Effectiveness of a MORE Laboratory Module in Prompting Students To Revise Their Molecular-Level Ideas about Solutions

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of a Model–Observe–Reflect–Explain (MORE) laboratory module in prompting three different populations of general chemistry students (honors students at a research university, chemistry majors at a primarily undergraduate institution, and community college students) to revise their molecular-level ideas regarding chemical compounds dissolved in water. The MORE Thinking Frame guides students' thinking, making them aware of their ideas and prompting them to revise their ideas in light of experimental evidence. We examined the students' molecular-level ideas about aqueous sodium chloride and sucrose solutions before and after participating in the MORE laboratory module to determine the extent to which the students' refined ideas: (1) were consistent with experimental evidence they collected throughout the laboratory module; (2) were scientifically accurate; and (3) had progressed toward more scientifically accurate ideas compared with their initial ideas. The results indicate that the module was particularly effective for encouraging students to revise their ideas about aqueous salt solutions such that their ideas were consistent with experimental data and scientifically correct. Participation in the laboratory module also prompted students to make significant productive revisions to their ideas about aqueous sugar solutions.