Using the Science Writing Heuristic in the General Chemistry Laboratory To Improve Students' Academic Performance

2007 ◽  
Vol 84 (8) ◽  
pp. 1371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Greenbowe ◽  
Jason R. Poock ◽  
K. A. Burke ◽  
Brian M. Hand
Keyword(s):  
General Chemistry ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Chemistry Laboratory ◽  
Science Writing ◽  
Science Writing Heuristic ◽  
General Chemistry Laboratory

Developing critical thinking skills using the Science Writing Heuristic in the chemistry laboratory

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. S. Stephenson ◽  
N. P. Sadler-McKnight
Keyword(s):  
General Chemistry ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Traditional Approach ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Chemistry Laboratory ◽  
Science Writing ◽  
First Year ◽  
Science Writing Heuristic ◽  
Chemistry Students

The Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) laboratory approach is a teaching and learning tool which combines writing, inquiry, collaboration and reflection, and provides scaffolding for the development of critical thinking skills. In this study, the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) was used to measure the critical thinking skills of first year general chemistry students who were instructed using the SWH approach and first year general chemistry students who received traditional (TRAD) laboratory instruction A quasi experimental pretest–posttest design involving the use of matched groups was used to assess differences in critical thinking between the two groups. Students in the SWH group had significantly higher total critical thinking scores over their traditional counterparts. The results indicate that the SWH approach shows efficacy in improving students' critical thinking skills over the traditional approach.

Measuring the effectiveness of online preparation videos and questions in the second semester general chemistry laboratory

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Altowaiji ◽  
Rakahn Haddadin ◽  
Priscilla Campos ◽  
Shannon Sorn ◽  
Lizbeth Gonzalez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Chemistry ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Chemistry Laboratory ◽  
General Chemistry Laboratory ◽  
Hispanic Serving Institution ◽  
Video Lectures ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Hispanic Serving ◽  
Laboratory Experiences ◽  
Stressful Environments

Chemistry laboratory experiences provide students the opportunity to engage all three domains of learning: psychomotor, cognitive and affective. However, they are often stressful environments where students are expected to quickly learn new laboratory techniques, and collect data in a short amount of time. In principle, providing additional preparation activities should help students be better prepared to successfully complete the lab. These activities should lead to more meaningful interactions with the lab instructor and better performance on lab outcomes. In this study, we report the usefulness and effectiveness of online preparation activities for students that include video lectures demonstrating the labs that the students will participate in, and preparation questions that mimic data analysis for the lab. These online prelab activities were implemented in the second semester general chemistry laboratory at a large Hispanic serving institution in the southwestern United States. Over three semesters, students enrolled in this course were surveyed using the Meaningful Learning in the Laboratory Instrument (MLLI) to assess their lab expectations as well as author generated post-lab surveys to assess the usefulness of the prelab activities. Additionally, lab instructors were surveyed on their perception of the efficacy of the additional preparation activities. Findings suggest that both students and instructors agree that having access to these materials as a part of a portfolio of resources, including the lab manual, help them better prepare for the lab. Although students’ expectations on the cognitive domain decreased after a semester of instruction, questions related to comfort with lab equipment show improvements in the affective domain for students with access to the additional preparation activities. Lastly we found that both students and instructors see a lot of value and benefits in having these types of prelab activities available as a way to help prepare students for the upcoming laboratory sessions. In general, the potential benefits that prelab activities had on students outweigh the modest effort to create these materials.

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