Collaborative Learining in the General Chemistry Laboratory

我们入门化学实验室的主要目标是让学生体验化学原理是如何从数据中推导出来的，并让学生参与科学过程和思维方式。我们的方法是开发基于“发现”的实验，在实验中，学生探索大范围的参数空间，很少有教师提前指导预期结果。我们的重点是定性推理，我们发现，当学生在计算机处理数据管理的协作小组中工作时，这种推理得到了特别的培养。不同组的学生研究不同和特定试剂的相同性质（例如，反应性，溶解度等）。通过向学生展示同一现象的多个实例，有助于发现趋势。网络计算机系统（CoLABnet）汇集并总结了所有不同组调查试剂的大部分定性数据。学生小组被分配特定的问题来回答，这些问题要求他们利用和/或组织使用商业绘图软件汇总的数据。小组在实验后讨论中展示他们的发现。初步测试表明，计算机可以显著提高课程的有效性。计算机生产类数据库将重点从数据整理和组织转移到数据分析和解释。计算机的使用使得数据汇集在一个规模上，否则是不可能的。该模型强调了科学中固有的不确定性和统计方差的重要性。目前的计算机仅限于几个房间，不允许多任务处理（学生可以向网络输入数据或使用商业软件绘制数据，但不能两者兼而有之）。要求资金用于为所有实验室购买能够多任务处理的计算机。

9452022 Kerner The primary goal of our introductory chemistry laboratory is to allow the students to experience how chemical principles are derived from data and engage the students in scientific processes and ways of thinking. Our approach has been to develop "discovery" based experiments in which students explore a wide range of parameter space with little advance guidance from the instructor as to the expected outcome. Our emphasis is on qualitative reasoning, which we have found is particularly fostered when students work in collaborative groups with data management handled by computer. Different groups of students investigate the same properties (e.g., reactivity, solubility, etc) for a different and specific set of reagents. The discovery of trends is facilitated by presenting students with multi-instances of the same phenomenon. A networked computer system (CoLABnet) pools and summarizes the largely qualitative data for all of the varying group investigated reagents. Student groups are assigned specific questions to answer which require them to utilize and/or organize the summarized data using commercial graphing software. Groups present their findings during post-lab discussion. Preliminary tests have shown that computer can significantly improve the effectiveness of the course. Computer production of a class data base shifts the focus from data collation and organization to data analysis and interpretation. The use of computers permits data pooling on a scale that would be otherwise impossible. The model emphasizes the uncertainty inherent in science and the importance of statistical variance. The present computers are limited to several rooms and do not allow multi- tasking (students can either enter data to the network or plot data using commercial software, but not both). Funds are requested to purchase computers capable of multi-tasking for all of the laboratory rooms.