<p> Certain concepts in the final year of Ontario's high school chemistry course,
SCHOA, are often difficult for students to understand. This project presents the results
of a study of selected computer programs that could be used to enhance the teaching of
selected difficult concepts in an attempt to make them easier to understand. </p> <p> The identification of the difficult concepts was an important component of this
project. They were identified by means of a student survey, teacher interviews, literature
review and personal experience. The difficult concepts were identified, in order of
decreasing difficulty, as: 1. Buffers, 2. Solubility, 3. Redox, 4. Independent
Investigation, 5. Acid/Base Equilibrium, 6. Reaction Mechanisms, 7. Free Energy. </p> <p> Two programs were selected for evaluation - The Electric Chemistry Building
and Chem1 Problem Proctor and a checklist was established to examine these computer
programs. The two programs address the identified difficult concepts and use a variety
of teaching techniques (tutorial, drill and simulation). </p> <p> Chem1 Problem Proctor consists of tutorial and drill lessons, suitable for use by
students of SCHOA. The key objectives of this program are to encourage problem-solving
and to promote an understanding of the principles underlying the chemistry
concepts. The program accomplishes this to various degrees of success by requiring the
student to make decisions, to make qualitative estimates before some of the calculations
and by asking questions related to the concept but not necessarily part of the solution to the problem. </p> <p> The Electric Chemistry Building is a simulation of a building made up of three
laboratories, two of which were evaluated in this project. The key objective of this
program is to develop problem-solving skills by providing students with the opportunity
to design and perform experiments, make observations and draw conclusions. </p> <p> Based on the evaluations of Chem1 Problem Proctor and The Electric Chemistry
Building in this project, both programs appear to be worthwhile for use in SCHOA. The
Electric Chemistry Building is a very good simulation program which would enhance the
teaching of the difficult concepts of SCHOA. Chem1 Problem Proctor is a good
tutorial/drill program which should be improved with respect to its presentation of
chemical notation and mathematical formulae, and the feedback to its drill questions.
Once these aspects of the program are corrected, it will also be effective in enhancing
the teaching of difficult concepts of SCHOA. </p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:mcmaster.ca/oai:macsphere.mcmaster.ca:11375/19276 |
| Date | 08 1900 |
| Creators | Wilson, Anne-Marie |
| Contributors | Blizzard, A., Humphreys, D., Teaching |
| Source Sets | McMaster University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
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