Analysing Students’ Spatial Abilities in Chemistry Learning Using 3D Virtual Representation

Students often have difficulty understanding abstract concepts in chemistry and a low spatial ability, especially in visualizing intermolecular interactions at the submicroscopic level. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the spatial ability of students by using a 3D virtual representation as they study the curriculum topic of molecular geometry. The research was conducted with 13 male and 23 female year 10 secondary students in Jakarta, Indonesia. A qualitative methodology was employed to analyze students’ spatial abilities while they undertook learning activities using 3D virtual representation. Data collection included a spatial assessment, a quiz about prior knowledge, student worksheets, interviews, observation sheets, reflective journals, and a molecular geometry test. Learning was carried out in three stages; engage, explore, and explain. The results of the research show that students’ ability in spatial orientation is low whereas their ability in spatial relationships that involve using mental manipulation and rotation of 2D or 3D objects is more developed. Students employ this approach to develop their understanding of molecular geometry.

PROMOTING STUDENTS’ AUTONOMOUS LEARNING THROUGH ICT BASED LEARNING IN ICP: A CASE STUDY

Promoting Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into teaching and learning is a growing area that has attracted many educators’ efforts in recent years. Based on the scope of content covered, ICT integration can happen in three different areas: curriculum, topic, and lesson. The evolution of the ICT has changed the way student or individual learns and communicates. It has created a global social network, where everyone is connected, either directly or indirectly, to each other, especially in exchanging, sharing and learning autonomously. This study attemptted to delineate how the students of International Class Program (ICP) at the Faculty of Islamic Education, handle the use of online sources. The students of ICP were selected as the informant. For eliciting information; observation and interview are used in this study. Data are collected by mean of interview guide and field notes. There are 18 students in ICP class. However for the purpose of the study, the researcher selected only three students to participate in the study. The results indicated that three respondents felt positive about using internet to perform task learning experience compared to their experiences in the regular class.

Trainee Section: Introduction

This edition of the journal sees the launch of a new regular trainee-orientated section. Over the course of a rolling five-year cycle we will be publishing a series of articles which will cover the ‘Emergency Presentations’, ‘The Top 20 Common Medical Presentations’, ‘Other Important Presentations’ and ‘Practical Procedures’ outlined in the curriculum for Acute Internal Medicine 2009. Articles will take the form of a problem-based review that uses a brief clinical case (real or fictional) and its development to illustrate the assessment, differential diagnosis and management of the common presentations to Acute Medicine. We hope these reviews will highlight recent evidence-based guidelines and provide readers with clinically useful ‘pearls and pitfalls’ from specialist experience that can be easily applied to future practice. Although many of these reviews will be commissioned directly by the editors of the journal, if you do have a particular interest in producing a review relating to a specific curriculum topic, please contact me at [email protected]. Similarly, I would welcome any early feedback relating to the content and format of this new journal section. This edition features reviews of the management of GI bleeding and paraplegia which I hope will be of interest to readers of various levels of seniority. Dr Joe Wileman has also produced a ‘Journal Watch’ section, which we plan to repeat in future editions (again contact me directly if you are interested in undertaking this for a future edition) and there is a ‘trainee update’ from Alice Miller.

An Arts-Based Approach to Teaching Fractions

“Fractions have always represented a considerable challenge for students, even into the middle grades,” noted Van de Walle (2004, p. 242), and the instructional experiences of most teachers validate this statement. Despite the fact that proportional reasoning is an important curriculum topic and a valuable life skill, students struggle to meaningfully grasp fraction concepts. To aid development of the concept of fractions, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2000) recommends that students represent fractions by using physical materials and number lines. The visual and tactile input these materials afford, coupled with carefully designed reflection on the use of these tools, can bolster learning about fractions.

Activities in Applying Probability Ideas

Probability has been recommended as a mainline curriculum topic for many years, but without wide acceptance; perhaps because many people view coin-flipping and dice-rolling as lacking purpose. Mathematics teachers need to carry the study of probability far enough for students to comprehend its many applications.