Seminar
Tuesday, February 28, 2017 - 12:00am
Graduate student Kelcie Molchany will be presenting
"Student and Instructor Expectations and Experiences: Approaching the Meaningful Learning Objective within the General Chemistry Teaching Laboratory"
February 28, 2017 at 4:10 PM in Neville Hall, Room 3
Abstract
The laboratory is a common aspect of many collegiate science courses; however, student learning outcomes are subpar.1 For meaningful learning to occur within the laboratory, a student must enter the course with prior knowledge in the subject area, participate in engaging experiments, and connect prior knowledge with new knowledge.2-6 Additionally, a student must engage on the psychomotor, cognitive, and affective levels.2-6 A national study and a localized study encompassing the General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry course sequence were conducted to measure students’ expectations before the course and experiences after the course.2,5 Cluster and exploratory factor analyses of responses to the Meaningful Learning in the Laboratory Instrument4 found that students entered the laboratory with high cognitive expectations that were unfulfilled, while affective expectations and experiences varied widely across student groups.2 When students were followed throughout the course sequence, students started with high cognitive expectations that were not satisfied at the end of General Chemistry.5 Despite unaccomplished expectations, students began Organic Chemistry with high cognitive expectations, which once again were not achieved at the end of the course.5 In a separate study, students were interviewed to assess learning goals contributing to meaningful learning.6 Students intended to limit embarrassment by working quickly and earning a high score, both of which led to delayed cognitive understanding.6 The overall negative affective experience hindered meaningful learning.6 Lastly, one additional study probed faculty goals, finding that intentions of laboratory experiments, as rated by instructors, are to prepare students for a research laboratory and provide a foundation to apply knowledge.7 However, few students met these expectations.7 The discrepancy between student and instructor goals hinders positive educational outcomes within the teaching laboratory.7 Modifications of laboratory curricula are necessary to promote meaningful learning, especially on the cognitive and affective levels.
References 1. Velasco, J.B.; Knedeisen, A.; Xue, D.; Vickrey, T.L.; Abebe, M.; Stains, M. J. Chem. Educ. 2016, 93, 1191-1203. 2. Galloway, K. R.; Bretz, S.L. J. Chem. Educ. 2015, 92, 2006-2018. 3. Bretz, S.L. J. Chem. Educ. 2001, 78, 1107-1116. 4. Galloway, K.R.; Bretz, S.L. J. Chem. Educ. 2015, 92, 1149-1158. 5. Galloway, K.R.; Bretz, S.L. J. Chem. Educ. 2015, 92, 2019-2030. 6. DeKorver, B.K.; Towns, M.H. J. Chem. Educ. 2015, 92, 2031-2037. 7. Bretz, S.L.; Galloway, K.R.; Orzel, J.; Gross, E. Faculty Goals, Inquiry, and Meaningful 8. Learning in the Undergraduate Chemistry Laboratory. In Technology and Assessment Strategies for Improving Student Learning in Chemistry; Schultz, M.; Schmid, S.; Holme, T.; ACS Symposium Series 1235; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2016; pp 101-115.