Abstract
BackgroundEngagement with particle-level simulations can help students visualize the motion and interactions of gas particles, thus helping them develop a more scientifically accurate mental model. Such engagement outside of class prior to formal instruction can help meet the needs of students from diverse backgrounds and provide instructors with a common experience upon which to build with further instruction. Yet, even with well-designed scaffolds, students may not attend to the most salient aspects of the simulation. In this case, a screencast where an instructor provides narrated use of the simulation and points students towards the important observations may provide additional benefits. This study, which is part of the larger ChemSims project, investigates the use of simulations and screencasts to support students’ developing understanding of gas properties by examining student learning gains.ResultsThis study indicates that both students manipulating the simulation on their own and those observing a screencast exhibited significant learning gains from pre- to post-assessment. However, students who observed the screencast were more than twice as likely to transition from a macroscopic explanation to a particle-level explanation of gas behavior in answering matched pre- and post-test questions. Eye-tracking studies indicated very similar viewing and usage patterns for both groups of students overall, including when using the simulation to answer follow-up questions.ConclusionSignificant learning gains by both groups across all learning objectives indicate that either scaffolded screencast or simulation assignments can be used to support student understanding of gas particle behavior and serve as a first experience upon which to build subsequent instruction. There is some indication that the initial use of the screencast may better help students build correct mental models of gas particle behavior. Further, for this simulation, watching the instructor manipulate the simulation in the screencast allowed students to subsequently use the simulation on their own at a level comparable to those students who had manipulated the simulation on their own throughout the assignment, suggesting that the screencast students were not disadvantaged by not initially manipulating the simulation on their own.
Highlights
Use of particle-level animations and simulations is becoming more common in introductory chemistry courses as these materials provide a means for students to visualize the motion and interactions of atoms, molecules, and ions (Kelly & Jones, 2008; Sanger, Phelps, & Fienhold, 2000)
Results by learning objectives To further understand the learning gains shown by students on each of the three learning objectives (LOs) underlying the development of these activities and listed in “Assignment design,” we analyzed each pair of matched questions individually
A pretest focused on the relationship between the macroscopic properties and particulate behavior of gases shows little use of particulate-level reasoning for even second-semester general chemistry students
Summary
Use of particle-level animations and simulations is becoming more common in introductory chemistry courses as these materials provide a means for students to visualize the motion and interactions of atoms, molecules, and ions (Kelly & Jones, 2008; Sanger, Phelps, & Fienhold, 2000). For ideal gases, students could algorithmically solve for variables, such as temperature or pressure, without being able to answer conceptual questions incorporating these ideas (Pickering, 1990) These early studies suggested that students’ incorrect ideas, such as believing that particles expand in size as a substance becomes a gas (Sanger et al, 2000), or that gas particles rise to the top of a container when heated (Novick & Nussbaum, 1981), stem from the transfer of macroscopic properties to particulate particles (Brook et al, 1984). Engagement with particle-level simulations can help students visualize the motion and interactions of gas particles, helping them develop a more scientifically accurate mental model Such engagement outside of class prior to formal instruction can help meet the needs of students from diverse backgrounds and provide instructors with a common experience upon which to build with further instruction. This study, which is part of the larger ChemSims project, investigates the use of simulations and screencasts to support students’ developing understanding of gas properties by examining student learning gains
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