Chemistry – investigating the composition and interaction of compounds and elements
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“Different than other ways of learning, something new!” Conor Ritchie, Class 4B, Auckland Grammar School -
100% wished to see more simulations of this kind being used in their future education
Objectives
These are simulations designed for year 12 chemistry students and are based on NCEA level2 curriculum and Cambridge International A levels.
- The simulations test students chemistry knowledge and gets them to use what they have learned in simulated problems.
- Learned material can be aggregated into bigger “chunks” and then applied holistically to broader problems.
- In some sims, students are faced with the same decision as they would have in a real lab test.
- Other sims cover quantitative material that is part of the subject matter.
- Hints can be requested, as well as the solution if the student cannot solve the problem first time.
- Simulations can be run at home or in the classroom with students working individually or as teams.
- The simulations should be done one at a time as the content is covered in class.
- The simulation works well as homework, the teacher can easily check the homework is completed and see where students had trouble.
- The simulations assist teachers by providing real time/rapid feedback of student’s performance that shows them what areas the class is having problems with, and which individual students are having trouble with the course.
The simulations are based on the qualifications as shown in the table below.
Chemistry: NCEA Level 2 Achievement Standards
| AS | Description | Sim Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Carry out qualitative analysis | Qualitative analysis |
| 2.2 | Carry out an acid-base volumetric analysis | Titration |
| 2.3 | Solve simple quantitative chemical problems | Quantitative chemical problems |
| 2.4 | Describe the nature of structure and bonding in different substances | Nature of structure and bonding |
| 2.5 | Describe the structural formulae and reactions of compounds containing selected organic functional groups | Structural formulae |
| 2.6 | Describe thermochemical and equilibrium principles | Thermochemical and equilibrium principles |
| 2.7 | Describe oxidation-reduction reactions | Oxidation-reduction reactions |
Chemistry: Cambridge International A Levels
| Topic | Sim Title |
|---|---|
| Particles: Atoms and Molecules, Classification of matter, Chemical vs physical change, Formulae and equations, Bonding | Particles |
| Physical Chemistry: energu changes, enthalpy and calculations, elctrochemistry, equilibria | Physical Chemistry |
| Quantitative and Qualitative Chemistry: masses and moles, empirical and molecular formulae, reacting quatities, | Quantitative and Qualitative Chemistry |
| Inorganic chemistry: patterns in the elements of period 3, Group II, Group VII, nitrogen, sulphur | Inorganic chemistry |
*Note: availability of some simulations based on certain achievement standards are limited due to authoring time constraints. However all simulations will be completed by December 2010.
Testing for Cations in an Aqueous Solution – a 4-minute video clip
This video provides an example of the chemistry simulation in action. It is the sim that was used in the pilot at Auckland Grammar School for year 12 and the main features of this are described. It is a virtual lab where students go through the steps of testing for the cations that are in an aqueous solution. There would be several of these that would cover one NCEA achievement standard or CIE topic.
Components of the Sim
A sim consists of a teacher briefing, a student briefing, a video introduction, pre and post tests, the simulation, and use of the platform. Clicking on the active links above gives the resources used in the pilot and below is an image of the chemistry pilot simulation.
Chemistry Pilot Feedback Summary
The pre-test and post-test scores for the control group dropped an average of 7% while the scores for the pilot class increased 17%. So the net improvement in the pilot was 24%.
From the feedback form many students found:
- the idea of a ‘virtual lab’ and virtual testing favorable over the old method of laboratory work due to its ease of use and instant availability of answers
- the idea of tying questions and tests to lab work in the simulation was useful for revising for exams
- it was easy to install the client
- 100% wished to see more simulations of this kind being used in their future education
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