An interview with John Sweller

none1noAn interview with John Sweller, the initiator of the Cognitive Load Theory. It is one of the few theories to have generated a large range of novel instructional designs from the knowledge of human cognitive architecture.Cardellini, LiberatoCardellini, Liberat

Constructivism: Defense or a Continual Critical Appraisal – A Response to Gil-Pérez et al.

Abstract. This commentary is a critical appraisal of Gil-Pérez et al.’s (2002) conceptualization of constructivism. It is argued that the following aspects of their presentation are problematic: (a) Although the role of controversy is recognized, the authors implicitly subscribe to a Kuhnian perspective of ‘normal’ science; (b) Authors fail to recognize the importance of von Glasersfeld’s contribution to the understanding of constructivism in science education; (c) The fact that it is not possible to implement a constructivist pedagogy without a constructivist epistemology has been ignored; and (d) Failure to recognize that the metaphor of the ‘student as a developing scientist’ facilitates teaching strategies as students are confronted with alternative/rival/conflicting ideas. Finally, we have shown that constructivism in science education is going through a process of continual critical appraisals

Problem solving: how can we help students overcome cognitive difficulties

The traditional approach to teach problem solving usually consists in showing students the solutions of some example-problems and then in asking students to practice individually on solving a certain number of related problems. This approach does not ensure that students learn to solve problems and above all to think about the solution process in a consistent manner. Topics such as atoms, molecules, and the mole concept are fundamental in chemistry and instructors may think that, for our students, should be easy to learn these concepts and to use them in solving problems, but it is not always so. If teachers do not put emphasis on the logical process during solving problems, students are at risk to become more proficient at applying the formulas rather than to reason. This disappointing result is clear from the outcomes of questionnaires meant to measure the ability to calculate the mass of a sample from the number of atoms and vice versa. A suggestion from the cognitive load theory has proved a useful way to improve students’ skills for this type of problems: the use of worked out examples. The repetition after two weeks of the Friedel-Maloney test after the use of worked examples shows that students' skills significantly improve. Successful students in all questions jumped from 2 to 64%

Ionic equilibrium calculations: A problem solving approach

Students are not able to solve ionic equilibrium problems in a systematic way and using a series of rote-learned formulae is not the best didactic approach. The student has to ask himself or herself questions in order to decide what formula to use: Is this a buffer solution? Are we at the equivalence point? Is the hydrolysis appreciable? Can the dissociation of this weak acid be considered negligible? And so on. These questions bewilder the student (but not the expert chemist) who has to evaluate terms such as "negligible", "perceptible" or "significant". As instructors, we can agree that the difficulty faced by the students in solving such problems is the recognition of the chemical approach required in different situations. Here, a method is presented here that helps the student to develop metacognitive skills, such as planning and trying out of potential problem solutions in qualitative terms before making any calculations. Heuristics for checking the result such as “check the implications of your solution” or "are the units of measurements of the result correct?" are substituted by the more powerful numerical check of the mass balance equation, the electro-neutrality condition and the control of unchanged quantity

Advocating Science for All: An Interview with Peter J. Fensham

After providing some glimpses of his private life, Peter Fensham, a leading figure of the prestigious Faculty of Education, Monash University (and now emeritus professor at Queensland University, Brisbane, Australia), gives some suggestions about the conditions that help students to learn meaningfully. He began his career in the field of physical chemistry and then became an international authority in science education. His dedication to students and commitment to teaching a learner-centered science is palpable in many of his comments. This interview touches on many of the themes he addressed in numerous studies and research: the curriculum, the qualities of the expert teacher, and the decline of standards in schools. Although he is a supporter of a constructivist approach to teaching chemistry, he criticizes the extreme views of constructivism and explains the origin of his inner strength that made him a champion of “science for all”