The signature pedagogy in chemistry education

education

The signature pedagogy in chemistry education Laboratories are the signature pedagogy in chemistry education. The chemical sciences are based in investigations that are reproducible, and objectively testable. Some investigations might involve testing a hypothesis, such as carbonates produce carbon dioxide gas when reacted with acid. Other activities may not have an obvious hypothesis – how much salt is in this detergent package? Nevertheless, laboratory work is a distinctive part of science generally, and of chemistry in particular. Computer simulations, dry labs and workshops are some alternatives to learning in the laboratory, but these other activities cannot replicate the full experience of laboratory work. For example, they cannot replicate the development of manipulative skills required to use glassware, such as the fine motor skills needed to adjust a burette tap to a very slow drip, or lifting just one minute crystal on the tip of a spatula, or folding a fluted filter paper for filtration. Although we try to have reproducible results, this is not always the case in school or undergraduate laboratory work: stock bottles get contaminated, the incorrect amount of reagent is used, an essential step is omitted; the temperature is too low because the students keep opening the oven door; unexpected things happen. Computer simulations and textbook pictures are exemplars of what should happen and how things should look; they give little indication of the variability of observations, or the sometimes-subtle differences between a positive and negative outcome. Computer simulations and textbook pictures do not teach what reality can look like. Hands-on investigations enable students to learn by doing. When my son was 3 years old, Jonathan declared that he could drive the car – after all, from the safety of his child seat, he could see the driver’s hand and foot movements! But practice is more then just watching, or listening, or reading. If learning was that simple, then we would all be trapeze artists,

Masterchefs and expert house renovators, just by watching reality TV! Laboratory work is a significant part of working in the chemistry profession. The Australian Curriculum: Science has Science as a Human Endeavour (SHE) as one of its three strands. Some of SHE looks at the day-to-day work of scientists, including chemists. Not just the revolutionary discoveries that go in the history books, but the human aspect of just going to the workplace as a scientist – our everyday activities, including laboratory work. The best way for students to learn what scientists do is to do what scientists do. Science Inquiry Skills (SIS) is another of the three strands in the Australian Curriculum: Science. SIS includes non-laboratory skills such as research, communication, analysis and interpretation of data. However, a significant part of SIS is designing and conducting laboratory investigations, including the procedure to be followed; the materials required; using equipment and techniques safely, competently and methodically; risk assessments; and considering research ethics. The only way to conduct a laboratory investigation is to get into a laboratory and to do it. Laboratory work may not the only part of our discipline practice, but it is definitely a distinctive and significant part of chemistry. In these days of cost-cutting and virtual reality, we must profess again that learning and doing chemistry in a laboratory is an important and irreplaceable part of a chemistry education. Kieran F. Lim ( ) FRACI CChem ([email protected]) is an associate professor in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at Deakin University. He is a member of the Alfred Deakin Research Institute. The author acknowledges informative discussions on the nature of laboratory work at the RACI/ChemNet Threshold Learning Outcomes Workshop (Melbourne, July 2013), but notes that any mistakes or misconceptions are solely his, and not those of the other workshop attendees.

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K. F. Lim, "The signature pedagogy in chemistry education", Chemistry in Australia, 2013, 2013 (September), 35. You understand the benefits of workplace training - improved performance, greater staff retention, better efficiency. But did you also know you have access to a group of people who handle all the paperwork, train on site, know your field and now have been recognised as Australia’s best small training provider at the Australian Training Awards?

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Images are a topic of conversation during the production of every edition of Chemistry in Australia. We talk about choice of subject, size and position, but more subtle considerations come into play too. Images can elucidate form, function and perspective. In chemistry, where would we be without the ability to illustrate structure? They take us to places we otherwise couldn’t go: inside the body, up close to a microorganism or to the surface of Mars. For visual learners, a complex process can often be rendered simple with a few strokes of a pen. When trying to explain EFTPOS to my eight-year-old, it was my illustration that made the pennies drop. Have you ever been attracted to a book by its cover? Images offer a visual cue to content – as a flag to get our attention or a teaser to pique interest. They can emphasise a point in text or make a wry comment about it. Images help us to compare things, for example using scale. In a time-poor world, we often choose graphs and charts over tables and lists. Unfortunately, such visual representations can be distorted to suit certain purposes, a trap for the unwary. Images are powerful. They can be instructional, and convey or evoke emotion, and they give different messages to different people. Our brains prepare our own versions of an image, and we filter it through our own experiences, so the impression is unique to each viewer. Images don’t face the problem of language barriers. Images are a historical record – whether of world-changing events or family memories – illustrating facts or encouraging reminiscence. No one knew this better than Frank Hurley, who took significant risks to create and protect his photographs during war and exploration. With images, we can capture and then reflect on a moment in time, or document change with a series of snaps. Frans Hofmeester‘s ‘Lotte time lapse’ is a beautiful example (vimeo.com/40448182). Malcolm Fleming and Howard Levie’s research in instructional design and communication in the 1960s and 70s at Indiana University showed that pictures alone are

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remembered better than words alone. A book I came across that referenced them discussed the importance of legibility of text displays, including factors such as spacing, line length and font. You would assume that a more legible font would result in better memory retention, but researchers at Princeton University have found otherwise. Participants looking at a fancier font had a harder time reading it, but they recalled more than those who read the same text in a plain typeface (bit.ly/9gJkwZ). Comic Sans was the font of choice for physicist Fabiola Gianotti when she presented slides about the possible discovery of the Higgs boson last year. It caused quite a stir, including a petition calling for the font to be renamed Comic Cerns. Something to think about next time you’re preparing course notes or a conference presentation. Sally Woollett ([email protected]) Thanks to the member who advised that the RACI National Chemistry Quiz is held in July, not August as stated in the July issue (p. 4).

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The signature pedagogy in chemistry education

(Note †)

Laboratories are the signature pedagogy in chemistry education. The chemical sciences are based in investigations that are reproducible, and objectively testable. Some investigations might involve testing a hypothesis – does a carbonate produce carbon dioxide gas when reacted with acid? Other activities may not have an obvious hypothesis2 – how much salt is in this detergent package? Nevertheless, laboratory work is a distinctive part of science generally, and of chemistry in particular.3-7 Computer simulations, dry labs, and workshops are some alternatives to learning in the laboratory, but these other activities cannot replicate the full experience of laboratory work. For example, they cannot replicate the development of manipulative skills required to use glassware, like the fine motor skills needed to adjust a burette tap to a very slow drip, or lifting just one minute crystal on the tip of a spatula, or folding a fluted filter paper for filtration. Although we try to have reproducible results, this is not always the case in school or undergraduate laboratory work: stock bottles get contaminated; the incorrect amount of reagent is used; an essential step is omitted; the temperature is too low because the students keep opening the oven door; unexpected things happen. Computer simulations and textbook pictures are exemplars of what should happen and how things should look; they give little indication of the variability of observations, or the sometimes-subtle differences between a positive and negative outcome. Computer simulations and textbook pictures do not teach what reality can look like. Hands-on investigations enable students to learn by doing. When my son was 3 years old, Jonathan declared that he could drive the car – after all, from the safety of his child seat, he could see the driver’s hand and foot movements! But practice is more then just watching, or listening, or reading. If learning was as that simple, then we would all be trapeze artists, Masterchefs and expert house renovators, just by watching reality-TV! Laboratory work is a significant part of working in the chemistry profession. The Australian Curriculum: Science8 has Science as a Human Endeavour (SHE) as one of its three strands. Some of SHE looks at the day-to-day work of scientists, including chemists. Not just the revolutionary discoveries that go in the history books, but the human aspect of just going to the workplace as a scientist – our everyday activities, including laboratory work. The best way for students to learn what scientists do, is to do what scientists do. Science Inquiry Skills (SIS) is another of the three strands in the Australian Curriculum: Science.8 SIS includes non-laboratory skills like research, communication, analysis and interpretation of data. However, a significant part of SIS is designing and conducting laboratory investigations, including: the procedure to be followed; the materials required; using equipment and techniques safely, competently and methodically; risk assessments; and considering research ethics. The only way to conduct a laboratory investigation is to get into a laboratory and to do it! In summary, laboratory work may not the only part of our discipline practice, but it is definitely a distinctive and significant part of chemistry.3-7 In these days of cost-cutting and virtual reality, we must profess again9 that learning and doing chemistry in a laboratory is an important and irreplaceable part of a chemistry education.

†

A slightly edited version of this article was published as reference 1. Please cite the original publication: K. F. Lim, “The signature pedagogy in chemistry education”, Chemistry in Australia, 2013 (September), 35. EducCol-201309-laboratories-full.doc Page 1 of 2

The author acknowledges informative discussions on the nature of laboratory work at the RACI/ChemNet Threshold Learning Outcomes Workshop (Melbourne, July 2013), but notes that any mistakes or misconceptions are solely his, and not those of the other Workshop attendees. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

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K. F. Lim, “Threshold learning outcomes”, Chem. Aust., 2013, 2013 (March), 35. S. Jones, B. Yates and J.-A. Kelder, Science: Learning and Teaching Academic Standards Statement, Australian Learning and Teaching Council, Strawberry Hills (NSW), 2011