CMU http:// What is conceptual learning in chemistry and why should we promote it? David Yaron +, Michael Karabinos +, Jodi Davenport *, Jordi Cuadros + Department of Chemistry + and Psychology *, Carnegie Mellon University Gaea Leinhardt, Jim Greeno, Karen Evans Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh Laura Bartolo +, John Portman * Department of Information Science + and Biology *, Kent State University W. Craig Carter, and Donald Sadoway Department of Materials Science, MIT

CMU http:// NSDL ChemDLMatDL Digital Library and Projects Overview Chem Ed DL Portal for all of chemistry Collaboration between ACS and J. Chem. Ed. Materials for Introductory chemistry Virtual labs Scenario based learning Tutorials Can a digital library provide a community space for promoting conceptual learning in chemistry? ChemCollective Open Learning Initiative OLI Pittsburgh Science of Learning Center PSLC OLI Full online courses PSLC Fundamental studies to advance the theory of learning

CMU http:// ChemCollective as a Digital Library ChemCollective Learning Technologist Educators Learning Scientists Configurable virtual lab Tools for creating explanations and assessments Tools for data collection Activity and curriculum creation Feedback on classroom use Domain analysis Learning assessment

CMU http:// What is conceptual learning? Physics’ Force Concept Inventory –Mathematical problem solving does not necessarily lead to ability to answer qualitative questions –Students learn what they practice. Physics’ answer to “What is conceptual learning?” –Non-conceptual instruction students struggle with hard problems –Conceptual instruction Couple mathematical problem solving with qualitative questions

CMU http:// Conceptual learning Being systematic about the goals of instruction and aligning the instruction to these goals Four projects related to conceptual learning –Virtual lab –What is needed for scientific literacy? –Teaching chemical equilibrium –Molecular science across disciplines

CMU http:// Virtual laboratory Goal : Connecting mathematics to authentic chemistry Approach : Problem solving that involves experimental design and data analysis Virtual Lab : Ability to “see” inside a solution removes one level of indirection in chemical problem solving

CMU http:// Classroom uses In a computer lab As take-home work Pre- and post-labs Lab make-ups Supplement to in-class demonstrations Current topic list –Molarity - Stoichiometry –Quantitative analysis - Chemical equilibrium –Solubility - Thermochemistry –Acids and bases Problem types –Predict and check –Virtual experiment Labs designed to be similar to common physical labs Puzzle problems (open-ended and inquiry based experiments)

CMU http:// Virtual lab use Replacing textbook-style problems with experimental design and data analysis problems Breaks shallow “means-ends” problem solving strategy –4 sections of students working alone; 4-5 instructors/observers –The Virtual Lab format requires students to go beyond matching words to equations Typical textbook problem “When 10ml of 1M A was mixed with 10ml of 1M B, the temperature went up by 10 degrees. What is the heat of the reaction between A and B?” Virtual Lab problem “Construct an experiment to measure the heat of reaction between A and B?”

CMU http:// Virtual lab use “The virtual lab contains 1M solutions of A, B, C, and D. Construct experiments to determine the reaction between these reagents” 100 mL 1 M A mL 1 M C  0.25 M A M B M D 50 % of students put A as reactant and product A + C  A + B + D Actual reaction A + 2 C  B + D

CMU http:// Virtual lab use “The virtual lab contains 1M solutions of A, B, C, and D. Construct experiments to determine the reaction between these reagents” 100 mL 1 M A mL 1 M C  0.25 M A M B M D Find stoichiometry through titration –Slowly add 1M A to 100 ml of C until all the C is consumed –50 mL of A leads to 1:2 ratio of A to C in the reaction A + 2 C 

CMU http:// Virtual lab use “The virtual lab contains 1M solutions of A, B, C, and D. Construct experiments to determine the reaction between these reagents” Single step solution –Mix equal volumes of 1M A, 1M B, 1M C, and 1M A B C D Initial Change Final A + 2 C  B + D

CMU http:// Assessment within a large lecture course Study at Carnegie Mellon –Second semester intro course, 150 students Information used –Pretest –9 homework activities (virtual labs with templated feedback) –3 hour exams –2 pop exams (practice exam given 5 days before hour exam) –Final exam

CMU http:// Correlations Pre Test Home-workPop ExamExamFinal Pre test 1.00 Home work Pop Exam Exam Final

CMU http:// Regression and structural equation model Linear regression accounts for 48% of the variance in the final grades Influence of homework accounts for half of the model predictions Structural equation model supports conclusions drawn from the regression

CMU http:// Assessment within OLI online stoichiometry module Study design –Treatment (20): Online course including a scenario, tutors and virtual lab homework –Control (20): Paper and pencil, worked examples and practice –Assessment was traditional problem solving of quantitative stoichiometry problems, and some qualitative questions Text-only Mean=65 Multimedia Mean=77 Virtual Lab use was positively correlated with better performance.

CMU http:// Conceptual learning in chemistry: What is it? Virtual laboratory –Connecting mathematics to authentic chemistry What is needed for scientific literacy? Teaching chemical equilibrium Molecular science across disciplines

CMU http:// Conceptual learning in chemistry: What is it? Virtual laboratory –Connecting mathematics to authentic chemistry What is needed for scientific literacy? Teaching chemical equilibrium Molecular science across disciplines

CMU http:// Traditional high school course structure CA state standards –Standard 1 Atomic and Molecular Structure –Standard 2 Chemical Bonds –Standard 3 Conservation of Matter and Stoichiometry –Standard 4 Gases and Their Properties –Standard 5 Acids and Bases –Standard 6 Solutions –Standard 7 Chemical Thermodynamics –Standard 8 Reaction Rates –Standard 9 Chemical Equilibrium –Standard 10 Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry –Standard 11 Nuclear Processes Current chemistry AP exam guides are similarly structured around chemistry topic list

CMU http:// Domain analysis for chemical literacy Evidence of the domain as practiced –Nobel prizes for past 50 years ( ) –NY Times Science Times for 2002 (54 reports) –Scientific American News Bites for 2002 (32 reports) Evidence of the domain as taught –CA state content standards –Best selling textbooks

CMU http:// Domain map EXPLAINANALYZE SYNTHESIZE Hypothesis Generation Hypothesis Testing Goal (What do you want to know?) Process (How to determine What you have) Functional Motifs Structural Motifs Assembly Motifs TOOLBOX Representational Systems Quantification Systems

CMU http:// Full domain map Evans, Karabinos, Leinhardt & Yaron, J. Chem. Ed. (2006)

CMU http:// Results of text analysis Synthesize Analyze Explain Toolbox Chem in TextbooksChem in the World

CMU http:// Scenarios: Examples Mixed reception (molecular weight, stoichiometry) Cyanine dyes binding to DNA (equilibrium, Beer’s law) Meals read-to-eat (thermochemistry) Mission to mars (redox, thermochemistry) Arsenic poisoning of wells in Bangladesh (stoichiometry, titration, analytical spectroscopy) Ozone destruction (kinetics)

CMU http:// Conceptual learning in chemistry: What is it? Virtual laboratory –Connecting mathematics to authentic chemistry What is needed for scientific literacy? –Replacing skills focus with knowledge of what chemists do Teaching chemical equilibrium Molecular science across disciplines

CMU http:// Conceptual learning in chemistry: What is it? Virtual laboratory –Connecting mathematics to authentic chemistry What is needed for scientific literacy? –Replacing skills focus with knowledge of what chemists do Teaching chemical equilibrium Molecular science across disciplines

CMU http:// Chemical equilibrium Goal: Discovery why this topic is so difficult to learn, and try to fix it Approach: –Domain analysis –Student talk alouds on traditional problems –Discovered “implicit knowledge” that could be made explicit in the instruction

CMU http:// Chemical equilibrium Goal: Discovery why this topic is so difficult to learn, and try to fix it Approach: –Domain analysis 1. Utility of the knowledge 2. Detailed structure of the knowledge 3. Psychological aspects of the knowledge –Student talk alouds on traditional problems –Discovered “implicit knowledge” that could be made explicit in the instruction

CMU http:// Chemical equilibrium / Acid-base chemistry 1) Utility of the knowledge –How is this knowledge used in organic chemistry and molecular biology 1)Compare pH to pK a to determine ionization state 2)Buffers used to control pH (qualitative not quantitative) 3)Titration as an analytical technique –Current instruction 1: Almost a footnote (in the pH indicators section) 2-3: Coverage may not be sufficiently qualitative

CMU http:// Chemical equilibrium / Acid-base chemistry 2) Detailed structure of the knowledge –Need to be flexible with “progress of reaction” –General strategy (majority/minority species strategy) 3) Psychological aspects of the knowledge –LeChatlier (especially with addition/removal of a species) is most retained concept –Broad confusion regarding “progress of reaction” Q (current state) vs. K (state towards which system tends) Meaning of “initial” vs. “equilibrium” state

CMU http:// What can we build on? LeChatlier’s principle plays role of “prior knowledge” Human respiration is scenario to which to attach “initial” vs. “equilibrium” state –Blood entering lungs and muscles experiences a new initial state –Blood leaving lungs and muscles has reached a new equilibrium state

CMU http:// Progress of Reaction Based on expert/novice protocol study 2NO 2 N 2 O 4

CMU http:// Majority / Minority Problem Solving Strategy Old instruction –“Small x approximation” –Highly mathematical New instruction –Majority/minority species strategy –Couples the problem solving steps to qualitative reasoning

CMU http:// Old Instruction Small x approximation

CMU http:// New Instruction Step 1: Push strong reactions to completion (identify majority species) Step 2: Use K=Q to find [ ]’s of minority species

CMU http:// Results Coordination of core concepts with problem solving procedures led to large improvement in problem solving performance.

CMU http:// Majority vs. minority species A general strategy –Find all strong reactions (K>>1) Acid base: OH - + H + ; HA + OH - and A - + H + Solubility: M + + X - and M + + L –Thought experiment: Assume large K’s are infinite and do a limiting reagent calculation All species that do not go to zero, are majority species and you now know their concentration –Determine minority species, via equilibrium expressions (K=Q)

CMU http:// Conceptual learning in chemistry: What is it? Virtual laboratory –Connecting mathematics to authentic chemistry What is needed for scientific literacy? –Replacing skills focus with knowledge of what chemists do Teaching chemical equilibrium –Connecting problem solving procedures to chemical concepts/mental models Molecular science across disciplines

CMU http:// Conceptual learning in chemistry: What is it? Virtual laboratory –Connecting mathematics to authentic chemistry What is needed for scientific literacy? –Replacing skills focus with knowledge of what chemists do Teaching chemical equilibrium –Connecting problem solving procedures to chemical concepts/mental models Molecular science across disciplines

CMU http:// Conceptual frameworks that cross disciplines Scope is molecular science –How molecular structure and motion lead to emergent macroscopic properties –The synthesis/engineering of structures with desirable properties Build materials for discipline-specific courses, but that use a common core set of materials to show interdisciplinary connections Experts from multiple domains (chemistry, materials science, biophysics) met to identify concepts/frameworks that are –Central to their domain –Have strong leverage –Are difficult to teach/learn

CMU http:// Outcome of the Design Process Reaction paths and energy landscapes Used to describe, for example, –Organic chemistry reactions –Diffusion on surfaces –Protein folding/unfolding

CMU http:// Development process Analyze content with experts, novices and psychologists Sequential focus on aspects of the diagram –What is Q? –What is temperature? –Energy vs. free energy

CMU http:// What is the reaction coordinate Q?

CMU http:// Motion connected to a heat bath

CMU http:// Coordination

CMU http:// Entropy: Energy vs. free energy

CMU http:// Other conceptual frameworks of molecular science Reaction paths and energy landscapes Molecular forces –e.g. Structure formation at different temperatures Economies of exchange –Heat, proton (acid/base) and electron (redox) exchange How natural and designed systems promote one chemical process over another –e.g. Kinetic vs. thermodynamic control

CMU http:// Conceptual learning in chemistry: What is it? Virtual laboratory –Connecting mathematics to authentic chemistry What is needed for scientific literacy? –Replacing skills focus with knowledge of what chemists do Teaching chemical equilibrium –Connecting problem solving procedures to chemical concepts/mental model Molecular science across disciplines –Conceptual frameworks that have broad utility

CMU http:// Digital library assessment Web logs Monitoring the pathway from seeing to contributing –Target audience: 9000 college and 100,000 high school instructors – See the collection: 7000 – Use the collection: 200 – Contribute to the collection: have contributed activities (56 activities) 11 have contributed translations (11 languages, 70 activities) 40 have given feedback, 13 volunteered for learning studies

CMU http:// Closing comments Can digital libraries serve as community spaces for promoting conceptual teaching and learning of chemistry? –Virtual lab does get reused and repurposed Homework tool Many instructors find the approach compelling –Chemical equilibrium and cross-disciplinary materials Too soon to tell –Shifting high school chemistry from skills to literacy No progress yet

CMU http:// Carnegie Mellon Michael Karabinos Jodi Davenport Donovan Lange D. Jeff Milton Jordi Cuadros Rea Freeland Emma Rehm William McCue David H. Dennis Tim Palucka Jef Guarent Amani Ahmed Giancarlo Dozzi Katie Chang Erin Fried Jason Chalecki Greg Hamlin Brendt Thomas Stephen Ulrich Jason McKesson Aaron Rockoff Jon Sung Jean Vettel Rohith Ashok Joshua Horan LRDC, University of Pittsburgh Gaea Leinhardt Jim Greeno Karen Evans Baohui Zhang Thanks To Funding NSF: CCLI, NSDL, SLC William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Howard Hughes Medical Institute Dreyfus Foundation