Out with “sage on the stage” and in with “guide on the side”!
Chemistry is a course that is typically taught in high school to students who plan to pursue post-secondary education. Many secondary-level chemistry teachers have the perception that part of preparing students for post-secondary education is presenting chemistry content as it will be presented in college, lecture-based and instructor-centered. As learners’ needs change and research reveals a new understanding of the way teaching and learning are most effective, teaching practices must evolve and adapt. The old lecture-based and instructor-centered teaching method is deprecated and no longer the best practice for teaching high school chemistry. Active learning is now the best practice for teaching high school chemistry.
What is
Active Learning?
Active learning
refers to any learning strategies that are student-centered, student-designed,
or student-led. Traditional learning environments placed teachers in the front
of the room lecturing and presenting content while students sat silently in
their seats, listening, and following the teacher’s instructions. Active
learning transitions the teacher from the role of lecturer to the role of
facilitator. Teachers are still the content experts in the room, but they use
their expertise to select and plan learning activities that are student-centered.
They then facilitate the implementation of the student-centered activities and
offer assistance as needed.
Learning
activities that are NOT active learning activities:
-
Taking
notes during a lecture
-
Defining
vocabulary
-
Worksheets
-
“Cookbook”
labs
Examples that
ARE active learning activities:
-
Interactive
models and simulations such as pHet and The Concord Consortium
-
Students
create manipulatives and models
-
Interactive
content delivery such as Nearpod and Peardeck
-
Jigsaw
learning and sharing activity
-
Project-based
learning
-
Interactive
video viewing such as EdPuzzle
-
Inquiry
labs
-
Gallery
walks for sharing and evaluating student work (“glows & grows”)
-
Students
teach lessons
-
Students
create quizzes
-
Adaptive
formative assessments such as Quizizz, Go Formative, Socrative, etc.
Why Active
Learning?
Active learning
is more engaging and more enjoyable for students (Zhuang & Xiao, 2018). Active
learning promotes the use of critical thinking and higher-order learning (Lee
et al., 2019).
Student learning
outcomes are improved when active learning strategies are implemented.
Active learning
is especially important in science classrooms. The purpose of science is to
generate new knowledge. Active learning strategies train students to think like
scientists, investigate like scientists, and generate new knowledge like
scientists (Rossi et al., 2021)
Writing
Learning Objectives that are aligned with Active Learning
Active learning
activities promote higher-order thinking, therefore the action verbs in the objectives
should include terms such as, “apply,” “evaluate,” “analyze,” “design,” and “create.”
Examples:
The learner
will design a laboratory procedure that will test the effects of
different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide on the volume of oxygen released
from the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.
The learner
will create a presentation that explores the pros and cons of the
advancement of nuclear technology.
The learner
will analyze the data collected from the pH probes and determine the
effect a buffer will have on the pH of a solution when an acid is added to different
solutions.
Converting Cookbook
Labs to Inquiry Labs
One of the most
asked questions in any chemistry classroom is, “when are we doing another lab?”
Lab experiences can include demonstrations, teacher-created “cookbook” labs, and
inquiry labs. “Cookbook” labs have a known outcome and do not involve any
investigation (Gooding & Metz, 2012). This does not promote higher-order
thinking. With just some minor changes, most “cookbook” labs can be converted
to inquiry labs. Below, are some examples of “cookbook” labs turned inquiry
labs.
|
Cookbook lab |
Inquiry lab |
|
Elephant toothpaste: Students are given the materials and
instructions on how to combine them. Then they observe the foam being created
as an enzyme in yeast catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. |
Elephant toothpaste inquiry: Students are shown a video of elephant
toothpaste demonstrated. They are presented with the challenge of creating
the greatest amount of foam. Students can be given a plethora of lab
materials including different catalysts and hydrogen peroxide of different
concentrations. They must write a hypothesis and procedure and execute the
procedure. |
|
Precipitation Reactions: Students are given the materials and a
procedure. As they combine chemical solutions, they will observe the
formation of a precipitate. |
Precipitation inquiry: Students are instructed to research chemical
reactions that will result in the formation of a precipitate. They will
gather materials, write a procedure, and execute the procedure. They will then
repeat their procedure as a demonstration to the class and explain why the
precipitate formed. |
|
Activity Series Reactions: The teacher chooses the materials and
provides the procedure. Students will add different metals to hydrochloric
acid and observe which react with the acid. |
Activity Series Inquiry: Students will research metals and
compare them on the activity series to Hydrogen. They will create a list of
metals to place in hydrochloric acid. They will investigate whether other acids
could be used instead of Hydrochloric acid and provide an explanation for
their choices. |
|
Soda Can Calorimetry: Students will assemble a soda can
calorimeter as instructed. They will burn a piece of food under the
calorimeter and record the amount of heat transferred to the water inside the
soda can. They will use the data to calculate the calories in the food. |
Soda Can Calorimetry Inquiry: Students will predict which foods will
be more calorie-rich and will research those food items. They will determine
the number of calories in each food sample by burning the food items. They
will research and brainstorm ideas for making their calorimeter more
efficient and will test their modifications to determine if they can build a
calorimeter that has a lower percent error. |
Formative assessments and active learning
Formative assessments, when implemented
correctly, can be an integral part of an active learning plan. Buelin et al.
(2019) compare formative assessments to check-ups and summative assessments to
autopsies. When the student has a check-up on their learning, they can make course
corrections before they get to the summative assessment. Tempelaar (2020)
explains that the student-centered nature of formative assessments gives
students more autonomy over their learning. Formative assessments allow
students to track their own progress and make decisions about their own
learning experiences. Autonomy can be empowering and motivating.
Free online
formative assessment tools:
Collaborative
Learning
Another key
component of active learning is working collaboratively. Collaborative learning
promotes the generation of new ideas and allows students to help one another
build their knowledge base (Floyd et al., 2012). Online
discussion boards can be a great tool for promoting collaborative learning.
There are also lots of online applications that can facilitate collaboration.
Free online
collaboration tools:
Integrate
Technology
Technology
integration alone cannot ensure active learning but when implemented correctly,
technology integration can enhance learner engagement and promote the accomplishment
of learning targets. The following Open Education Resources (OER) are free and
available to students as they research topics or seek out sources for their
investigations.
OERs for
Chemistry:
Ck-12
Chemistry for High School
Other online
learning tools that are free or low-cost:
Active learning
activities not only help students accomplish the learning objectives, they also
promote the development of real-world skills, technology skills, scientific thinking,
and critical thinking.
References
Buelin, J., Ernst, J. V., Clark, A. C., Kelly, D. P., &
DeLuca, V. W. (2019). formative evaluation techniques. Technology &
Engineering Teacher, 78(5), 21–23.
Floyd, K., Yerby, J., Smith, T., &
Koohang, A. (2012). Active Learning in Online Courses: An Examination of
Students’ Learning Experience. International Journal of Management,
Knowledge and Learning, 1(2), 205–216.
Gooding, J., & Metz, B. (2012).
Folding Inquiry into Cookbook Lab Activities. Science Scope, 35(8),
42–47.
Lee, K., Dabelko-Schoeny, H., Roush, B.,
Craighead, S., & Bronson, D. (2019). Technology-Enhanced Active Learning
Classrooms: New Directions for Social Work Education. Journal of Social Work
Education, 55(2), 294–305. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2018.1540322
Rossi, I. V., de Lima, J. D., Sabatke,
B., Nunes, M. A. F., Ramirez, G. E., & Ramirez, M. I. (2021). Active
learning tools improve the learning outcomes, scientific attitude, and critical
thinking in higher education: Experiences in an online course during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Biochemistry &
Molecular Biology Education, 49(6), 888–903. https://doi.org/10.1002/bmb.21574
Tempelaar, D. (2020). Supporting the
less-adaptive student: the role of learning analytics, formative assessment and
blended learning. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 45(4),
579–593. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2019.1677855
Zhuang, W., & Xiao, Q. (2018).
Facilitate active learning: The role of perceived benefits of using technology.
Journal of Education for Business, 93(3), 88–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/08832323.2018.1425281
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