[CEER Internal List 134] Thomas Holme, Chemistry Education Seminar: Thursday, Oct 29, 4:10 PM

[Mark Urban-Lurain]

COLLOQUIA SEMINAR
Michigan State University - Department of Chemistry
Dr. Thomas A. Holme
Iowa State University

Thursday, October 29, 2015, 4:10 PM
Room 136 - Chemistry
Professor Melanie Cooper - Host

Assessing student habits related to representing chemistry at the
particulate level

Abstract
Because student learning in chemistry ultimately includes developing
facility with concepts at both the macroscopic and particulate
(atomic/molecular) level it is important to consider how students negotiate
learning that bridges these levels. Chemists use many different
representations and mental models to think about the molecular scale
underpinnings of chemicals. The development of multiple models by students,
however, is a sometimes messy and often error-prone process that can have an
important influence not only on how students think about atoms and molecules
but also on how they perceive chemical processes as a whole. This talk will
emphasize ways in which we can observe student tendencies related to atomic
and molecular representation in chemistry education research projects and
how these observations might be scaled up to be useful for larger scale
assessment of student learning. Data from studies related to representation
use can also be helpful for guiding decision making about teaching practices
in chemistry even when the analysis method may not be readily adapted for
use in large general chemistry classrooms.

Accommodations for persons with disabilities may be requested by calling the
Chemistry Department at (517) 355-9715,
X191 two days prior to the event to ensure sufficient time to make
arrangements. Requests received after this date will
be met when possible.


Mark Urban-Lurain, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Center for Engineering Education Research
Undergraduate Studies Office
College of Engineering
Michigan State University

428 S. Shaw Lane
1410 B Engineering 
East Lansing, MI  48824

517-432-2108

urban at msu.edu
www.msu.edu/~urban