Investigation of lab report attitudes and chemistry theory adaptability using electronic lab notebooks

CHED 1441

Wendy E. Schatzberg, scha6738@blue.unco.edu, Department of Chemistry, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO 80634, Kimberly A. O. Pacheco, kimberly.pacheco@unco.edu, Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Northern Colorado, 501 20th St., Campus Box 98, Greeley, CO 80639, and Jerry P. Suits, Chemistry and Biochemistry Program, University of Northern Colorado, Campus Box 98, Greeley, CO 80639.
In recent years, computer programs called Electronic Laboratory Notebooks (ELNs) have been used in classrooms to assist students in writing laboratory reports with the hope that this extra assistance would improve student performance. The ELN program LabWrite designed at North Carolina State University was implemented into a first semester general chemistry course at the University of Northern Colorado. At UNC we used pretest and posttest to evaluate changes in attitude, study habits, and scientific thinking beliefs as the result of using ELNs to write laboratory reports. This is an ongoing research project designed to determine if LabWrite has an effect upon the students' conceptual understanding and the quality of their laboratory reports in a chemistry class. This study is proceeding throughout the 2008 academic year. A preliminary analysis of the Fall 2007 pilot study quantitative results will be presented.
 

Chemistry Education Research
8:30 AM-11:55 AM, Tuesday, April 8, 2008 Hilton New Orleans Riverside -- HEC A, Oral

Division of Chemical Education

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008