problem solving

Problem solving (or problem-based learning) requires students to identify problems, gather information, collect and analyze data, and propose solutions. In activities requiring the application of these skills, instructors attempt to develop the ability of their students to think independently, critically, and creatively.

Term source
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Context-based Chemistry: Benefits and Challenges
// Tuesday, April 20, 2021 • Josh Kenney
Traditional approaches to chemistry education generally focus on communicating conceptual knowledge, problem-solving, and understanding abstract concepts. These concentrations are crucial aspects of chemistry learning, but they tend to leave topics disconnected from meaningful applications.
diagram of three reaction routes to same product and images of substance used in activity
An Experimental Demonstration of Hess's Law
// Sunday, August 2, 2020 • Philip Penketh
Prologue: The application of Hess's Law frequently presents students with conceptual problems, and I believe that performing a series of experiments that confirms Hess's Law, is probably the best way to impart a robust understanding of this principle. A plaque on the wall of the Oxford University Biochemistry Department reads:
Bubble Busting Water Chemistry
Solution to Chemical Mystery #17: Bubble Buster!
// Wednesday, April 29, 2020 • Tom Kuntzleman
In Chemical Mystery #17, shavings of Dial soap are added to samples of Aquafina and Evian drinking water. Upon blowing into each mixture with a straw, only the Aquafina water produced stable bubbles. Why is this the case?
text: Bubble Bursting Water Chemistry
Chemical Mystery #17: Bubble Buster!
// Friday, April 24, 2020 • Tom Kuntzleman
With most of us stuck at home to combat the recent outbreak of COVID-19, I thought it might be a particularly good time to do some simple chemistry experiments that use only items found around the home (well, more like purchased at my local grocery store).
corner of computer keyboard and sticky note with text: Collisions Free
Free Collisions Game Access
// Tuesday, January 28, 2020 • Stephanie O'Brien
Are you looking for a way to incorporate gaming in your chemistry classroom? CollisionsTM has recently announced that their online gaming system is now free for educators!
bear silhouette
Metabolic Marvels of Bear Hibernation- Part 2
// Monday, December 2, 2019 • Scott Donnelly
Welcome and thanks for reading. This post is the second that discusses the tantalizing chemistry related to the metabolic marvel of bear hibernation. Click here to read the first post.
glassware, beakers and funnel
Teaching and Evaluating Science Practices—Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
// Thursday, November 14, 2019 • Ben Meacham
Since the release of the National Research Council’s Framework for K-12 Science Education1 in 2011 and the subsequent Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) that would follow in 2013, an increasing number of science educators have become familiar with the general idea of placing greater emphasis on science as a way of