CHED 1543 |
| Two labs incorporating the Science Writing Heuristic are described that introduce scientific inquiry in a course for pre-service elementary education majors. One lab adapts a previously-described discovery learning opportunity involving the change in composition and mass of pennies in 1982. The other involves the use of floatation methods to separate hard-boiled and uncooked eggs based on density. Evidence for student engagement with the method is presented, along with analysis of persistent problems with the concept of density revealed by students' writing about their understandings. Analyzing students' writing supports following three theories: 1) Students experience understanding of concept through mastery of their own methods and experience different aspects of inquiry processes (different than the previous lab experience) closely associated with the nature of science, 2) SWH method allows instructors to detect misconceptions generated by students' incorrect, but logical interpretations of their data, and helps instructors to make changes to guide students, 3) As students experience meta-cognition, students gain understanding of concepts by relating mathematical progression to different parts of the experiments and also by applying what they learn into other situations. |
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Laboratory Pedagogy: Research-Based Evaluation of Existing Models
1:30 PM-4:10 PM, Wednesday, April 9, 2008 Hilton New Orleans Riverside -- HEC B, Oral
Division of Chemical Education |