New Perspectives in Science Education

In this contribution we’ll present a project for university freshmen with chemistry as either their major or minor. The project’s aim is the design of didactically sound educational videos supplying students with solution strategies regarding exercises in the subject area of acids and bases. In order to ensure sustainable learning successes, special focus is placed on students’ individual prior experiences as well as their proficiency levels [1]. For this purpose, specific approaches for a number of individual exercises are being presented in the form of narrated step-by-step instructions, using the presentation medium PowerPoint. Within the videos a strong emphasize is put on the macroscopic, submicroscopic and representative dimensions as described by Johnstone’s triangle, in order to substantiate the students’ chemical understanding [2]. To this end, the videos are being supplemented by a number of descriptive graphics and experimental sequences. The chosen medium offers numerous advantages: (i) a location-independent play-back, (ii) an unlimited number of re-runs, (iii) the addressing of several learning channels such as visual and auditory senses, (iv) an increased learners’ motivation due to the interactive character, and (v) the cultivation of learning skills such as autonomous learning and knowledge expansion. Thus, conceptual gaps and misconceptions should be overcome and a more successful start into chemistry studies should be achieved [3, 4]. The educational videos will cover most of the topic’s important elements such as the theories and the strength of acids and bases, pH calculations, dissociation constants and ionic products, buffers, as well as neutralizations and volumetric analyses.

References:

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