Development and Implementation of Interactive Virtual Laboratories to Help Students Learn Threshold Concepts in Thermodynamics

该项目正在开发、实施和评估热力学方面的互动虚拟实验室。对于已经确定的六个阈值概念中的每一个，正在建立一个相应的互动虚拟实验室。每个实验室都以“预测-观察-解释”技术为基础，为学生提供一套脚手架活动。这些活动提供了多种表现形式，使学生能够将宏观热力学性质和过程与分子行为联系起来。这些材料正在向化学、生物和环境工程专业的学生提供三门不同课程的工作室课程中进行试点。阈值概念理论是有针对性的内容开发的基础，评估和评估正在为这一学习理论的进一步发展提供信息。阈值概念的识别和验证正在为热力学教师和课程设计者提供信息，并帮助他们更好地制作学习材料和指导。这些交互式虚拟实验室通过美国化学工程师学会概念仓库(NSF资助的另一个项目)向工程学教师提供，并作为广泛使用的教科书《工程与化学热力学》出版商网站上的讲师资源。此外，互动虚拟实验室正在为各种基于网络的教学系统提供一个中心组件。这种学习环境符合以探究为基础的活动的广泛类别，这些活动已被证明可以减少STEM成绩中基于性别的差异。

This project is developing, implementing, and evaluating Interactive Virtual Laboratories in thermodynamics. For each of six threshold concepts that have been identified, a corresponding Interactive Virtual Laboratory is being constructed. Each laboratory is providing students a scaffolded set of activities based on the "predict-observe-explain" technique. The activities are providing multiple representations that allow students to relate the macroscopic thermodynamic properties and processes to molecular behavior. These materials are being piloted in the studio classes of three different courses delivered to chemical, biological, and environmental engineering students. Threshold concept theory serves as a basis for targeted content development, and the assessment and evaluation is informing further development of this learning theory. Identification and validation of threshold concepts is informing thermodynamics instructors and curricular designers and is helping them better craft learning materials and instruction. These Interactive Virtual Laboratories are being made available to engineering faculty through the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Concept Warehouse (another NSF-supported project) and as an instructor resource on the publisher's website of the widely used textbook, Engineering and Chemical Thermodynamics. Additionally, Interactive Virtual Laboratories are providing a central component to a variety of web-enabled instruction systems. This learning environment fits into the broad category of inquiry-based activities that have been shown to reduce gender-based differences in performance in STEM.