Laboratory experiences allow students to make connections between macroscopic observations and the symbolic notation frequently used in lecture courses. Researchers have demonstrated the importance of using multiple representations, or the chemistry triplet, for student learning. However, macroscopic observation is relatively unexplored in lecture, making the laboratory a key piece of a student's chemistry experience. We are using a semi-structured interview protocol to investigate the reasoning and argumentation skills that students use to translate macroscopic observations to symbolic notation and microscopic models. This is one method we are using to evaluate the effectiveness of changes made to the curriculum in a large general chemistry laboratory course for non-chemistry science majors. We will present results demonstrating effective and ineffective modes of student reasoning with respect to the chemistry triplet.

Exploring argument from evidence in the general chemistry laboratory

251st National Meeting (2016)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.