Metacognition is a learner-focused evaluation of knowledge growth and an essential process for complete and lasting knowledge. Although virtual learning environments pose challenges for facilitating metacognitive activities, student-made videos are effective for increasing metacognition in online chemistry instruction.
Learning How to Do Chemistry
The June 2020 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education is now available online to subscribers. Topics featured in this issue include: innovative curriculum; exploring kinetics; engaging organic chemistry activities; molecular structure and symmetry; polymer chemistry; technology-based instruction; synthesis laboratories; undergraduate research experiences; from the archives: bath bombs and cosmetics chemistry.
Formative assessment is an important component of teaching as it enables teachers to enhance student learning. The written work that students produce on formative assessment tasks can be used to uncover student thinking and inform the decisions teachers make on how to support individual student learning.
Desmos offers an activity building feature that allows teachers to create and customize activities. The resource is applicable to a variety of science and chemistry topics and useful in whatever learning environment teachers find themselves in next school year.
The Ruben's Tube (also known as a Flame Tube) is a classic experiment used in physics classes. There's also a bit of chemistry to be learned while experimenting with a Ruben's Tube...
The May 2020 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education is now available online to subscribers. Topics featured in this issue include: understanding structures; digital information and web-based learning; exploring everyday chemistry; curriculum innovations; games for teaching; NMR spectroscopy; examining properties of organic liquids; biochemistry laboratories; analytical and physical chemistry laboratories; computational chemistry; innovative low-cost instruments; research on knowledge and skills for teachers and chemists; from the archives: hands-on chemistry at home.
After making the switch from in-person to virtual chemistry learning in the wake of school closures due to COVID-19, teachers have continued to make adjustments. The author has found a few new strategies and made changes to his course in response to the needs of his students and the nature of online learning.
The Exploding Pringles can design challenge is an open-ended formative assessment developed by the ACCT team, which tasks students with designing an explosion that produces the maximum boom within a Pringles container with a fixed volume.
The solution to Chemical Mystery #17 is presented. Were you able to use your chemical knowledge to explain the results?
Here you can read a description of the Structure-Property Relationships thread of the Chemical Thinking framework.
