Workshops

What makes your professional development efforts for pre- or in-service teachers unique? Do you employ strategies that might be carried across borders to yield international impact? Share key elements and best practices of your approach to increasing pedagogical content knowledge and capturing, nurturing, and sustaining teachers’ enthusiasm for teaching science. Case studies and results of your efforts are welcome. Relate methods and strategies that have worked in your special setting—your colleagues around the world may be able to benefit from your experiences.

Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) is a student centered pedagogy used in both the classroom and laboratory [1-3]. Students in a POGIL classroom work in small groups on guided inquiry activities that follow the phases of the Learning Cycle [1]. These activities are intended to lead students to the target concepts with minimal instructor involvement. Instead of lecturing, the instructor takes on the role of facilitator, intervening in the groups only when necessary. The learning environment is designed so that students develop the key process skills of critical thinking, problem solving, information processing, self-assessment, management, communication and teamwork. Process skills are emphasized for two reasons. First, the application of these skills allows students to better master the course content. Second, these skills are essential for success in any job, whether in industry or academia.

In the workshop participants will experience a POGIL-like classroom and reflect upon this experience. We will discuss the philosophical basis of POGIL, and examples of published POGIL activities will be available for examination. Evidence will be presented that the POGIL methodology results in students’ scores on standard measures of content learning that are comparable or better than the scores resulting from a traditional lecture format.

[2] J. J. Farrell, R. S. Moog, J. N. Spencer, Journal of Chemical Education 76, 1999, 570-574.

Title: A symposium on: Increasing the popularity and relevance of school chemistry

The literature shows, that relevant chemistry studies have the potential of increasing students' motivation to study chemistry ( Fensham , 2004).) PARSEL, a European project, set up between eight universities and an international NGO has collected, adapted, and developed teaching modules in chemistry for grades seven upwards, which relate to specific criteria and meet demands for the increasing of popularity and relevance of science in general and chemistry teaching in particular with a focus on scientific literacy. For example, we will present empirical findings from the second round of the Curricular Delphi Study in Chemistry (CDSC) that the proposed assumptions put forward are difficult to disprove, together with four empirically identified concepts for promoting the idea of ‘fostering (formal) education by Learning Science’ in Chemistry classes at GCSE level, and with stressing the fact that the CDSC’s findings are a valuable guide for the development and evaluation of “innovative curricula” that aim for up-to-date and educationally supportive science classes. Moreover, this symposium examines the criteria put forward for recognizing PARSEL modules, based on a meaning attached to ‘education through science (chemistry)’. The modules relate to clearly identified meanings for popularity and relevance in the case of school chemistry and especially consider the relationship with everyday student needs, either at the present time, or for their future roles within society. These modules are thus seen as shaping the meaning of scientific literacy and the future direction for the teaching of school chemistry. Examples of actual modules developed and guidelines for trying these out by teachers are given. An everyday life module “Green Ketchup” will serve as an example which, through introduction into dye chemistry and resource based learning strategies, helps students exploring, understanding and deciding on the use of commercial products. Another example will refer to an STS module "From Petroleum to Tomatoes", which consists of four parts: The issue (How to maintain suitable growing conditions for tomatoes in Israel?), the use of polyethylene tunnels, the use of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) fertilizers, and the use of pesticides. Opportunities for teachers both within and outside Europe to be involved in shaping the modules and trying them out in the classroom situation are indicated. However, acting in these authentic learning scenarios students are often confronted with complex and ill-defined problems, thus one of our main questions is how to support students in their self-regulated learning process. We will present the cognitive apprenticeship approach, which helps to introduce students to relevant strategies, organize the content in advance and structure the lessons. Based on carefully developed evaluation instruments and student assessment strategies, initial outcomes from the trying out of the modules by volunteer teachers are discussed.

Fensham, P.J. (2004). Increasing the Relevance of Science and Technology Education for all

*The submitted symposium is part of an EU project (PARSEL), which involves researchers from eight institutions including the mentioned above: Ron Blonder and Mira Kipnis (Weizmann Institute of Science), Cecilia Galvão, Pedro Rocha dos Reis Sofia Freire (University of Lisbon), Martin Lindner (IPN, Kiel), Claus Michelsen and Jan Alexis Nielsen ( University of Southern Denmark), Piotr Szybek ( Lund University, Sweden), and Georgios Tsarparalis ( University of Ioannina, Greece).

Students around the world claim that they do not understand formulae and try to memorize them. If teachers would work with structural models, would show a model first and would then derive from this model the formulae students would understand chemistry a bit better. The underlying idea is following the chemical triangle of Johnstone [1]: after showing substances on the macro level, students have to understand the structure of involved substances on the submicro-level, and finally on the representational level they may write formulae and equations.

In Organic Chemistry it is common to show three dimensional molecular structures, specially in comparing und describing the isomers. It is easy to work with these models because in every school you’ll find a molecular building set for building these models – even enough so that students can build the models themselves. Therefore students like Organic Chemistry because these structures help them to develop mental models so that they can understand formulae as shortenings of structural models.

On the contrary to this approach in Organic Chemistry the solids in Inorganic Chemistry – especially the salts - are mostly not taught by structural models as sphere packings or crystal lattices - they are not so popular and more expensive as molecular builing sets. However, students remember the shown molecular models so well that they transfer the mental models concerning molecules to all other substances. Whenever the teacher writes NaCl or CaCl 2 on the bord students tend to think about Na-Cl molecules or Cl-Ca-Cl molecules. Misconceptions like these are decribed around the world [2]. Considering that it is so important to know about these misconceptions, a new book summerizes them and makes proposals to prevent or overcome these misconceptions [3].

To help students in imagining the structure of metals and salts, a special Peridic Table with “atoms and ions as basic particles of matter” is introduced [3] and combinations of metal atoms or ions are visualized by closest packings of spheres. Participants of the workshop will build these structural models and will take these as well as the special Periodic Table home. Showing students these models they will develop mental models concerning the infinite structure of metals and salts - they will understand all formulae as shortenings of these infinite stuctures: they will like Inorganic Chemistry as much as Organic Chemistry !

[1] A.H. Johnstone, Teaching of Chemistry – logical or psycological? CERP 1 (2000), 9

[2] K. Taber, Chemical misconceptions – prevention, diagnosis and cure. London 2002

[3] H.-D. Barke, Al Hazari, S. Yitbarek: Chemistry Misconceptions – Strategies for

Dr H. D. Barke and Dr H. Wirbs (Department of Chemistry, University of Muenster/Germany)

SATL vision in the Chemical Education reform was dictated by the globalization of the most human activities, thus the future of Science Education must reflect a flexibility to adapt to rapidly changing world needs.

In the last ten years, we have designed, implemented, and evaluated the systemic approach to teaching and learning chemistry "SATLC"[1-5]

By "systemic" we mean an arrangement of concepts or issues through interacting systems in which all relationships between concepts and issues are made clear, up front, to the learner.

SATL stands on the holistic vision for phenomena where linking different facts and concepts take place into a dynamic systemic network. It helps learners in obtaining a deeper learning experience, improve their understanding, enhance their systemic thinking, and increasing their enthusiasm for learning chemistry.

We have successful experiments in using SATL not only in chemistry but also in other basic sciences, and medicinal sciences. In chemistry, we have a series of successful SATL experiments, in pre-University, and University Levels [6, 7]. As an illustration of the process, we have created unites on general, analytical, aliphatic, aromatic, heterocyclic, chemistry based on systemics. These unites were experimented successfully in Egyptian universities and secondary schools.

In this presentation various examples of systemic teaching materials will be illustrated.

- Making maximum connections between chemistry concepts, elements, compounds, and reactions.

- See the pattern of pure and applied chemistry rather than synthesis and reactions.

[1] Fahmy, A. F. M., Lagowski, J. J., The use of Systemic Approach in Teaching and Learning for 21 st Century, J pure Appl. 1999, [15 th ICCE, Cairo, August 1998].

[2] Fahmy, A. F. M., Hamza, M. A., Medien, H. A. A., Hanna, W. G., Abdel-Sabour, M. : and agowski, J.J., From a Systemic Approach in Teaching and Learning Chemistry (SATLC) to Benign Analysis, Chinese J.Chem. Edu. 2002, 23(12),12 [17 th ICCE, Beijing, August 2002].

[3] Fahmy, A. F. M., Lagowski, J. J; Systemic Reform in Chemical Education An International Perspective, J. Chem. Edu. 2003, 80 (9), 1078.

[4] Fahmy, A.F. M., Lagowski, J. J., Using SATL Techniques to Assess Student Achievement, [18 th ICCE, Istanbul Turkey, 3-8, August 2004].

[5] Fahmy, A.F. M., Lagowski, J. J., Systemic multiple choice questions (SMCQs) in Chemistry [19 th ICCE, Seoul, South Korea, 12-17 August 2006].

[6] Fahmy, A.F.M., Lagowski, J.J.; “Systemic Approach in Teaching and Learning Aliphatic Chemistry”; Modern Arab Establishment for printing, publishing; Cairo, Egypt (2000). [7] Fahmy, A.F.M., Lagowski, J.J.; and Arief, M. H., 16th ICCE, Hungary, August (2000

Prof A. F. M. Fahmy ( Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry and Science Education Center,

Prof J. J. Lagowski ( Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry the University of Texas at Austin, TX 78712)

Chemical education research is more often focused on the teaching of chemistry at pre-university or first university year level, because of the major challenges posed by the first encounters of young people with chemistry, or by the transition from the secondary to the tertiary levels of instruction. On the other hand, changes in students’ attitudes and background preparation are posing new challenges for the teaching of advanced chemistry courses, from the second undergraduate year to post-graduate level. This suggests the opportunity of increasing the attention to the educational aspects of advanced chemistry courses.

The proposed symposium would include presentations referred to the teaching of advanced chemistry courses. It is anticipated that the sharing of experiences that will be realised through the individual presentations will stimulate reflections on the educational aspects of advanced courses (from thoserelated to the contents specific of each course to more general, cross-courses ones, like the implementation of interactive teaching options within courses that require a good deal of presentation of information by the teacher) and that there will be adequate opportunity for sharing reflections.

Dr L. Mammino ( Department of Chemistry, University of Venda, South Africa )

Title: “Nerves of steel” - Electrochemical model experiments about the excitation lines of nerve fibre

One of the great “wonders” of the human organism as well as the animal organism is the information transmission through the excitation line of nerves. Due to the great importance of nerve conduction, this is an inherent part in the science classroom. The structure and function of the nervous system however are topics of high abstraction. The number of neurons, the speed of nerve conduction and especially the mechanism of the excitation line are contents which are difficult to teach. On top of that, the experimental compilation of neurophysiological procedures of excitable membranes doesn’t only require a large amount of time but it is also an enormous effort to install appliances. These are reasons why this is frequently not practiced in schools.

In this context both of the leaders of the workshop have developed an impressive and novel model system [1-3], which has meanwhile found its way into many German educational books.

This model system consists of a pure iron rod (model of nerve fibre), which is dipped in a hydrogen peroxide solution. Under suitable conditions the iron rod will react to activating influences like a nerve reacts to exciting impulses.

So not only the continuous excitation line (cp. fig. A) but also the salutatory momentum transport (cp. fig. B) can be displayed with a model system. Moreover the all-or-nothing law is valid for this model system. The existence of a boundary value of the activating current during long polarisation times (cp. fig. C) and many more out of the neurophysiology of the nervous system known appearances can be experimentally simulated.

The workshop consists of a brief theoretical introduction and a guided practical part where the participants have the opportunity to test selected model systems themselves. Every group will operate with several model experiments about the continuing, salutatory und synaptic excitation line. Further topics are for example the determining of the threshold as well as the simulation of the extra cellular derivation. Furthermore spectacular alternative experiments with iron nails will be presented.

[1] M. Ducci, M. Oetken, „Nerven wie Drahtseile“ – Elektrochemische Modellexperimente zur Simulation der Erregungsleitung in Nervenfasern, Aulis-Verlag, Köln 2007

[2] M. Oetken, N. Kopp, M. Ducci, „Nerven wie Drahtseile“ mit Eisennägeln, Praxis der Naturwissenschaften – Chemie in der Schule 2, 56, 2007

[3] M. Ducci, N. Kopp, M. R. Scherzinger, M. Oetken, Das Prinzip der saltatorischen Erregungsleitung im elektrochemischen Modellexperiment, Chemie konkret (in print, will appear in 2008)

The media worldwide is inundated with articles expressing the need to conserve the environment we live in. The future of life as we know it on Earth is threatened by our own actions. Two areas which have come under scrutiny are air and water.

The mounting problems on the management of water, has reached such critical levels that IUPAC dedicated CHEMRAWN XV to Chemistry for Water in June 2004, in Paris. It called for more basic, technological, environmental and sociological research on water.

The quality of the air is the result of a complex interaction of many factors that involve the chemistry and motions of the atmosphere, as well as the emissions of a variety of pollutants.

In order for us to evaluate and ameliorate the impact of human activity on the air and water environment it is essential to first understand these environments. The workshop will give participants an opportunity to explore ways of teaching towards this understanding through a combination of hands-on microscale experiments and molecular visualization activities. The activities will focus on air and water pollution, the water cycle, water quality and treatment and are suited to secondary school teaching and learning.

Dr B.J. Akoobhai, Prof J.D. Bradley and Dr E. Steenberg (RADMASTE Centre, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa)

Reunite the fun, hands-on with the mental, minds-on aspects of chemistry through multi-sensory interactions, modeling, visualizations, thought-provoking demonstrations, and hands-on activities that use common every day materials .

This workshop will include examples of these strategies and demonstrate how they can be used to illustrate abstract chemical concepts. You will experience dramatizations that explain complex chemical phenomenon; see how models can be used to easily depict intermolecular and intramolecular forces; discover how paperclips can help students visualize and learn to write chemical formulas; do electrolysis of water with pencils, and learn many other simple, inexpensive activities that promote chemistry concept learning.

These proven strategies unite the affective and cognitive domains and effectively engage students so that motivation and conceptual understanding are increased and performance is improved .

Dr A. Sarquis and Dr L. Hogue ( Miami University, Center for Chemistry Education, Middletown, OH 45042)