Digital Assessment: Chemical Reactions

Chemical Reactions Assessment

Intended Audience:

This lesson is intended for introductory level chemistry students.

Learning Objectives:

1. Students will be able to balance a chemical equation.
2. Students will be able to identify a chemical reaction as either synthesis, decomposition, single replacement, double replacement, or combustion
3. Students will be able to predict the products of simple chemical reactions as they follow the patterns found in synthesis, decomposition, single replacement, double replacement, and combustion reactions.
4. HS-PS1-7 Use mathematical representations to support the claim that atoms, and therefore mass, are conserved during a chemical reaction. (Taken from NGSS)
5. HS-PS1-2 Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties. (Taken from NGSS)

Assessment Type:

Formative assessment on chemical reactions. This assessment includes balancing chemical equations, identifying types of reactions, and predicting products of a chemical reaction.

Assessment Purpose:

The purpose of this assessment is to allow students the chance to show me what they have learned, as well as to give students feedback on their current understanding. This assessment would be given prior to a unit test to allow time for students to further their understanding on the various skills being assessed. This assessment uses a variety of multiple choice, matching, and short answer type questions.

Journal Article: Classroom Versus Online Assessment

In their article Classroom Versus Online Assessment, Spivey and McMillan point out how much technology has changed education, and the number of resources available to teachers and students online. Among these resources are online classes and online assessments. According to the Spivey and McMillan (2014), there are several benefits to online assessment such as flexibility in testing times, randomization of questions and multiple-choice responses, opportunities for students to rework similar questions multiple times, multiple options for feedback, and the ability to provide hints. (p. 450)  However, the authors found little research attempting to correlate testing format, online or paper-and-pencil, to student effort or student achievement.

To study this question, Spivey and McMillan studied 174 students in an upper level finance course. All students were in various sections of the same course taught by the same instructor. Some sections were tested with traditional paper-and-pencil tests while other sections were assessed online. To gather data on student effort, the researchers observed how often students accessed online study resources. When analyzing their data, the researchers found that “on average, students who did well in other courses, did well in the class and students with higher GPAs put forth more study effort” (Spivey & McMillan, 2014, p. 453). Spivey and McMillan (2014) also found that “neither study efforts nor course performance was influenced by testing procedure” (p. 453). Because of the statistical insignificance of testing formats, the researchers encourage instructors to experiment online testing, as there are still advantages such as increased flexibility, convenience, and ability to provide immediate feedback.

I found this article very fascinating! I had not thought about student motivation as it relates to testing format prior to reading this study. As it turns out, one testing format did not encourage more student effort over another. However, I think Spivey and McMillan point out some other really great advantages to online assessment over traditional assessments. The biggest advantage to online testing that stands out to me is the ability to provide immediate feedback, and the variety of ways feedback can be given. Giving students timely feedback is so important to helping students grow, and better understand material. My ability to provide students with good feedback, quickly, has been an area that I am looking to improve on. Utilizing more online assessments with a built-in feedback feature is definitely something I should incorporate to my teaching. Currently, I use apps like Kahoot as a way to informally assess my students, and review material. However, this is where my use of online assessment stops. I will be looking for more ways to use online assessment in my classroom as a means to improve my ability to give students meaningful feedback.

Spivey, M. F., & McMillan, J. J. (2014). Classroom Versus Online Assessment. Journal Of Education For Business, 89(8), 450-456. doi:10.1080/08832323.2014.937676

Screencast: Balancing Chemical Equations Simulation

Intended Audience:

This lesson is intended for introductory level chemistry students.

Learning Objectives

1. Students will be able to balance a chemical equation.
2. HS-PS1-7 Use mathematical representations to support the claim that atoms, and therefore mass, are conserved during a chemical reaction. (Taken from NGSS)

Lesson Rational:

An integral component of every introductory chemistry course is the study of matter and how it interacts. When teaching about chemical reactions, it is common to start with the law of conservation of mass. This is a chemical principle that states that mass cannot be created nor destroyed. One of the biggest implications of this law is that all chemical equations must be balanced -- the same number of atoms must be represented on both the product and reactant side of the equation.

The screencast embedded below is meant to help students find, and operate a PhET simulation about balancing chemical equations. Students will be provided with a worksheet to go along with the PhET simulation. Therefore, the goal of this screencast is focused more on how to use the simulation, rather than explaining content. Ideally, the simulation and the worksheet will act together to make a guided inquiry lesson. In this lesson, students should see that an equation is not balanced until all elements are equally represented on the product and reactant side of the equation. If students are unable to finish the worksheet in class, the screencast can act as instructions to access the simulation at home as well.

Journal Article: Impact of Screencast Technology: Connecting the Perception of Usefulness and the Reality of Performance

The study, Impact of Screencast Technology: Connecting the Perception of Usefulness and the Reality of Performance, focuses on undergraduate engineering students, and explores how and why students use screencasts. For their study, Green, Pinder-Grover, and Millunchick (2012) have identified several uses of screencasts in education that include: “providing an overview, describing procedures, presenting concepts, elaborating on content, and focusing attention” (p. 718). Data is collected throughout the semester via student survey and course performance. One specific type of screencast used in this study are homework solution screencasts. In general, students found these screencasts to be very useful for a couple of reasons such as additional study resources, or a way to better understand problems that were done wrong, and why the student had done them wrong. At the end of the study, 92% of students surveyed believed they had a deeper understanding of the material after viewing the screencast. (Green et al., 2012, p. 726).

Another type of screencast offered to students in this study were mini-lecture screencasts. These screencasts were created by an instructor based off of a poll of the students and their misconceptions. In addition to using mini-lecture screencasts as a study resource, students used these videos to help fill in gaps to their notes. Again, 90% of students surveyed found these mini-lecture screencasts to be beneficial. In the end of the study, “we found a positive, significant correlation between screencast use and performance overall” (Green et al., 2012, p. 729). This is especially true if a student has a positive attitude towards screencasts, and can see the benefit to viewing these videos.

I found this study to be very interesting. I have always thought of using screencasts in my classroom as a way to show my students procedures. In reading this study, I became more aware of the various ways screencasts could be used in the classroom. Based off of the study, it is clear to see the benefit of screencasts, and I would like to incorporate more of them into my instruction. While incorporating these videos, I would definitely have a discussion with my students about the benefits of viewing them. This study pointed out that when students see the benefit to the screencast, they are more likely to view the screencast, and they will take away more information from viewing the video.

I think both major types of screencast that were discussed in the study, homework solution and mini-lecture, would be excellent to try in my classroom. I always go over homework in class. However, a screencast would allow students who are gone, or students who need to hear the solution again, a chance to meet their individual needs. Mini-lecture screencasts are a neat idea, too. I think giving the chance to have students identify what they are confused about, and then going home and watching a video that further explains that topic is a great way reach my students. This method also gives students some control over what they are learning.

GREEN, K. R., PINDER-GROVER, T., & MILLUNCHICK, J. M. (2012). Impact of Screencast Technology: Connecting the Perception of Usefulness and the Reality of Performance. Journal Of Engineering Education, 101(4), 717-737.

The 5 Types of Reactions: Podcast Series

Intended Audience:
This lesson is intended for introductory level chemistry students.

Learning Objectives

1. Students will be able to identify a chemical reaction as either synthesis, decomposition, single replacement, double replacement, or combustion
2. Students will be able to predict the products of simple chemical reactions as they follow the patterns found in synthesis, decomposition, single replacement, double replacement, and combustion reactions.
3. HS-PS1-2 Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties. (Taken from NGSS)

Lesson Rational:

An integral component of every introductory chemistry course is the study of matter and how it interacts. Most of the interactions of matter can be classified as one of the 5 types of chemical reactions. In this lesson, students will have the opportunity to listen to, and take notes on, five podcasts that describe the different types of reactions. I would assign these podcasts, along with fill-in notes, the night before I talk about the types of reactions in class. This way students have some background as to what I will be discussing. I have chosen to make one audio recording for each type of reaction. This can help students in a couple of ways. First of all when students are initially listening to podcasts, the fill-in notes will be easy to follow, and students will not have to guess which reaction I am talking about at which point. Secondly, if a student ever feels the need to go back and re-listen to information about a certain type of reaction, they will not need to scan through one long podcast. Instead, they can just listen to the podcast or podcasts that they are confused about.

Podcast Series:

5 Types of Reactions: Introduction

5 Types of Reactions: Synthesis

5 Types of Reactions: Decomposition

5 Types of Reactions: Single Replacement

5 Types of Reactions: Double Replacement

5 Types of Reactions: Combustion

Journal Article: Podcasts in the Chemistry Teaching

In the article Podcasts in the Chemistry Teaching, Leite observed how podcasts can be used in chemistry education. Leite observed both teachers and students to write the article, and collected qualitative data through methods of case studies and surveys. The podcasts that were observed included some major chemical topics such as: density, solubility, acid-base, and energy. The study found that “ the Podcast is a powerful tool as a complement to traditional teaching resources, but we cannot consider as a substitute for them” (Leite, 2016, p. 344). In preparing podcasts, teachers and students are required to go through a process of selecting a topic, writing a script, production, and editing. In this process, the podcast producer needs to really think though the content, and the goals of the podcast. This process encourages interaction, motivation, and visualization of chemical situations. The end result is something that can be easily accessible via the internet and used by other teachers and students in the future. Leite also mentions that podcasts could be used as a research tool to introduce a new topic, or to revise current understandings.

As a high school chemistry teacher, I found this article to be very interesting. At first glance, I was not sure how I could use a podcast in my classroom. However, I know see several applications. The first way I could see using podcasts for my instruction is as an introductory resource. I can either create, or find, a podcast that my students could listen to and take notes on as a way to introduce a concept. This is something I could assign to my students as homework, and therefore opening up more time during the school day to focus on practice or experiments. I could also use a podcast to revise my student’s understanding. In chemistry, we often start with a big idea, and as we learn more, we start to revise and adapt our understanding to fit new information. I see podcasts fitting into this process in two ways. I could use a podcast to provide more information to my students to further their understanding. I could also provide my students with a podcast, and pose to them the question of what is inaccurate about this podcast? How can we change this podcast to fit our better understanding?.

Finally, I see that I could have my students creating podcasts. Making a podcast requires a lot of thought. Students would have to have an in depth understanding of the content they would be presenting in their podcast. This could be an excellent project at the end of a semester. Students could be assigned a topic to create a podcast for. In doing this, each student would become an expert on their topic. Once all of the podcasts have been made, they could be shared with all students, and a study guide has been born.

Leite, B. S. (2016). Podcasts in the Chemistry Teaching. Orbital: The Electronic Journal Of Chemistry, 8(6), 341-351. doi:10.17807/orbital.v0i0.898

Journal Article: Extending social networking into the secondary education sector

In summary, this article examines the use of social networking sites as a tool in secondary education classrooms in Macau, China. Su Iong examines the use of social networking sites as a learning management system, a platform for teachers’ professional development, and a means to encourage student engagement. (2016, p. 721) The article continues to describe the social nature of learning, and how discourse and collaboration with peers is a key element to learning new content. Social networking sites lend themselves to this type of interaction, but on a virtual platform. With the use of social networking sites, the teacher’s role has been changed from provider of information to facilitator of discussion. Studies have shown that student attitude, engagement, motivation, and trust can all be improved with the incorporation of social networking sites. However, this study does point to a few issues in the implementation of social networking sites in education. The author is unsure if students are mature enough to use social networking site for academic purposes. A benefit to social networking sites is accessibility. In a study of 851 secondary students, 830 of them currently had a Facebook account.  In this study, the utilization of social networking sites for academic purposes by students was also examined. The researchers found that students see the potential in social networking sites for academics, but may need further support to reap all of the benefits.

I found this article to be very interesting! In my own experience, I have seen teachers struggle with the use of social networking sites, like Facebook, in their classrooms. I think this happens for a couple of reasons. Teachers are worried about the legality of interacting with their students on social media, and also do not trust their students to use social networking sites for the appropriate reasons. Sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are often seen as distractions to learning rather than tools to facilitate it. In my own classroom, I have set up a Twitter account that students can use to see the weekly agenda, read chemistry jokes, or ask me questions outside of class. I have enjoyed using twitter as a way to engage my students outside of the classroom. I have also really enjoyed the professional development opportunities available on sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Su Iong, K. (2016). Extending social networking into the secondary education sector. British Journal Of Educational Technology, 47(4), 721-733. doi:10.1111/bjet.12259

Journal Article: Utilizing Technology in Physical Education: Addressing the Obstacles of Integration

In the article Utilizing Technology in Physical Education: Addressing the Obstacles of Integration, Pyle and Esslinger pinpoint two barriers to technology integration, and how to overcome them. The two barriers the authors point to are administrator views and self-imposed barriers. Administrators often tend to disconnect physical education and technology, and therefore when developing a technology integration plan, administrators leave out PE from the discussion. Physical education teachers may view technology as important, but again, may fail to see how to incorporate technology into their curriculum. One of the ways to overcome these obstacles that Pyle and Esslinger give is teacher preparation. Teachers need to be trained on technology, its importance, and its uses. The authors then continue on to list ideas for how technology may be used by physical education teachers. Some of their ideas include class preparation, classroom management, communication, instruction and feedback, and assessment. Teachers can use technology to prepare for class by finding ideas, lessons, and units online and via collaborating with other teachers. Using technology to set workouts to music is a way to keep your class motivated. Keeping parents, students, colleagues, and administrators in the loop is much easier with technology. Heart rate monitors, ipads, video recorders can all be used to give students instruction or feedback. Online assessments can be used to allow more time for activities while in PE class. Even though PE and technology may seem disconnected, they really do not have to be!

Although this article does not directly relate to me, as I am not a physical education teacher, I found the content to be very useful. I think teacher and administrator attitudes towards technology can be a barrier for any subject. Technology integration begins with a want to use a tool. The solution that this article offers is training. Teachers need to have ideas on how to use various forms of technology in their classrooms. Teachers and administrators also need to know the requirements of their state, and what technology standards they are expected to cover in their classrooms. A quote from the article that really rang true for me is that “technology should be used to enhance student learning, to save time, and to motivate the student and the teacher" (Pyle & Esslinger, 2013, p. 36). This is true for all subjects. We should not be incorporating technology into our curriculum because we need to meet state standards, because it's cool, or because we want to bypass teaching a skill. I really do agree with this quote in that we should use technology to enhance student learning.

Pyle, B., & Esslinger, K. (2013). Utilizing Technology in Physical Education: Addressing the Obstacles of Integration. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 80(2), 35-39.

Journal Article: Current Trends in Higher Education Technology: Simulation

In the article Current Trends in Higher Education Technology: Simulation, Andrea Damewood focuses on simulation technology as an educational tool. For the purposes of the article, Damewood uses the dictionary.com definition of simulation: a system representing or standing in for another system. Damewood focuses on simulations as they pertain to higher education nursing programs, but much of what she has to say can be used to discuss simulations for education in general. For example, simulations should have a high fidelity, or be highly realistic. With highly realistic simulations, the more real the learning experience while using the simulation, and the better the outcome for the student. This is because simulations are active learning experiences where students can apply what has been learned in class or lecture.  Simulations also produce a low-risk environment for students to explore and do their best to apply their content knowledge. The author also discusses how good simulations allow time for students to reflect on the learning experience and make additional meaning from what they have gone through. The learning theories that simulations touch on are experiential learning and social learning. In a simulation, students get to experience, first hand, a system that they may be using in their career. The social aspect of simulations is built in as students often collaborate with one another as they work through a simulation. According to Damewood, “we simulate to learn what we do not already know; to see situations from new angles; to learn from both our successes and our mistakes; and to experiment without risk to real people, environments, or property” (2016, p. 269).

I can definitely see where Damewood is coming from in her article. I have seen simulations as a technology trend in my own classroom, and have noticed the benefits of using simulations. Being a high school science teacher, we use simulated experiments all of the time. Programs like PhET are full of useful simulations that can make microscopic systems macroscopic. This idea of taking something so small that we cannot see it, like atoms, and blowing it up so students can interact with it is huge! Now students have an experience that they can draw to in order to make connections to what I have discussed in the notes. Going along with the article, I also like simulations in my chemistry classroom because of the low-risk factor associated with them. Not all chemistry experiments are appropriate to run in a high school classroom. With simulations, I can still give my students the experience of that experiment, while also taking out the associated danger.

Damewood, A. (2016). Current Trends in Higher Education Technology: Simulation. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 60(3), 268-271. doi:10.1007/s11528-016-0048-1