Misconceptions in General Chemistry Broader Study Skills Behavioural

Misconceptions in General Chemistry Broader Study Skills / Behavioural • instructor misconceptions of students’ knowledge from high school – – Math 30 / Chem 30 are often taken in grade 11 80 min/day for 12 weeks RDC study found Math 30 to be the most important factor administering Chemistry Concept Inventory to instructors (all levels) to assess their misconceptions • comprehension (text book and questions) – teaching students how to read science • integrating graphs & equations into reading the text • stopping & thinking about processes/equations • understanding information in graphs – students don’t know where to look for information in a graph • using the index

Broader Study Skills / Behavioural • misconception about student motivation – most of them are not like us! chemistry is not a priority in first year non-majors! • student misconception about required work – passed high school with rote memorization (e. g. , studying for the 5 (or 7) question types used by AB Education in provincial test) – not used to scheduling self-study time – think they know it all (repetition from high school) – challenging to get them to comprehension, application • misconception about student learning: “Students will learn what we teach” – no. . mostly will only learn what we test – “assessment is the tail that wags the dog”

Broader Study Skills / Behavioural • student misconception of “easy problems only” in lecture – watching the expert make no mistakes – they can follow (but maybe not lead so well) • student misconception: don’t need to know vocabulary/jargon • student misconception of separation of disciplines – “why is general chemistry more like physics? ” – “chemistry is a math course” – instructor misconception of how general chemistry should be taught (content phys chem heavy)?

General Misconceptions • misconception of size/scale – chemistry is unfathomable in magnitude • getting across just HOW small an atom is – Powers of 10 video/interactive website – Stacey’s comparison of 1 mol paperclips vs. money vs. water • misconception that chemistry is bad – inform about quantity (toxicity is in the dose) – clearing up misconceptions: use break time or 5 min at beginning of last lecture every week • chemistry in the news • topic of interest related or unrelated to current lecture • resources such as Joe Schwarcz’ books • misconception that a proton exists as H+ or H 3 O+

Misconceptions about Scientific Method • we don’t communicate that we are teaching models, don’t communicate scientific method • “science as the fountain of knowledge”, misconception that science is about facts, wrong & right answers – science is ongoing! it’s happening right now! – confused that something called a “law” can fail

Heat, Energy, Temperature Misconceptions • breaking bonds produces energy – biology: ATP -> ADP + energy • heat, energy, temperature – terms of general use, students have preconceptions • hard to redefine precisely, in contrast to new terms • compare: strong vs. concentrated (e. g. , coffee) – heat is misconceived as a noun by both • Teaching aid: Youtube Eureka #21 Heat vs. T

Physical Transitions Misconceptions • misconceptions/concepts start early – AB 5 th grade is about half of first year without math • difference between melting and dissolution, liquid and aqueous • instructor misconception: students have particle view of matter – matter is bulk to students • visualization: initiative at King’s – see kcvs. ca for examples • Odyssey (~$75) visualization software – e. g. linear vs. bent H 2 O - properties come from structure • using visualizations: test what you teach! – suggestion: project coloured images on screen during exam Teaching Aids: Children’s Ideas and the Learning of Science by Rosalind Driver et al. Talanquer, V. et al. “A 2: Element or Compound” J. Chem. Ed. 2007, 84, 880.

Stoichiometry and limiting reagents • how to teach this best? – sandwich example (bread, cheese, meat) – macaroni/choc chip cookie example (how much of each ingredient) – misconception: students transfer the process (compartmentalization issue, as in K and other areas) • again, need to get to particle view of matter – students don’t make connections between letters/symbols and particles (maybe we don’t either until we teach) • Teaching Aids: – See publications by Miles Pickering and Mary Nockley(? ) – George M. Bodner, “I have found you an argument: The conceptual knowledge of beginning chemistry graduate students” J. Chem. Ed. 1991, 68, 385.

Equilibrium Misconceptions • like heat/T, there is a meaning attached already – misconception: equilibrium means equal mass (not rate) – Stacey’s demo: 2 fish tanks (one empty, one full) 2 beakers scooping water from either side to the other ask students to predict, when equilibrium is reached • equilibrium problems ALL look different to some students

Electrochemistry Misconceptions where do electrons come from? (electron transfer) concept of potential necessity in 1 st year? helpful doodles to show electrons transferring in or out of electrodes, corrosion and plating at electrodes etc. • Literature tip: T. J. Greenbowe & M. J. Sanger • •

Significant Figures • misconception/disagreement regarding importance – order of magnitude vs. actual sig. figs. • includes ability to evaluate an answer for validity – our obligation goes beyond just teaching chemistry (but how far? ) – introduce concept in context in labs (+ use in lecture) • student misconception of meaning/origin – math rules come from physical reality of measurement – introduced too early in text book, needs more context (lab)

Lab – Lecture Connectivity • students expect a link – whose misconception? – issue of integrating early lectures with lab – effort on side of lecturer • labs as concept reinforcement – misconception about how we learn? – learning by doing: discovery labs • closer to scientific method / development of models • possible to pick up student data in lecture (. : relevance)