Date: Mon, 3 Jun 1996 07:03:00 EDT From: to2 Subject: Papers 1 to 5 are now available CHEMCONF '96 New Initiatives in Chemical Education An On-Line Symposium, June 3 to July 19, 1996 Sponsored by the American Chemical Society's Division of Chemical Education Organized by: Donald Rosenthal, Department of Chemistry, Clarkson University, and Tom O'Haver, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Maryland at College Park. It is Monday, June 3, 1996. Papers 1 to 5 are now available and may be retrieved from the World Wide Web. (The URL is http://www.wam.umd.edu/~toh/ChemConf96.html) >From 8 AM Eastern Daylight Saving Time (EDST) today until 8 AM EDST on Tuesday, June 4 you have an opportunity to ask SHORT QUESTIONS about Paper 1 - "What is AAAS Project 2061? Why Should Chemists Care?" by Jerry A. Bell and Andrew Ahlgren. SHORT QUESTIONS should be sent to: CHEMCONF@UMDD.UMD.EDU or CHEMCONF@UMDD.BITNET Such messages inform both authors and subscribers. The SUBJECT LINE of any message you send can be useful in keeping track of questions and answers to questions. For example: P1 - JS - SQ - AAAS and Primary School Chemistry P1 indicates the message pertains to Paper 1. JS are the initials of the sender - John Smith SQ - identifies a Short Question A brief (less than 35 letter) description of the content. The authors and subscribers will have at least a week to consider the questions and frame their responses. (Authors should be informed of typographical or other errors by sending them personal mail and NOT via CHEMCONF) Remember, DISCUSSION OF PAPER 1 WILL OCCUR BETWEEN JUNE 10 AND JUNE 11 and NOT BETWEEN June 3 and June 7. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Donald Rosenthal Symposium Chair and Chair, CCCE Clarkson University Phone: 315-265-9242 E-mail: ROSEN1@CLVM.CLARKSON.EDU Tom O'Haver Professor of Analytical Chemistry University of Maryland Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry College Park, MD 20742 Maryland Collaborative for Teacher Preparation (301) 405-1831 to2@umail.umd.edu FAX: (301) 314-9121 http://www.wam.umd.edu/~toh ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jun 1996 14:15:12 -0400 From: JBELL Subject: P1-DD/JB-SQ-absolute grading scale Dan Dill (Boston University) asked: Hi. Could you describe what you mean by an absolute grading scale? Thanks Dan ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jun 1996 08:12:00 GMT-0300 From: Silvia Moreno Subject: Re: DR- SYMPOSIUM PAPERS AND OTHER MATTERS At 09:45 4/06/96 GMT, you wrote: >I had try out this URL for conference papers,but didnot succeeded yet, >could any one help me out? > >:Papers 1, 2, 4 and 5 are now available and may be retrieved >:from the World Wide Web. >:The URL is: >:http://www.inform.umd.edu:8080/EdRes/FacRes/ChemConference/ChemConf96/Home html >: > >One help could be that you have to pay special attention to capital letters. If not, the URL is not recognized. Luck Silvia Moreno ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jun 1996 08:36:49 -0600 From: Charles Sundin 608-342-1651 Subject: CES onRe: DR- SYMPOSIUM PAPERS AND OTHER MATTERS In-Reply-To: <199606040945.RAA26281@shts.seed.net.tw> >I had try out this URL for conference papers,but didnot succeeded yet, >could any one help me out? > >:Papers 1, 2, 4 and 5 are now available and may be retrieved >:from the World Wide Web. >:The URL is: >:http://www.inform.umd.edu:8080/EdRes/FacRes/ChemConference/ChemCon f96/Home.html >: I had no difficulty getting in but I used http://www.wam.umd.edu/~toh/ChemConf96.html I also tried http://www.inform.umd.edu:8080/EdRes/FacRes/ChemConference/ChemConf9 6/Home.html and it worked fine. Charles E. Sundin, Chair Department of Chemistry and Physics University of Wisconsin-Platteville 1 University Plaza PLATTEVILLE WI 53818-3099 sundin@uwplatt.edu http://www.ems.uwplatt.edu/sci/chem/fac/sundin/sundin.htm VOICE: 608-342-1651 FAX: 608-342-1566 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jun 1996 11:46:11 -500 Comments: Authenticated sender is From: "Christopher T. Bailey" Organization: Wells College Subject: P2-CTB-SQ-spacial ability vs problem solving Bodner and Domin have presented in paper #2 evidence that appears to correlate spacial ability with problem solving abilities. Is spacial ability something that can be taught or is it innate? If the former, what can we be doing in our classes to improve this ability? If the latter, should we go to the extreme of making "evidence of spacial ability" a prerequisite for our courses? (i.e. Is it *possible* to elevate an unsuccessful problem solver to a successful one?) Chris Bailey ******************************************************* Christopher T. Bailey CBAILEY@WELLS.EDU Associate Professor of Chemistry Chair, Biological & Chemical Sciences Major Program Wells College Aurora, New York 13026 315-364-3286 http://www.wells.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jun 1996 13:30:16 EDT From: Donald Rosenthal Organization: Clarkson University Subject: P2-DR-SQ Problems Requiring Mathematics and Others P2 - DR - SQ - Problems Requiring Mathematics and Those Which Do Not Most of the examples you discussed in your paper did not require much mathematics other than simple arithmetic. Many of the problems chemistry students must deal with in Physical Chemistry involve the use of algebra, calculus or the solution of differential equations. (Such problems may even be encountered in general chemistry.) Many students can solve a problem once it is formulated in mathematical terms. Where they have difficulty is in transforming a verbal problem and/or simple data to a mathematical equation or equations. 1. Does your research provide any insight or techniques which might help such students? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. How can students be taught to develop valid (and useful) internal representation methods to solve problems like those you cite in your paper? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Donald Rosenthal Department of Chemistry Clarkson University ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jun 1996 16:22:47 -0400 From: Chemical Concepts Corporation Subject: P2-BR-SQ - Representations vs. Manipulatives 1. I'm following up on Donald Rosenthal's question who asks what are the Representations used for "simpler" problems (or exercises) that are mathematically based. For the following question: (What is the volume of an object of density = 5 g/mL and of a mass = 2 g?) what is the representation? Is it: d = m/v followed by the rearrangement to solve for v (v = m/d)? What is the representation for a solution involving dimensional analysis? ------------------------------------ 2. I've had some conversations with friends at the Sylvan Learning Center. They have the instructors and students start out using what they call "Manuplatives". For example a problem involving the calculation of the number of tiles required to tile a room given the area of the floor (in sq. feet) and the tiles (in square inches), would use as a possible manipulatives: base ten blocks and graph paper. The student would then use the graph paper to cut out a room of the proper dimensions, and then place the Base Ten blocks in them. Then count how many. Are "representations" the same as these "manipulatives" or are they just "pictures" or "images"? If so, how does an equation (PV = nRT) qualify? ------------------------- Bert Ramsay, Chemical Concepts Corporation, c3@BizServe.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jun 1996 19:50:14 -0700 From: Bob Bruner Subject: P2-BB-SQ-Realizing if it worked? A question about paper 2... Isn't it also true that successful problem solvers _recognize_ whether their solution (and therefore their representation) worked? In some sense, they _check_ their work, and can try again if their initial approach (representation) was inadequate. For example, in the SOCl2 reaction, taking the care to balance the equation would serve as a check of whether or not the solution is valid. (And "knowing" what SOCl2 does with acids would also help.) Are you able to address this from your experiences? (Is it relevant here that unsuccessful problem solvers only try one representation.?) Bob Bruner Univ Calif Berkeley Extension, and Contra Costa College bbruner@uclink4.berkeley.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jun 1996 08:25:07 -0500 From: Don Jones Subject: Re: Papers 1 to 5 are now available > CHEMCONF '96 > > New Initiatives in Chemical Education > > An On-Line Symposium, June 3 to July 19, 1996 > >Sponsored by the American Chemical Society's > Division of Chemical Education > >Organized by: >Donald Rosenthal, Department of Chemistry, Clarkson University, and >Tom O'Haver, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, > The University of Maryland at College Park. > >It is Monday, June 3, 1996. > >Papers 1 to 5 are now available and may be retrieved >from the World Wide Web. >(The URL is http://www.wam.umd.edu/~toh/ChemConf96.html) Tom, I just tried the home page listed above and there are NO papers listed nor any links to them. Please advise. Don Donald E. Jones Program Director Teacher Enhancement Program Elementary, Secondary and Informal Education National Science Foundation the Internet: djones@nsf.gov Telephone (703) 306-1613 x6819 Fax: (703) 306-0412 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jun 1996 16:55:23 GMT From: Peter Pflaum Subject: Cross-links on the Internet X-To: pflaump@sprynet.com Http://metro.turnpike.net/~pflaump the Synergy Network offers cross-links from E-mail, mailing lists, newsgroups, and the World Wide Web. For those who want to make wide area connections we are making the technology possible. Many topics are in the 24 Mb's of files and 100's of links - The focus of the site is The Internet as a new life form, blue sky planning, Quality in Education, ( Small Schools journals ) business, and public affairs. http://metro.turnpike.net/~pflaump pflaump@sprynet.com and pflaump@worldnet.att.net The Global Village School house and synergy network ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jun 1996 20:39:28 EDT From: Donald Rosenthal Organization: Clarkson University Subject: P3 - DR - SQ - Molecular Modeling in Courses P3 - DR - SQ - The Use of Molecular Modeling in General Chemistry and Other Courses 1. In your paper you state: > Students .. enjoy learning from both computer programs and models > and appreciate the opportunity to learn a useful research technique that > can be applied in later courses and their careers. How are other courses at Northern Colorado making use of the expertise students have acquired in the freshmen course? Also, I would be interested in learning from the symposium participants what your schools are doing at the General Chemistry level and more advanced courses with Computer Molecular Modeling. How much time do students devote to these activities? What software do they use? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. You state: > little is yet known about how giving students the opportunity to > explore and build structures in the molecular world affects learning. and > The challenge .. when introducing students to molecular modeling > software is how to provide the structured learning environment > that best leads to understang. Loretta, do you or do any of the other symposium participants have additional ideas you would like to share with us on these important matters? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Donald Rosenthal Department of Chemistry Clarkson University ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jun 1996 21:45:16 -0400 From: Runhai Lu Subject: Re: P3 - DR - SQ - Molecular Modeling in Courses In-Reply-To: <960605.203928.EDT.ROSEN1@clvm.clarkson.edu> BTW:Why don't use molecular models in the course? such as molecular vision ( general name: Darling Model), they are inexpensive and easy to use. Just an idea ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jun 1996 08:31:46 -0400 From: George Long Subject: P3. GRL - Associated Costs I have several short, perhaps practical questions. 1. What is the cost required to set up molecular modeling for a large group of students ? 2. Do other faculty, in upper divisions courses use the same software ? 3. How do you think learning via modeling affects the non-chemistry majors, who are likely not going to see MM again. 4. Even in simple molecules MM does not always give results that are exactly correct, particularly with inorganic compounds (i.e. in agreement, within error of experiments) Do you inform the students of these subtle errors or do you assume that the values are correct enough for freshmen. **************************************************************************** George R Long, Ph.D. Department of Chemistry Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana, PA 15705 grlong@grove.iup.edu 412-357-2575 Our lives are merely trees of possibilities - Marc Bolan **************************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jun 1996 11:57:32 -0400 From: "Harry E. Pence" Subject: Re: P3 - DR - SQ - Molecular Modeling in Courses In-Reply-To: <960605.203928.EDT.ROSEN1@clvm.clarkson.edu> Don Rosenthal highlighted the comment that >2. You state: > > little is yet known about how giving students the opportunity to > > explore and build structures in the molecular world affects learning and added the question: > Loretta, do you or do any of the other symposium participants have > additional ideas you would like to share with us on these important > matters? After five years of using multimedia and cooperative learning in my general chemistry lectures, I continue to be surprised at how my students actually use the images that I provide. Not only do most of them attempt to copy the pictures from the presentation frames, but almost all of them report that associating the concepts with the pictures is a valuable learning tool. I've formed the habit of including a simple molecular picture when I talk about a compound, and the students feel these are the most interesting and most useful images that I include in my lectures. For years I've been saying that this is a generation of visual learners, and it may turn out that I'm more right that I realized. One last comment: this past fall one of my former students came by for help. He was taking organic chemistry, and wanted help "visualizing the molecules." I pulled up a simple diagram of butane, showing that, contrary to way the molecule is sometimes represented, the carbon backbone is not linear but has the 109 deg bends that you would expect from simple bonding theory. He looked at it for a while, then said, "Thanks, that's what I thought it should look like." and left. I don't know if he's doing better or worse in organic than previous students, but I do think that there is a change in the way that he is viewing molecular structures. If you can have that much effect just showing pictures, I would expect that the results of having the students actually create their own molecules would be much greater. Cordially, Harry ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ | Harry E. Pence INTERNET: PENCEHE@ONEONTA.EDU | | Professor of Chemistry PHONE: 607-436-3179 | | SUNY Oneonta OFFICE: 607-436-3193 | | Oneonta, NY 13820 FAX: 607-436-2654 | | \\\//// | | (0 0) | |_______________OOO__(oo)__OOO____________________________| ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jun 1996 12:57:30 EDT From: Donald Rosenthal Organization: Clarkson University Subject: DR- Short Questions for Paper 4 It is Thursday, June 6. Please send any short questions you may have about Paper 4 "Development and Delivery of Chemical-Education Hypermedia Using the World-Wide Web" by Brian M. Tissue Short Questions should be sent to CHEMCONF@UMDD.UMD.EDU or CHEMCONF@UMDD.BITNET Questions may be sent to Brian Tissue and/or the other participants. Tomorrow (Friday) Short Questions may be sent about Paper 5 Discussion of the first five papers will BEGIN on Monday, June 10. Two days will be reserved for the discussion of each paper. For example, discussion of Paper 1 will occur on June 10 and June 11. Donald Rosenthal rosen1@clvm.clarkson.edu Clarkson University ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jun 1996 14:53:29 -0400 From: Chemical Concepts Corporation Subject: Re: P3-BR-SQ- Models and Representations I was struck by two passages in Dr. Jones paper that seem to link to Dr. Bodner's paper (#2): >...it may be that our text-based approaches to teaching are leaving behind students who learn more easily from visual imagery.> > Chemical reactions and stoichiometry are also taught after molecular structure, so that sstudents can better understand chemical equations and how chemical processes differ from physical ones.> Are students' difficulties with (mathematical) problem solving fundamentally related to their ability to visualize molecules as distinguished from symbolic representations? Bert Ramsay, Chemical Concepts Corporation, c3@BizServe.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jun 1996 21:55:18 -0400 From: "Richard O. Pendarvis" Subject: Re: P3 - DR - SQ - Molecular Modeling in Courses On Wed, 5 Jun 1996, Runhai Lu wrote: > BTW:Why don't use molecular models in the course? such as molecular > vision ( general name: Darling Model), they are inexpensive and easy to use. > Just an idea > I have used both molecular models and modeling software with my classes. I find that the physical molecular models are more effective teaching tools. My best guess is that the combined use of the various physical senses is somewhat more effective than the use of visual perception alone. Has anyone else had similar experiences? - - ____ | | _ | | Organic Chemistry / \ |_| | | || CAI Programming / \ | | / \ || Pizza / \ / \ | | _||_ Star Trek (_________) (_____) |______| _/____\_ Doberman Pinschers --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Richard Pendarvis, Ph.D. P.O. Box 1388 | | Associate Professor of Chemistry Ocala, FL 32608 | | Central Florida Community College EMAIL: afn02809@freenet.ufl.edu | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 7 Jun 1996 06:41:07 EDT From: Donald Rosenthal Organization: Clarkson University Subject: P4 - DR - SQ The Role of WWW Materials in Courses P4 - DR - SQ - The Role of WWW Materials in Your Instrumental Analysis Course and in Other Courses 1. In your CHEM 4114 - Instrumental Analysis Course there was a textbook and reading and homework assignments from the textbook. There were three exams which covered specific chapters from the textbook and presumably the final examination covered textbook material (?). The laboratory experiment instructions were in laboratory handouts. The course grade was determined as follows: 40 % Laboratory Notebook (Lab experiments ?) 30 % Three Examinations (Textbook and lecture based) 15 % Final Examination (Textbook and lecture based ?) 5 % Homework (Textbook based) 10 % Prelab exercises (WWW, textbook and lecture based ?) You indicated that 75 % of the students completed the prelab assignments before the beginning of their lab session. a. Was there any correlation between laboratory and course performance and completing the prelab assignment before beginning a laboratory experiment? b. What fraction of the WWW material was intended for remediation? What fraction was enrichment? What fraction duplicated information contained in the textbook or laboratory instructions? c. Why was so little use made of the question-and-answer page? Would the question and answer process been more successful if this correspondence was between the student and instructor rather than being public? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. I'd be interested in hearing from other symposium participants who are using the WWW in teaching a course - Perhaps you could briefly describe how you have used the WWW. What has worked for you and what hasn't work? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Donald Rosenthal Department of Chemistry Clarkson University ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jun 1996 16:12:16 -0500 From: "GERALD MORINE, PHONE:218-755-2792 FAX: 4107" Subject: P4 - GM - SQ The Index I am writing in regard to statements in the presentation entitled Development and Delivery of Chemical-Education Hypermedia Using the World-Wide Web by Brian M. Tissue. > An unstructured document layout presents some interesting > possibilities for experimental fiction, but would leave > science students wondering if they had found everything they > needed to learn. > A compromise is to use a hybrid design with a top-level > linear or indexed structure, and include hyperlinks in the text > of the documents where appropriate. This conference paper > is an example of a hybrid design with an indexed top-level > structure. The web browser shows that the student has looked at all the pages, in the index, but that is not the same as showing that the student has mastered the information there. Perhaps one could force the student to go through a gate, a cgi-program-based quiz question, similar to those in the Pre-Labs, but at the end of each instructional web page. Passage through the gate could be displayed in the Index, for the information of the student, instead of simple presence at the web-page. ******************************************************* Dr. Gerald Morine, Chemistry Dept., Bemidji State University, Bemidji, Minnesota 56601-2699 USA gmchem@vax1.bemidji.msus.edu http://bsuweb.bemidji.msus.edu/~chemdept/home.html ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jun 1996 16:25:35 -0500 From: "GERALD MORINE, PHONE:218-755-2792 FAX: 4107" Subject: P4 - GM2 - SQ I am writing in regard to the presentation entitled Development and Delivery of Chemical-Education Hypermedia Using the World-Wide Web, by Brian M. Tissue. > Four of 23 students answered agree or strongly agree for > the statement I would prefer to have the computer exercises > delivered by CD-ROM rather than over the internet, on the > end-of-semester survey. a. Do you know why they answered in that way? b. Were the students who agreed to this Question ones who finished only a few of the Pre-Labs (and presumably did poorly in the course)? c. Were there any students who did well in the course but who did not like the web-site presentation or Pre-Labs? If so, what were their reasons? ******************************************************* Gerald Morine, Chemistry Dept., Bemidji State University, Bemidji, Minnesota 56601-2699 USA gmchem@vax1.bemidji.msus.edu http://bsuweb.bemidji.msus.edu/~chemdept/home.html ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jun 1996 09:28:18 EDT From: Donald Rosenthal Organization: Clarkson University Subject: P5-DR-SQ- A General Comment and Some Questions P5 - DR - SQ - A General Comment and Some Questions I downloaded and printed your paper about a week ago. When I examined it on the World Wide Web earlier today, it had changed!! You ask MANY good and thought provoking questions. I hope we can discuss some of them on June 18 and 19 - the dates assigned for discussion of this paper. I have a few additional questions. 1. (III. Responsibility and Accuracy) In this section you indicate there is an "18-month backlog of accepted manuscripts waiting to be published". It seems to me this is a very serious problem. I have heard complaints that after a paper is submitted to JCE it can take two years or more before it is published. ( Six months or more for the review and revision process plus the eighteen month backlog (quoted)). This would appear to be a serious bottleneck to progress in chemical education. I've always thought that Journals provide a more rapid publication opportunity than do books. A book can be published in less than 18 months after it is accepted. a. Would electronic publishing avoid this bottleneck? b. Why the delay? Is there anything else which might be done to remove this bottleneck. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. (Other Matters) In the ACS link which your paper provides to "Will Science Publishing Perish" - "The Economics of the "First Copy"" It is stated that: a. the "average journal has a circulation between 1,000 and 10,000 subscribers" What is the circulation of JCE? b. "Editorial management, including peer review" 10 % of journal cost "Editorial mechanics" 30 % "Electronic production, including design, 30 % layout and illustration" Presumably the remaining costs are associated 30 % with printing and distribution Wouldn't some of these costs be reduced if papers were submitted electronically and the journal was produced electronically? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. The CHED Newsletter is paid for by Divisional funds. There is no subscription fee. Suppose the Newsletter was ONLY distributed by e-mail and/or the World Wide Web, wouldn't this: a. Make the Newsletter available to many more people? b. Make it possible to post items at any time - not just three times a year? c. Not so severely limit the number of pages? d. Save money associated with production, printing and distribution? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Donald Rosenthal Department of Chemistry Clarkson University ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jun 1996 12:27:53 -0800 From: Walter Volland Organization: Bellevue Community College Subject: Paper#2 Do you think the models we use create a bias in the minds of our students? Do you believe students use our models and representations to duplicate our explanations in the same way they use problem algorithms?