Development of an inventory of student nanoscience concepts

CHED 1664

Nathan A. Unterman, nunterman@glenbrook.k12.il.us1, Marcel Grdinic, mgrdinic@glenbrook.k12.il.us1, and Lincoln J. Lauhon, lauhon@northwestern.edu2. (1) Science Department, Glenbrook North High School, 2300 Shermer Road, Northbrook, IL 60062-6700, (2) Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 3019 Cook Hall, Evanston, IL 60208
An inventory of nanoscience facts and concepts relevant to the teaching and learning of high-school chemistry at the nanoscale is being developed with the support of the National Center for Teaching and Learning. In support of this effort, the chemistry teaching literature was reviewed to identify student misconceptions associated with size and scale, surface area to volume, and the particulate nature of matter. Related open ended questions were given to undergraduate researchers and high-school science teachers in the summer of 2006 at Northwestern University, and follow-up interviews were conducted. A 23-question multiple choice survey was then written and administered to 200 high school chemistry and physics students. Preliminary results indicate that students answer many nano-related questions based on facts acquired in various learning contexts, rather than basic conceptual (mis)understanding. We will discuss the challenges these findings present to the assessment of student understanding of chemistry at the nanoscale.
 

Advances in Teaching Chemistry at the Nanoscale at the K-12 Level
1:30 PM-4:55 PM, Tuesday, March 27, 2007 McCormick Place North -- Room N231, Level 2, Oral

Division of Chemical Education

The 233rd ACS National Meeting, Chicago, IL, March 25-29, 2007