For the second tech project I found a resource that I think could be really helpful in a science classroom. For those of us who have take several lab courses in the past know that seeing an experiment can help a person understand what will be going on in the lab, but it is really hard to get that kind of experience without actually doing the experiment. Now with the level of technology where it is, simulations are becoming easier and easier to make and perform, and now available online. Internet4Classroom (http://www.internet4classrooms.com/chemistry.htm) is a website that has a lot of interesting tools that can be used in a variety of science classrooms, but the ones that I am focusing on are a couple of chemistry simulations: an acid/base titration and an electrochemical cell.
When I was going through my chemistry courses (any science course for that matter), there were always a couple things that I had trouble grasping. I could see these tools as a way that every student could see the experiment before having to do it on their own. Vygotsky would probably be happy that as an educator, I would be helping my students to learn by helping them find the tools that will aid them in their quest for knowledge, as well as giving them a means through which they could see the concepts at work.
The two simulations that I wanted to show are two interactive ones that allow you to either: complete one of several titrations to see how that process works - as well as understand what information a student is looking to get from this kind of experiment; or, create one of several basic electrochemical cells virtually to see how they work (in the macro- and microscales). The links to these simulations are really long so I've posted them at the bottom of the post.
The Rationale
These activities are something that would definitely apply to the first level of Bloom's taxonomy: remembering. Students would be able to make a connection between the concepts they read about/took notes over, and the visual process of the experiments. One of the concepts that Omrod puts for in Chapter 6 of Ed. Psych.:Developing Learners for how to develop the ideas your teaching into concepts that students know and understand is to provide them with opportunities to practice those concepts. These simulations offer a very cheap, easy way for students to practice the ideas they just learned about in class with some guidance from the onscreen instructions, without forcing them to "jump into the deep end" with the real materials.
Struggles of Implementation
Although these simulations will help students understand what is happening with the two types of experiments, they take time to do. This means that they would either need to be something that is done at home or in spare time. Asking that students use the internet at home can be a tricky thing--not everyone has internet at home, and if you are relying on it as a teaching tool, you might be leaving some of the students behind. Spare time in class can be a rarity, and if you have students who were like me and don't like having to take work home, they'll try to finish homework in class before trying out these simulations. The availability of computers could also limit the implementation of these--if you don't have computers available before you do the experiment for real, these simulations won't have the teaching effect that they are meant to have.
Biases, Trade-offs, Limitations
Simulations offer a variety of advantages like the ability to try an experiment over and over again quickly without needing to use the actual materials (which can be expensive), you can see what should happen and which will help you understand the mechanics of the experiment for when you actually run it, and it can help you see where the information you are trying to get comes from. But, you trade the hands-on quality of an actual experiment for those benefits. Another limitation would be how much understanding of the mechanics of an experiment you can actually get. The simulation of the titration allows you to titrate in a drop-wise fashion (one drop at a time) at the click of a button, but operating a stopcock on a burette so that one drop falls and mixes completely before another one falls is completely different. These simulations are also biased toward the very simplest of experiments. The electrochemical cell only allows for testing the three most common electrodes, but these aren't always the ones that you'll be asking about so students ability to transfer their knowledge across different experiments plays a large roll in their ability to learn.
Teacher/Student Standards
These types of simulations will help fulfill the INTASC Standards 5 (Application of Content) and 8 (Instructional Strategies). According to Standard 5, teachers need to understand how to help students make the connections between ideas and concepts taught in the classroom and how they are applied. In my own experience, being able to see an experiment has helped me understand the concepts that it relates to from the class lecture--actually seeing how electrolyte solutions work in an electrochemical cell makes understanding the stoichiometric
These simulations also apply to ISTE Standards #1 (Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity), #2 (Digital-Age Learning Experiences/Assessments), and #3(Model Digital-Age Work and Learning). By utilizing online simulations in the classroom, you are using what you know (you know it's a difficult concept to understand the first time through) so you give your students a tool to facilitate their ability to understand the ideas quicker and easier. These simulations are inherently a digital-age learning experience. These types of programs weren't possible before the computers could handle them, which meant that if you wanted to practice something in a lab, it meant you actually had to work in the lab, but now, you are giving your students the ability to practice outside the lab. These simulations would allow me as a teacher to improve upon the practices that are required for the courses that I'd like to teach. I want to make sure that students will be able to understand what is happening and these activities are one tool that can help make that goal a reality.
According to Mike Stieff at the University of Chicago, students who use these types of visualization/interaction tools will be more likely to understand and use representations of the material that are consistent with what teachers and experts expect (1). Stieff compared several classrooms that used computer based visualization/interaction activities to several that followed a standard curriculum. His results show that although the students' achievement on summative assessment is only moderate in classrooms that use these activities, the change in understand from before use to after use is much better than in the class rooms that did not utilize them.
Links:
Simulations:
Titration:
http://group.chem.iastate.edu/Greenbowe/sections/projectfolder/flashfiles/stoichiometry/acid_base.html
Electrochemical cell:
http://group.chem.iastate.edu/Greenbowe/sections/projectfolder/flashfiles/electroChem/voltaicCell20.html
Article:
Stieff, M., Improving Representation Competence Using Molecular Simulations Embedded in Inquiry Activities. J. of Research in Science Teaching. 3 August 2011.
If you are logged into the Drake Network you can access the full article at:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tea.20438/pdf
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Friday, September 9, 2011
First day reactions and then some...
So, Educational Technology...
I've seen classes where teachers use technology that their comfortable with--like Powerpoint, videos, etc.--and it looks real nice and works real good but the tech wasn't adding to the class, and if anything it was taking away from the class because the teacher/professor used it as a crutch. So far it seems that the technologies that Dr. Kruse has presented us with, are ones that we can expect students to use and be familiar with. It is also kind of refreshing to have a professor teach through the technology and make it fun all at the same time.
I know that as a science teacher, technology can and should be something that is used in the classroom; especially since many fields in science are moving so quickly. One of the things that I've seen as a useful aid (especially for assigning/tracking homework) was an online homework program (the program we used was lon-Capa: http://www.lon-capa.org/). It allowed students try to find answers multiple times (a number set by the teacher), then once it was submitted the professor could see who did the homework and how well they did. Unfortunately the one that I used in school had some hefty startup costs. I have seen/used something like it (surveymonkey.com) that you can use for free and it compiles results like the other software. I think if you click on the link below you should be redirected to a short sample quiz, or paste the link into the address bar (I've set to require you to answer the questions in order to finish):
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/96D3FX8
Have fun and I'm kind of interested in seeing the answers to the questions.
As for the rest of the wonderful bullet points that Dr. Kruse gave us...
Bloom's Taxonomy Connection:
-Depending on the project and questions that are used, this type of technology could be used for all six levels. For instance a normal quiz/homework question set that I make and send to the students would definitely fit the remembering, understanding, and applying levels. But because surveymonkey,com is so easy to use, I could ask students to read a section then make a short quiz about that section that section which would focus on the material not how to use the tech--this would fit the every level because you're having the students remember, understand, apply, and analyze what they read, evaluate the material to determine what was important, then they would create a means to get those ideas across to the other students.
Consideration of Struggles for Implementation:
-Software that you would need for some is free, but you would need a server that is dedicated to its use. This can be pricy and adds the possibility for tech issues on its own.
-Every student might not have internet access at home. If this were the case, some students may not get the assignments done which in turn impact grades.
Consideration of biases, trade-offs, and limitations:
-Like for implementation, students may not have/have limited internet access which would detract from using this as a classroom aid.
-I know from past experience, the questions only asked for the right answer. The process that an answer comes from is often just as important as the answer itself (I'm thinking computations right here, you may have the equations set up right, but made a calculation mistake; or you may have every number correct but the equation is partly wrong...kind of like the idea of partial credit)
-Unless you go over the questions students might not learn about the mistakes they made or how to do the problem correctly.
Explanation of Teacher Standards/Student Standards
-INTASC Standard 5:
- Depending on the class content you covered you could make these kinds of things group activities or encourage your students to work together but still hand in their own work. There are so many options that surveymonkey gives you for what the question/answer combo can look like (essay, multiple choice, true/false, etc.) that you as a teacher aren't limited to looking at whether the answer is right or not, you can ask for answers that require students to think critically about the subject matter you're working on.
-ISTE Standard 2:
-This use of the technology at hand can be used as an innovative way to create assessments that can integrate digital the digital world and the "analog world." If for example there was an important concept that was covered in the class lecture/reading and you wanted to make sure that students understand it, this would be a way that you could present several questions that go over that idea, test their understanding, put it in a form that may not be as intimidating as sitting in a classroom taking a quiz.
Some relevant research:
In the July 2002 edition of the Journal of Engineering Education (Foertsch, J., Moses, G., Strikwerda, J., Litzkow, M. July 2002. Reversing the Lecture/Homework Paradigm Using eTeach Web-Based Streaming Video Software. Journal of Engineering Education. 267-274.) an article was presented that looked at how well a new internet based study-aid/homework class activity worked at a university. The people who analyzed this study were looking to see if the by changing the lecture to more of an online video course and allowed the lectures to be more of a back-and-forth exchange. It showed that this exchange helped to solidify the ideas and concepts that professors were trying to get across because they were applying them in an atmosphere where they could get clarification that made sense.
The article did a decent job presenting the how and why the research was performed in the setting it was. I like this article shows that the idea of sending some of the class work home (in this case, some of the lecture), can open up the time that students have interacting with the teacher, who can then help the students understand the areas they found troubling. The methodology that the researchers used seemed sound--several representative samples from the class at different points during the duration of the class, each sample had different students in it than the one before so they could check how different students reacted to the new software after being apart of the normal class experience for part of the semester. It fits pretty well with the project that I'm working on: the quizzes that I'm thinking of using could help me to identify students having and sections of the materials that were troublesome, helping me tailor what and how I teach in the upcoming material.
I've seen classes where teachers use technology that their comfortable with--like Powerpoint, videos, etc.--and it looks real nice and works real good but the tech wasn't adding to the class, and if anything it was taking away from the class because the teacher/professor used it as a crutch. So far it seems that the technologies that Dr. Kruse has presented us with, are ones that we can expect students to use and be familiar with. It is also kind of refreshing to have a professor teach through the technology and make it fun all at the same time.
I know that as a science teacher, technology can and should be something that is used in the classroom; especially since many fields in science are moving so quickly. One of the things that I've seen as a useful aid (especially for assigning/tracking homework) was an online homework program (the program we used was lon-Capa: http://www.lon-capa.org/). It allowed students try to find answers multiple times (a number set by the teacher), then once it was submitted the professor could see who did the homework and how well they did. Unfortunately the one that I used in school had some hefty startup costs. I have seen/used something like it (surveymonkey.com) that you can use for free and it compiles results like the other software. I think if you click on the link below you should be redirected to a short sample quiz, or paste the link into the address bar (I've set to require you to answer the questions in order to finish):
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/96D3FX8
Have fun and I'm kind of interested in seeing the answers to the questions.
As for the rest of the wonderful bullet points that Dr. Kruse gave us...
Bloom's Taxonomy Connection:
-Depending on the project and questions that are used, this type of technology could be used for all six levels. For instance a normal quiz/homework question set that I make and send to the students would definitely fit the remembering, understanding, and applying levels. But because surveymonkey,com is so easy to use, I could ask students to read a section then make a short quiz about that section that section which would focus on the material not how to use the tech--this would fit the every level because you're having the students remember, understand, apply, and analyze what they read, evaluate the material to determine what was important, then they would create a means to get those ideas across to the other students.
Consideration of Struggles for Implementation:
-Software that you would need for some is free, but you would need a server that is dedicated to its use. This can be pricy and adds the possibility for tech issues on its own.
-Every student might not have internet access at home. If this were the case, some students may not get the assignments done which in turn impact grades.
Consideration of biases, trade-offs, and limitations:
-Like for implementation, students may not have/have limited internet access which would detract from using this as a classroom aid.
-I know from past experience, the questions only asked for the right answer. The process that an answer comes from is often just as important as the answer itself (I'm thinking computations right here, you may have the equations set up right, but made a calculation mistake; or you may have every number correct but the equation is partly wrong...kind of like the idea of partial credit)
-Unless you go over the questions students might not learn about the mistakes they made or how to do the problem correctly.
Explanation of Teacher Standards/Student Standards
-INTASC Standard 5:
- Depending on the class content you covered you could make these kinds of things group activities or encourage your students to work together but still hand in their own work. There are so many options that surveymonkey gives you for what the question/answer combo can look like (essay, multiple choice, true/false, etc.) that you as a teacher aren't limited to looking at whether the answer is right or not, you can ask for answers that require students to think critically about the subject matter you're working on.
-ISTE Standard 2:
-This use of the technology at hand can be used as an innovative way to create assessments that can integrate digital the digital world and the "analog world." If for example there was an important concept that was covered in the class lecture/reading and you wanted to make sure that students understand it, this would be a way that you could present several questions that go over that idea, test their understanding, put it in a form that may not be as intimidating as sitting in a classroom taking a quiz.
Some relevant research:
In the July 2002 edition of the Journal of Engineering Education (Foertsch, J., Moses, G., Strikwerda, J., Litzkow, M. July 2002. Reversing the Lecture/Homework Paradigm Using eTeach Web-Based Streaming Video Software. Journal of Engineering Education. 267-274.) an article was presented that looked at how well a new internet based study-aid/homework class activity worked at a university. The people who analyzed this study were looking to see if the by changing the lecture to more of an online video course and allowed the lectures to be more of a back-and-forth exchange. It showed that this exchange helped to solidify the ideas and concepts that professors were trying to get across because they were applying them in an atmosphere where they could get clarification that made sense.
The article did a decent job presenting the how and why the research was performed in the setting it was. I like this article shows that the idea of sending some of the class work home (in this case, some of the lecture), can open up the time that students have interacting with the teacher, who can then help the students understand the areas they found troubling. The methodology that the researchers used seemed sound--several representative samples from the class at different points during the duration of the class, each sample had different students in it than the one before so they could check how different students reacted to the new software after being apart of the normal class experience for part of the semester. It fits pretty well with the project that I'm working on: the quizzes that I'm thinking of using could help me to identify students having and sections of the materials that were troublesome, helping me tailor what and how I teach in the upcoming material.
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