In the Classroom
Implementing a Computer Program That Captures Students’ Work on Customizable, Periodic-System Data Assignments Susan D. Wiediger Department of Chemistry and Office of Science and Mathematics Education, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL, 62026-1652;
[email protected] The Periodic Table Is Omnipresent in Chemistry Considered “one of the greatest achievements of 19th century physical science” (1, page 35) the periodic table has a central role in science courses. Although many specialized arrangements exist of the periodic table, with forms such as helices and pyramids or ordered by characteristics other than atomic number (2), the most frequently seen representation is the version shown in Figure 1 (3). Frequently the periodic table is presented as a fait accompli—a known tool to be learned and used. In other instances, its process of development is also discussed and the concept of looking for patterns in data collections is part of the periodic table instruction. This paper describes an image-arrangement computer program developed to mimic a paper-based card sorting periodic table activity focused on the manipulation of data. The paperbased activity (4) has been used as an assignment in high school chemistry, college general chemistry, and in pre-service teacher courses. The computer program supports similar activities yet has some additional advantages that will be described. Motivation—Focus on Process Many periodic table classroom activities focus on learning to relate symbols and element names with other aspects of the element properties and the periodic table, frequently in a game or puzzle setting (5). Other activities, such as creating electron configurations, require use of the periodic table and thus re-
inforce students’ understanding of the periodic system and its representations (6). Of most interest in this paper is another category of activities that focus on the process of developing the periodic system through the analysis of data. Published activities of this nature range from the guided experience in the Periodic Table Analogy Kit (7), which is accessible even to those with no experience with chemical elements through capstone experiences for senior undergraduates, such as that devised by Vicente Talanquer (8). Teachers at many levels create their own data sets from local materials to do similar activities (9) or photocopy (and cut and paste) sets from published materials (10). Activities that focus on periodic table development can help students learn the structure of the periodic table while becoming familiar with the information it contains. This can also be an opportunity to discuss historical, social, and philosophical aspects of science. Many of these activities are based on systems of cards with symbols and either or both element data (real or fictional); examples of these are given in ref 10. Perhaps a special affinity for the card format activities focusing on the development of the periodic table reflects the popular story of Mendeleev’s use of cards to identify the periodic system (11). Card-based activities also number among their values compact storage, robustness, inexpensiveness, the common use of cards as entertainment, and reaching out to the kinesthetic learner. Observations of students using the paper-based card sorting activities in class provide insights into student reasoning and
Figure 1. A periodic table. Data in this table are from reference 3.
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In the Classroom
allow for a richer discussion of the process, in addition to the product, of the arranging activity. Some students might seek a continuous variable such as mass or melting point to order a set of data, which sometimes leads to difficulties spotting recurring patterns in other properties, such as valence or phase. Some students might focus initially on groupings based on similar properties in physical appearance or valence that sometimes leads to difficulty inter-relating the groupings, despite detailed predictions within groupings (bearing some similarities to the historic Dobreiner triads). Either approach may lead to the same final arrangement or prediction of missing data; the multiplicity of approaches can be used for a lively discussion about convergence of analysis and the values of different perspectives. However, it is not possible to observe each student’s process in a classroom, and impossible to watch at all if the assignment is given as homework. Thus, the primary motivation for developing a computer-based activity was to allow the capture of individual card movements made by the student. The kinesthetic manipulation of cards is converted to manipulation of tiles on a computer screen; while not as tactile, there are other significant benefits of the computer format. Advantages to the instructor include easier modification of the card sets and customization of individual assignments, as well as simplifying the delivery of the activity to large classes. For the students, the ability to pause and resume the arranging process permits more flexibility for student schedules. For both, the cheaper use of color allows for more appealing images and opens up another avenue for conveying information. Computer Program Details The computer program, developed by a team of computer science students at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), refers to images as tiles, because they are not restricted to playing cards’ proportions. The program allows for customization of assignments. For example, a selected number of tiles can be randomly left out, giving each student a different assignment. Or, which tiles are left out can be selected by the instructor to change the difficulty of the assignment. Settings and instructions can be customized to allow students to exclude tiles from their arrangements (e.g., a compound that does not belong in an element series) or to add blank tiles for predictions of data “yet to be discovered”. Explanations of the tile arrangement process can also be required or left optional. A wide range of tile sets can be implemented through the same interface, which encourages repeated usage of the program to bring out different relationships in data sets. The user manual details how to use the various program options and is included in the online supplement. The activity works well as either an in-class or homework assignment. If done at home, it is important to give clear instructions on setting up the files (while these instructions may depend on your setting, sample instructions are included in the online supplement, including the user manual). The program is written in Java and is platform independent (tested with PCs, Mac OS, and Linux). Some individual computers may have security settings that interfere with proper execution of the program if downloaded from a Web page or with opening the log file on a computer with different settings. (See the Instructor Tips section of the user manual in the online supplement). If the instructor is only interested in the final arrangement, students can print out their final arrangement and comments. If the instructor is also interested in the students’ arranging process, then the log files, which record every move with timings, should be collected.
Figure 2. A partial screen capture of the randomized set of the general tiles in the Shapes set as the student might first view it. Table 1. Summary of Classroom Implementations Semester (N )
Details Specified in Class
Restrictions Set within Program
Summer 2006 (40)
Before discussion as a time-limited, in-class assignment, prediction encouraged; Repeated afterwards as homework assignment (no time limits), prediction required
Shapes set: 2 tiles were randomly left out, 1 extra tile; Words set: 3 tiles were missing (same for everyone)
Spring 2007 (180)
Shapes set was done as independent homework, Words set as homework in supervised computer lab; no time limits
Both Shapes and Words sets: 1 tile was missing; Shapes set: 1 extra tile
Both sets as in-class assignments, done the same day; time-limited
Both Shapes and Words sets: 1 tile was missing; Shapes set: 1 extra tile
Both sets as extra credit assignments; Shapes completed first, 50-min time limit suggested but not enforced
Both Shapes and Words sets: 1 tile was missing; Shapes set: 1 extra tile
Summer 2007 (40)
Fall 2007 (70)
Note: The expectation was that no references would be used, but this could only be enforced when done in class or otherwise supervised.
One of the key advantages of the program is that any set of images can be used as tiles (all graphics files used to create tiles in a set must be the same size). To date, in addition to the colorful Shapes set shown in Figure 2, several sets of text-based tiles with data from chemical elements (referred to as Words sets) have also been used. The advantage of the colorful (Shapes) set of tiles is that it allows students to use abilities they do not associate with chemistry (shape and color knowledge, geographical knowledge) and to rely less on prior knowledge about the periodic table and the elements. Thus, it allows greater focus on the process of data analysis. The advantage of the Words sets with element data is the more explicit connection to course content that reinforces desired content knowledge. Using This Program with Students The computer activity has been used four times in firstsemester general chemistry classes at SIUE. The variations in classroom use are summarized in Table 1. In each class, students worked with two sets of images, the general Shapes set shown in Figure 2 and a Words set using element data. Sometimes
© Division of Chemical Education • www.JCE.DivCHED.org • Vol. 86 No. 10 October 2009 • Journal of Chemical Education
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In the Classroom
the assignment was done in-class, other times as homework or extra credit. In all classes, the activity was done prior to class discussion of periodic trends, although after basic discussion of how to read periodic table entries. In the Summer 2006 class, the assignment was repeated after class discussion of periodic properties and students showed marked improvement in their arrangements, although predictions were still difficult for some students. In all cases, the Shapes set shown in Figure 2 was done before the Words set using element data. This allowed class discussion to focus first on the process of looking for patterns in the data and using these patterns to make predictions about missing data. The presence of a tile that was awkward to fit opened up the topic of whether data can ever be excluded. This also gave insight into the effect of there initially being compounds mixed with elements as discussion moved on to the set using element data. The Words set includes the issue of the mass reversal of argon and potassium, which opens discussion of what patterns are most useful as the primary organizing principle. Figure 3 illustrates the sets of tiles that were used in these implementations. The Shapes set (Figure 3A) did not change significantly in appearance, although the settings of what tiles were left out did change, as noted in Table 1. Of more significance are the changes in the Words tiles using element data. Initially the tiles were very text-heavy (Figure 3B), and students struggled to organize them. Some students who could create compact patterns using three or more characteristics with Shapes then produced patterns of Words based on only two characteristics, typically phase and mass. In the second iteration, a more graphical format was chosen that used all the properties that the instructor planned on discussing in the periodic trends portion of the Spring 2007 class (Figure 3C). More explicit prediction requirements in the instructions naturally led to more thorough predictions. What is intriguing is that, despite use of the periodic table since the first week of class, fewer than 25% of the students successfully recreated the basic format of the periodic table from the element data. Student comments had undertones of confusion and frustration, usually related to how other information A
on the tiles did not appear to reinforce their pattern, making prediction difficult. The more visually sparse Words tiles (Figure 3D) used in the Summer and Fall of 2007 may have been easier for students to work with. While more detailed analysis of the 2007 data sets is still in progress, the Summer and Fall data sets tend to be more compact than the Spring Words arrangements, with fewer students “defaulting” to the phase groupings noted during the Summer 2006 class.1 Handouts and grading rubrics used with these classes are included in the online supplement. More detailed analysis of student data-processing is in progress for future publication. However, it is worthwhile to describe a few examples of actual observations that provided insights to a classroom instructor. Individual Students
• Second-guessing: Discarding a correct answer
• Communication issues: Description of process does not match observed process
• Distracted by context: Addition of inappropriate details, such as extensive reactivity information predicted for Shapes set
• Tunnel vision: Persisting in original arrangement although unfruitful
• Problem-solving: Cannot develop strategy to approach task
Overall Class
• Consideration single vs multiple factors in pattern creation
• Detection of varying patterns (e.g., periodic rather than monotonic increases)
• Precision of predictions, particularly mathematical
When the assignment is used prior to classroom discussion of periodic trends, it can be used to frame that discussion. The Shapes tile set provides examples of repeating trends that do not simultaneously require learning new jargon (“number of sides” and “color” vs “ionization energy” and “electron affinity”). These tiles also allow contrasting the monotonic increase in a continuous variable with patterns that reset in each “period”. This sets
B
Ydney
name image has shape, size, and color
53.2
C
D A soft black solid Relative Mass: 12 AH4 3550 °C 77 pm 1086 kJ
N/A
ionization energy
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Figure 3. Explanations of tiles used in the first semester general chemistry classes at SIUE.
number
2.55
electronegativity
melting point
simplest hydride formula
ionic radius
atomic radius
A
A: Representative Shapes tile, with the characteristics labeled
relative mass
B: Words tile used during Summer 2006
ionization energy
C: Words tile used during Spring 2007
12 soft black solid
AH4
simplest hydride formula
1086
D: Words tile used during Summer 2007 and Fall 2007.
Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 86 No. 10 October 2009 • www.JCE.DivCHED.org • © Division of Chemical Education
In the Classroom
the stage for the more complex variations in the Words tiles for characteristics such as ionization energy. While it is true that trends can be similarly introduced without an assignment like the one presented here, the instructor’s fundamental question is whether the experience of grappling with the data is valuable to students in terms of deepening the appreciation for the periodic system and building their own pattern-recognition skills. For research purposes, students were requested to complete the assignments individually and without reference materials. Because prior class implementations of the paper version involved group work, this activity would lend itself to pairs or even trios working at a shared computer or sharing files by e-mail. Conclusions Open-ended card sort activities such as this provide a way to bring complex data analysis into chemistry courses early in the curriculum. If the instructor is focused primarily on the product, then the computer version of this assignment readily substitutes for existing paper-based activities. The computer adaptation facilitates delivery and propagation of refinements for large classes without the labor and cost of printing and cutting new sets repeatedly. As with paper-based activities, instructors should consider whether the data students work with are appropriate for their instructional goals. The Shapes set may be a better fit for those who like to use analogical reasoning in the classroom, while the Words set may tie more closely to specific content objectives. The ability to customize assignments, including instructor-created tile sets, is also valuable. The experience of “swimming in the data” brought a different tone to class discussions about periodic trends and the complexity of laboratory work. This can be an entrée to inquiry and open-ended discovery activities that do not involve laboratory skills. Combining these benefits with learning about the periodic system and the periodic table that will be central to student success in chemistry makes this an activity well worth including in the classroom. Experiences using this so far suggest that a wide range of settings are appropriate for this program and that this assignment can be adapted to a range of instructional goals. In addition, the ability to capture student image movements has the potential for valuable insights into the thought process of students engaged in complex data analysis. This insight may be useful to instructors for guiding classes and individual students to improve their pattern recognition and data analysis skills. The process information is also interesting data for research from many perspectives—including, but not limited to—learning styles, cognitive load issues, and student thought processes. Further analysis of the data gathered from students working with the program will be presented in future papers. Acknowledgments Special thanks to the Computer Science Department at SIUE and the senior assignment program, particularly the Chemistry Learning In Progress team of Nathan Mikeska, Neil Alfredson, Richard Carney, and Brian Navarro. I also thank Larry Miller and Chem 121A students for participating in the project. Note 1. These results suggest possible connections to work in cognitive load theory (12) and with graphical representation of multivariate data
(13) but such discussion is deferred to future papers that will make use of more detailed analysis.
Literature Cited 1. The Periodic Table: Into the 21st Century, Rouvray, D. H., King R. B., Eds.; Research Studies Press: Hertfordshire, England, 2004. 2. Mazurs, E. The Graphic Representation of the Periodic System During 100 Years; University of Alabama Press: Tuscaloosa, 1974. Among many other articles on this topic in this Journal, see Rodgers, G. E. J. Chem. Educ. 2000, 77, 164. 3. Gillespie R. J.; Eaton, D. R.; Humphreys, D. A.; Robinson E. A. Atoms, Molecules, and Reactions: An Introduction to Chemistry; Prentice-Hall: Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1994. 4. Hutchinson, J. S.; Wiediger, S. D. unpublished material. 5. For example: Abbgy, T. S. Elements and the Periodic Table: What Things Are Made Of; Mark Twain Media, Inc.: USA, 2001. Galus, P. Science Scope 2004, 32–33. Helser, T. L. J. Chem. Educ. 2003, 80, 409–410. Kelkar, V. D. J. Chem. Educ. 2003, 80, 411–413. 6. Hsu, T. C.; Casey, J.; Nachtrieb, R.; Gangadhara, S. Atomic Structure and the Atom Building Game; CPO Science: St. Paul, MN, 2005. Rodin, R. E. The Great Periodic Table Race; Science Kit and Boreal Laboratories: Tonawanda, NY, 1998.; ElementO; Lewis Educational Games: Wilmington, DE, 1996. 7. Kimball, R. Q. Periodic Table Analogy Kit; Hubbard Scientific: Chippewa Falls, WI, 2005. 8. Talanquer, V. Chem. Educ. 2005, 10, 95–99. 9. For example: Volpe, V. Sci. Teach. 2006, 52. Wallingford, L. Sci. Teach. 2006, 52–54. 10. For example: Alien Periodic Table. In Science Explorer: Physical Science; Prentice-Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ. Periodic Table of Extraterrestrial Elements. In Mastering the Periodic Table: 50 Activities on the Elements, 2nd ed., Trombley, L., Ed.; Walch: Portland, ME, 2000. Assembling a Periodic Table Lab; Neo/SCI Corporation: Rochester, NY. Blobaum, C. Piecing a Pattern. In Critical Thinking and Chemistry: The Periodic Table; Prufrock Press Inc.: Waco, TX, 2005. University of Virginia, The Universal Periodic Table: A Physics Activity. http://galileo.phys.virginia.edu/ Education/outreach/8thgradesol/PeriodicTable.htm (accessed Jul 2009). Educators from Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning. Modeling the Periodic Table developed for the NASA Project Genesis: Search for Origins. http://genesismission. jpl.nasa.gov/educate/scimodule/indexCC-EQ.html (accessed Jul 2009). 11. Trimble, R. F. J. Chem. Educ. 1981, 58, 28. 12. Sweller, J., van Merrienboer, J., Paas, F., Eds.; Psych. Rev. 1998, 10, 251–296. 13. Discussed specifically regarding elements in Larsen, R. D. J. Chem. Educ. 1986, 63, 505–506 and Larsen, R. D. J. Chem. Educ. 1986, 63, 1067–1068.
Supporting JCE Online Material
http://www.jce.divched.org/Journal/Issues/2009/Oct/abs1212.html Abstract and keywords Full text (PDF) Links to cited URLs and JCE articles Supplement Computer program including executable computer files; User manual; Instructor notes; Handouts for students; Grading rubrics
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