Chemical demonstrations are a popular teaching tool in both classroom settings and informal science education. However, demonstrations alone have been shown to be largely ineffective at teaching science concepts.1,2 Asking students to make predictions has been shown to increase the audience's learning of science concepts, but the evaluation of learning in these studies required using pre- and post- concept inventory exams.3This method is time consuming in the classroom and would be impractical for informal science educators.Fusion Science Theater has developed a technique for presenting demonstrations in which the audience's pre- and post- lesson predictions become the assessment. Embedded assessments integrated within the demonstration allow measurement of the audience's learning without disrupting their engagement in the educational activity4and are a practical way for the demonstrator to evaluate the cognitive impact of his or her demonstration. The assessment then also serves to increase interest and emotional investment in the demonstration and enjoyment and satisfaction at the outcome of the demonstration and process of learning science concepts.This talk will discuss the development of an embedded assessment for a demonstration show featuring the popular chemical demonstration wherein various solutions are tested for electrolytes using a conductivity probe. Results showing increased conceptual knowledge and increased interest in learning among elementary school students will be presented.1 Milner-Bolotin, M., Kotlicki, & Rieger, G. (2007). The Journal of College Science Teaching, 36, (4), 45-49.2Sokoloff, D. R., & Thornton, R. K. (1997) The Physics Teacher, 35, 340-346.3Crouch, C. H., Fagen, A. P., Callan, J. P., & Mazur, E. (2004). American Journal of Physics. 72, 835-838.4 Shute, V. J., Ventura, M., Bauer, M. I., & Zapata-Rivera, D. (2009). In U. Ritterfeld, M. J. Cody, & P. Vorderer (Eds.), The Social Science of Serious Games: Theories and Applications. Philadelphia, PA: Routledge/LEA.

Predictions as assessment of conceptual learning during chemical demonstrations

246th National Meeting (2013)

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