Collaborative Research: BeSocratic: A Free-form, Interactive System to Investigate the Development of Representational Competence

稳健的学习既需要概念上的理解，也需要程序上的流畅。化学是一门困难的学科的一个原因是，学生必须通过分子水平的(即不可见的和充满概念的)解释来理解宏观现象。存在广泛的模型和可视化来表示分子级结构、反应细节和材料的反应性。学生必须学会流畅和有意义地使用这些表示法，以达到对分子概念的严格理解(而不仅仅是记住它们)。然而，越来越明显的是，学习如何构建和使用这些表征比许多教师认识到的要困难得多。该项目建立在创建OrganicPad和SocaticGraphs的工作基础上。它正在将这两个方案进一步整合到贝苏格拉底系统中，并扩大分析系统。通过将一群化学家和计算机科学家聚集在一起，正在开发和实施一种系统，该系统允许对如何提高化学学生的表征能力进行调查。这些首席调查员之前的研究已经产生了一个关于学生如何构建和使用表征的大型信息数据库，而这个项目进一步开发和部署了一个灵活的、基于网络的系统，可以识别和回应自由形式的学生输入。这种输入是以图形表示的形式，包括化学结构、反应和图表。具体地说，正在根据先前的研究结合关于人们如何学习的现有证据来开发教程和形成性评估活动。由于已经建立了一个学科小组，而且存在OrganicPad和SocaticGraphs的工作版本，因此选择化学作为开发、评估和部署新材料的“试验台”。正在开发的系统以及通过该项目的研究活动获得的见解预计将直接适用于其他STEM学科，包括物理、生物、数学和工程学。智力优势：这项研究正在调查哪些因素提高了学生构建和使用表征的技能，例如：实际绘制结构(相对于使用模板识别或构建)是否提高了学生的理解力？贝苏格拉底触摸屏或触摸板界面可以捕捉到手势，这种手势的使用能否改善学生使用表征的流畅性？使用语境、苏格拉底式的提问和反馈能提高学生对表征意义的概念性理解吗？通过回答这样的问题，学生对如何发展表征能力以及什么教学技巧可以提高学生的学习能力有了一个理解。更广泛的影响：贝苏格拉底体系的使用允许对从入门(和高中)化学课程到研究生教学的活动进行调查。这个项目将产生两个深远的影响。第一个是找出“有效”的方法，使表征能力得到更有力的发展。从绘制结构到理解机械有机化学，贝苏格拉底体系和混合方法研究设计的结果将被用来向化学界提供信息。第二个重要影响是为在线系统提供了有效的证据。要采用一种新的学习方式，它必须相对容易使用，不会出现陡峭的学习曲线。如果在线教学和学习系统的设计是为了提供经过研究验证的、有效的活动，将程序流畅和概念理解结合在一起，结果将是学生更健壮的学习。贝苏格拉底系统将在网上提供，研究结果将在专业会议上公布。将在区域和国家会议上为有兴趣了解研究结果或使用贝苏格拉底体系的教职员工举办讲习班。

Robust learning requires both conceptual understanding and procedural fluency. One reason chemistry is a difficult subject is that students must understand macroscopic phenomena using molecular level (that is, non-visible, and concept laden) explanations. A wide range of models and visualizations exist to represent molecular level structures, reaction details, and reactivity of materials. Students must learn to use these representations both fluidly and meaningfully in order to achieve a rigorous understanding of molecular concepts (rather than merely memorizing them). However, it is becoming increasingly apparent that learning how to construct and use these representations is far more difficult than many instructors recognize. This project builds upon work that has resulted in the creation of OrganicPad and SocraticGraphs. It is further integrating both programs into the BeSocratic system and expanding the analysis system. By bringing together a group of chemists and computer scientists, a system is being developed and implemented that allows investigations into how to improve the representational competence of chemistry students "in the wild." Previous research by these Principal Investigators has produced a large database of information on how students construct and use representations, and this project further develops and deploys a flexible, web-based system, BeSocratic, that can recognize and respond to free-form student input. This input is in the form of graphical representations that include chemical structures, reactions, and graphs. Specifically, tutorials and formative assessment activities are being developed based on the previous research in combination with the available evidence of how people learn. Because a disciplinary team was already in place, and because working versions existed of OrganicPad and SocraticGraphs, chemistry was chosen as the "test-bed" for the development, assessment and deployment of the new materials. The systems being developed, and the insights being gained through the project's research activities, are expected to be directly applicable to other STEM disciplines, including physics, biology, mathematics, and engineering. Intellectual Merit: The research is investigating what factors improve student skill in constructing and using representations, such as: Does actually drawing a structure (as opposed to recognizing or construction using a template) improve student understanding? Can the use of gesture, which can be captured by the BeSocratic touchscreen or track pad interfaces, improve the fluidity by which students use representations? Can the use of contextual, Socratic questioning and feedback improve student conceptual understanding of the meaning of the representations? By answering questions such as these, an understanding is being gained of how students develop representational competence, and what instructional techniques can enhance student learning. Broader Impacts: The use of the BeSocratic system allows the investigation of activities from the introductory (and high school) chemistry course to graduate level instruction. Two far-reaching impacts will result from this project. The first is finding what "works" to produce more robust development of representational competence. From drawing structures to understanding mechanistic organic chemistry, the results from the BeSocratic system and mixed method research designs will be used to inform the chemistry community. The second important impact is to provide evidence for what works with on-line systems. For a new learning modality to be adopted it must be relatively easy to use, with no steep learning curve. If online teaching and learning systems are designed to provide research-validated, effective activities that incorporate both procedural fluency and conceptual understanding, the result will be more robust learning by students. The BeSocratic system will be available on the web, and research findings will be presented at professional meetings. Workshops for faculty interested in learning about the research findings or in using the BeSocratic system will be offered at regional and national meetings.