Share Paper: Order of instruction effects – do they make a difference when teaching senior chemistry with computer based visualizations?

  1. Michelle Mukherjee, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
  2. Ian Fogarty, Riverview High School, Canada
  3. David Geelan, The University of Queensland, Australia
Friday, July 1 11:45 AM-12:15 PM Room 1.1 - Faculty of Letters Building

Abstract: This study investigated whether conceptual development is greater if students learning senior chemistry hear teacher explanations and other traditional teaching approaches first then see computer based visualizations or vice versa. Five Canadian chemistry classes, taught by three different teachers, studied the topics of Le Chatelier’s Principle and dynamic chemical equilibria using scientific visualizations with the explanation and visualizations in different orders. Conceptual development was measured using a 12 item test based on the Chemistry Concepts Inventory. Data was obtained about the students’ abilities, learning styles (auditory, visual or kinesthetic) and sex, and the relationships between these factors and conceptual development ...