Connecting the "Chemistry Triplet" Through Co-Designing Computational Models With Teachers: A Case Study on Calorimetry

• In Event: Teacher Knowledge, Learning, and Education in the Learning Sciences

Abstract

The physical processes underlying many chemistry concepts are imperceptible. As a result, teachers must help students learn core chemistry concepts by connecting particulate, macroscopic, and symbolic representations, commonly known as “the chemistry triplet.” Research has shown that teachers can demonstrate the connections between these representations using computational models. However, there are few chemistry models available to teachers and the existing ones are often not modifiable to suit different learners’ needs. We present a design study examining how a teacher co-created a virtual calorimetry lab with a computational expert. Our findings show that leading the co-design process of the model enabled the teacher to connect conceptual explanations to physical lab activities and to all three representations in the chemistry triplet.

Authors

• Umit Aslan, Northwestern University

• Sally PW Wu, Northwestern University

• Michael S. Horn, Northwestern University

• Uri J. Wilensky, Northwestern University