students • 2 week “drop-in” unit (solubility issues – gas in liquid, ionic solid in liquid, covalent solid in liquid, temperature changes, pressure changes etc.) • pre- and post-tests • student ChemSense-generated artifacts • videotaped student pairs

15. Prior Quantitative Findings - ChemSense I Significant improvement in representational competence and understanding of connectivity and geometry (p<.05). • Gains in chemical understanding did not favor any particular group: low, medium, and high-performing students all showed similar test score gains. • Gains in representational competence favored students who started out with the most limited representational competence. • Students who created more drawings showed greater representational competence and chemical understanding.

16. Prior Qualitative Findings - ChemSense I (analysis of student conversations during 2 week interaction with the ChemSense KBE) • students collaboratively construct and refine nanoscopic level representations of their developing conceptualizations of chemical phenomena

17. Current Research Activities - ChemSense II • work with high school and college teachers to develop new curricular activities that implement ChemSense in a sustained setting (currently have 30 units developed!) • activities and assessments designed around key chemistry concepts - changes in: molecular geometry, connectivity, aggregation, state, and concentration

18. Current Research Activities - ChemSense II HYPOTHESIS: • the extended use of representations (student and probeware-generated) results in conversations that help students better connect physical phenomena with underlying chemical entities and processes • teacher guidance / scaffolding of student conversation plays a critical role

19. ChemSense II Research Questions • During sustained use of the ChemSense KBE over the course of one academic term, how does student construction, participation, and contribution to small-group, whole-class, and on-line discussions of chemical phenomena change? • During sustained use of the ChemSense KBE over the course of one academic term, how does the quality student chemical understanding and representational competence change in their discussions, presentations, and assessments?

20. ChemSense II Research Questions (continued) • During sustained use of the ChemSense KBE over the course of one academic term, how do chemistry teachers integrate the tool into their curriculum and classroom? • During sustained use of the ChemSense KBE over the course of one academic term, how do teachers model and assess representational and collaborative practice of students? How does this practice develop over time? • Which particular features of the ChemSense KBE promote conceptual elaboration in student discussions? How do these concepts transfer to other aspects of student work?