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As teachers, we can leverage fruitful discussions about chemical control with students to elicit more about students' initial ideas and ways of reasoning. From asking students to clarify their own thinking, we can identify students’ own productive ideas that we can capitalize on to advance their thinking.
Particulate diagrams are all the rage in chemical education. Learn simple tricks to create your own!
Solutions of copper (II) dissolved in acetone are easy to prepare, and can display orange, yellow, green, and blue color depending upon conditions. Such solutions allow for a variety of demonstrations and experiments that illustrate principles of chemical equilibrium.
In this article, the author describes how he uses student misconceptions that are mentioned in the Chief Reader Report as a guide to help him design and write multiple-choice items for AP Chemistry.
By using a few simple microscale gas chemistry techniques, students can collect and analyze data quickly. These activities are sure to engage your students.
The idea of a “curriculum emphasis” is that how we teach, including the ways that text books are written and how we write assessments, sends hidden messages to students about what the purposes of science are and are not, and what are the roles of teachers and students in learning science, and who should or should not be included in science.
One of the hurdles that holds teachers back from implementing standards-based grading is the gradebook. Most schools use an electronic learning management system. Some of these platforms have added customizations to support recording learning targets rather than point values. Even with the upgrades, teachers can benefit from some 'hacks' to assist in recording student achievement.
The notion is to increase student engagement and persistence by embedding game design elements in a course or lesson. It seems to work in other industries, but can game elements be successfully applied in educational contexts?
Students’ preconceived notions about concepts may clash with the material that they are expected to learn. This cognitive dissonance creates discomfort for students.
As part of an NSF-funded project, a team of researchers is working to build an assessment library. They are looking for feedback from the chemistry education community. Your input will help them design this valuable resource. Educators are invited to participate in a brief interview about how this tool can be most useful.