Developing a Common Visual Literacy amongst First Year Chemistry Students

During the course of their studies, chemistry students are exposed to multiple, progressively more sophisticated models of submicro scale particles. In this paper we report on the introduction of submicro drawing questions into a first year university chemistry laboratory program with the aim of revealing alternative conceptions that may have gone undiagnosed using traditional teaching methods. Ultimately, such questions are beneficial as a learning tool incorporated into a learning process aimed at improving students’ conceptual understanding of fundamental chemistry concepts. Introducing submicro drawing questions involved developing a common visual literacy amongst students to enable comparable drawings to be produced for assessment purposes. This process included asking students to attempt three drawing tasks while following research informed guidelines worded to allow visual diagnosis of a range of commonly reported alternative conceptions

First year university students’ visualization of the submicroscopic world

In one way or another, knowledge and understanding of chemistry is generated, expressed, taught, and communicated at three different “levels”, these are known as the macro, submicroscopic and symbolic levels of representation (Johnstone, 1991) (Johnstone, 1993). The submicroscopic level of representation concerns the world of atoms and their derivatives; ions and molecules, and this unobservable world is accessible only by imagination. Imagination is a key component of student understanding and its significance cannot be underestimated (Bucat & Mocerino, 2009). However, most students’ knowledge resides almost exclusively at the symbolic level (Johnstone, 1991). The aims of this research include understanding how first year chemistry students imagine chemical processes at the submicroscopic level of representation. To date, data has been collected on how students visualize the products (including the solvent) of a common precipitation reaction. Students who were prepared to participate further in the research project were interviewed at the end of first semester to assess how their understanding of the concepts had changed. Students drew diagrams of ions, atoms and molecules, which were assessed for conceptual appropriateness using set criteria. The diagrams for each compound were initially grouped into two broad categories of appropriate or inappropriate representations. Inappropriate representations were further grouped into sub-categories

A picture is worth a thousand words: developing a common visual literacy amongst first year chemistry students

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND This paper reports on the development and implementation of student-generated submicro drawing questions into a first year chemistry laboratory program. AIMS This study aims are to use student-generated drawings to diagnose alternative conceptions held by first year chemistry students and enhance their understanding of the main concepts covered in each laboratory class. DESCRIPTION OF INTERVENTION Asking students to attempt submicro drawing tasks for assessment purposes first requires the development of a common visual literacy amongst students that helps to build familiarity with such tasks and allows comparable drawings to be produced. Developing a common visual literacy for this study involved students attempting three drawing tasks and watching a short video presentation. The drawing tasks were accompanied by guidelines but still required students to express their understanding of concepts such as molecular geometry, relative sizes of atoms and ions and the interactions between the chemical entities in their diagrams. Students attempted the questions individually before being invited to attempt them again in collaborative groups. DESIGN AND METHODS The participants for this study were first year general chemistry students at a large university in Victoria, Australia. The study compiled preliminary data which involved the collection of over three hundred student-generated drawings produced solely from the imaginations of the participants during week 1 of semester 1, 2013, followed by participant interviews at the end of the semester. A review of the relevant chemistry education literature and the preliminary data were used to develop the drawing tasks and video presentation that introduced students to a common visual literacy during weeks 1 and 2 of semester 1, 2014. Student-generated drawings collected during the preliminary data stage were assessed against criterion developed using a grounded approach which enabled themes to emerge by coding and categorizing the drawings through repetitive comparison. RESULTS Figures 1 – 3 are examples of student-generated drawings and highlight some of the alternative conceptions that can be revealed when students’ are asked to visually express their understanding of how ions interact in an aqueous solution (Figure 1) and in a solid (Figure 2). Students also revealed a number of alternative conceptions relating to water molecules and a difficulty in representing the detail required for solute-solute and solute-solvent interactions to be demonstrated (Figure 3). Figure 1: Drawings not meeting one or more criteria developed for aqueous calcium nitrate Figure 2: Drawings not meeting one or more criteria developed for solid silver chloride Figure 3: Drawings not meeting one or more criteria developed for liquid water CONCLUSIONS This study is situated within a constructivist framework which seeks to understand students’ alternative conceptions and to introduce effective pedagogical approaches that help to engage students in the learning process. Questions that require students to draw submicro diagrams and use them to facilitate a shared understanding with their peers are consistent with the collaborative nature of chemistry and a student-centred approach

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Investigating First Year Chemistry Students’ Ability to Visually Express Their Understanding of Chemistry Concepts

This paper reports on research into understanding the ability of first year chemistry students to visually express their understanding of chemistry concepts. The aim was to gather data to inform the development and implementation of student-generated drawing questions into a first year university chemistry laboratory program; part of which involved the development of a criteria framework for assessing the drawings. The purpose of introducing drawing questions was to help diagnose alternative conceptions and improve conceptual understanding by engaging students’ at the macro, symbolic and submicro levels of representation. The need for such questions in the laboratory program was deemed necessary after a review of the existing questions highlighted that students were being asked to express their understanding of what they were learning in each class invariably at the macro and symbolic levels of representation, but not the submicro level. Investigating students’ ability to visually express chemistry concepts involved a review of the relevant chemistry education literature, student interviews and the collection of over three hundred student-generated drawings that were produced solely from the imagination of the participants

The Private Rented Sectors in the North and South of Ireland: A Case Study in Convergence Analysis

The theme of this paper centres on the convergence and divergence of housing policy between two regimes inhabiting the same geographical space on the island of Ireland, as reflected in the development of the private rented sector (PRS) in both jurisdictions. Using a historical comparative analysis of key indicators, this paper aims not just to present an accurate picture of the state of policy towards the sector in both jurisdictions today, but to place this analysis within a framework which looks at the backdrop of overall housing systems. The paper postulates that while Northern Ireland and the South of Ireland are reflective of the Anglo Saxon tradition in housing, major historical differences in their pathways have brought clearly identifiable policy outcomes indicative of their differing status in comparative welfare analysis. While both jurisdictions have diverged significantly during the course of the twentieth century in the profile of policy and housing tenure mix, showing examples of path dependency at work, there is clear evidence of more recent convergence. More recent changes in housing policy in both jurisdictions away from direct social housing provision and the changing role of the private rented sector are also examined and a convergence theory is proposed.  

Effectiveness of a national quality improvement programme to improve survival after emergency abdominal surgery (EPOCH): a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial

Background: Emergency abdominal surgery is associated with poor patient outcomes. We studied the effectiveness of a national quality improvement (QI) programme to implement a care pathway to improve survival for these patients. Methods: We did a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial of patients aged 40 years or older undergoing emergency open major abdominal surgery. Eligible UK National Health Service (NHS) hospitals (those that had an emergency general surgical service, a substantial volume of emergency abdominal surgery cases, and contributed data to the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit) were organised into 15 geographical clusters and commenced the QI programme in a random order, based on a computer-generated random sequence, over an 85-week period with one geographical cluster commencing the intervention every 5 weeks from the second to the 16th time period. Patients were masked to the study group, but it was not possible to mask hospital staff or investigators. The primary outcome measure was mortality within 90 days of surgery. Analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis. This study is registered with the ISRCTN registry, number ISRCTN80682973. Findings: Treatment took place between March 3, 2014, and Oct 19, 2015. 22 754 patients were assessed for elegibility. Of 15 873 eligible patients from 93 NHS hospitals, primary outcome data were analysed for 8482 patients in the usual care group and 7374 in the QI group. Eight patients in the usual care group and nine patients in the QI group were not included in the analysis because of missing primary outcome data. The primary outcome of 90-day mortality occurred in 1210 (16%) patients in the QI group compared with 1393 (16%) patients in the usual care group (HR 1·11, 0·96–1·28). Interpretation: No survival benefit was observed from this QI programme to implement a care pathway for patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery. Future QI programmes should ensure that teams have both the time and resources needed to improve patient care. Funding: National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research Programme

Effectiveness of a national quality improvement programme to improve survival after emergency abdominal surgery (EPOCH): a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial

BACKGROUND: Emergency abdominal surgery is associated with poor patient outcomes. We studied the effectiveness of a national quality improvement (QI) programme to implement a care pathway to improve survival for these patients. METHODS: We did a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial of patients aged 40 years or older undergoing emergency open major abdominal surgery. Eligible UK National Health Service (NHS) hospitals (those that had an emergency general surgical service, a substantial volume of emergency abdominal surgery cases, and contributed data to the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit) were organised into 15 geographical clusters and commenced the QI programme in a random order, based on a computer-generated random sequence, over an 85-week period with one geographical cluster commencing the intervention every 5 weeks from the second to the 16th time period. Patients were masked to the study group, but it was not possible to mask hospital staff or investigators. The primary outcome measure was mortality within 90 days of surgery. Analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis. This study is registered with the ISRCTN registry, number ISRCTN80682973. FINDINGS: Treatment took place between March 3, 2014, and Oct 19, 2015. 22 754 patients were assessed for elegibility. Of 15 873 eligible patients from 93 NHS hospitals, primary outcome data were analysed for 8482 patients in the usual care group and 7374 in the QI group. Eight patients in the usual care group and nine patients in the QI group were not included in the analysis because of missing primary outcome data. The primary outcome of 90-day mortality occurred in 1210 (16%) patients in the QI group compared with 1393 (16%) patients in the usual care group (HR 1·11, 0·96-1·28). INTERPRETATION: No survival benefit was observed from this QI programme to implement a care pathway for patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery. Future QI programmes should ensure that teams have both the time and resources needed to improve patient care. FUNDING: National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research Programme

Line plasma <i>versus</i> point plasma VUV LIBS for the detection of carbon in steel: a comparative study

Comparison of line plasma and point plasma VUV laser induced breakdown spectroscopy for the detection of carbon in steel