Chemical Education Today
Especially for High School Teachers by Diana S. Mason
Classroom Ethics
photo by J. J. Jacobsen and R. J. Wildman
Many hotly debated concerns, such as stem cell research, global climate change, air and water pollution, and biodiesel Secondary School Featured Article fuel development, are currently in the news. These are timely 䊕 JCE Classroom Activity: #82. Millikan: Good to the Last topics that need to be discussed in the classroom, and also it (Oil) Drop by Earl F. Pearson, p 1312A. is possible to use these issues to enhance student learning. In fact several universities have added course requirements to assure that students have the opportunity to consider many ethical vention that works don’t be afraid to try a new and diversity issues. Middlecamp et al. pedagogical approach. The way tests are con(pp 1301 and 1308) enlighten us on structed may add undue stress to students’ testhow to bring these topics into typical ing situations. Cheung has developed an chemistry instruction by presenting innovative program to help chemistry teachers several examples from their SENCER learn to write better multiple-choice assessments. project that incorporate real-world His guidelines for writing multiple-choice quesconcerns into integrated lessons. They tions are found in Box 1 on p 1400; the Test Conalso provide us with a list of model struction Support System for Chemistry Teachers BBs representing electrons courses that have evolved since 2001 is available as a supplement to Cheung’s article.W cling to a drop-shaped magas part of the SENCER initiative (see net in a JCE Classroom Table 1, p 1302). The more we are Classroom Models Activity simulating the able to discuss these topics openly in Millikan oil-drop experiment. the classroom, the more informed our Bringing seminal experiments into the classstudents will be when they enter colroom is always appealing. One such way is to lege. use analogies of these classic experiments and another is to use physical models to bring abstract concepts to life. This month’s Classroom Activity (p 1312A) and reCheating lated article (p 1313) are an excellent example of how to emSimply acknowledging that ethical and civic problems ploy magnets to let students model the data collection of exist is not enough. We need to model good behavior and Millikan’s oil-drop experiment. Classifying matter is another encourage our students to do the same. It was almost refreshbasic skill that students need to understand. Atoms, moling to read the results of the Charlesworth, Charlesworth, ecules, and other abstract terms are hard to understand for and Vician study (p 1368) on the use of Web-based course some students. Blake, Hogue, and Sarquis (p 1317) have detools for assessment purposes. I say, almost, because some stuveloped a simple approach using paper clips to help students dents are still going to attempt to cheat the system (and ulticonstruct models in hopes that the definitions of these basic mately themselves), regardless of the deterrents added. The terms will become more concrete and better understood. Cox potential of increasing the likelihood of students cheating is (p 1319) presents information regarding DNA and how a one of the major reasons that many teachers shy away from tangible model can be employed by students to make sense using online course management systems, such as WebCT. out of its complexity. Bain et al. (p 1322) discuss even larger Charlesworth, Charlesworth, and Vician report that, accordmodels that simulate molecules with multifaceted ing to their students, engaging in inappropriate testing bebiomolecular structures. More ideas on how to incorporate havior is no more prevalent when WebCT is used than when images and videos into your presentations can be found in assessments are delivered in the typical face-to-face fashion. Chemistry Comes Alive! Volume 8 (see pp 1406–1408 for orAnother interesting point is that the group of students whose dering details). Check it out! GPAs were between 2.4 and 3.0 are more likely to cheat as compared to groupings of students whose GPAs are outside Upcoming Events this range. How cheating is perceived by high school students is also interesting. Del Carlo, Mazzaro, and Page (p 1362) The ACS National Meeting in San Francisco is this report that students mostly define cheating from standpoints month. For the details on the High School Program see of fairness and understanding. p 1264. This meeting’s lineup looks like a winner. Opening What can we do to help students in the learning process? remarks begin at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday in the San Francisco Green and Rollnick (p 1376) suggest: structure the content, Marriott Hotel. Also, don’t forget to attend the CHED sopresent the material with enthusiasm, and if there’s an intercial hour and banquet on Saturday night.
www.JCE.DivCHED.org
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Vol. 83 No. 9 September 2006
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Journal of Chemical Education
1257
