The traditional focus on disciplinary knowledge in chemistry, as compared to disciplinary discourse, has resulted in unintended and undesirable consequences. For example, extensive use of symbolic representations during undergraduate training has impacted the ability of learners to craft verbal or written representations of chemical systems.<br/>Technology-supported innovations have proven useful for facilitating learning experiences not possible on a single campus. To promote development of disciplinary language skills, while also facilitating an international experience for learners, second-year organic chemistry students at two universities (one in Western Canada and the other in Central USA) completed a series of collaborative homework assignments. Students were randomly assigned a partner from the other university, and online meetings were monitored for the development of interlanguage. Learners were each given half the assignment and prompted to collaborate through online video chat software, such as Skype. In this session we will discuss the practical elements of designing and implementing an interinstitutional chemistry communication collaboration.

Interinstitutional chemistry communication practice: The ins and outs of implementing an international collaboration

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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