Collaborative Research: Advancing Chemistry by Enhancing Learning in the Laboratory (ACELL)

从理论上讲，化学实验室为学生提供了独特的机会来练习“做”科学，并在肉眼可以看到的现象和对这些现象的原子和分子尺度的解释之间建立联系。实验室还可以激发和激励学生学习更多关于科学的知识。不幸的是，科学教育研究表明，实验室环境的潜力很少被认识到。通过加强实验室学习促进化学发展(ACell)项目的主要目标是通过扩大化学教师对实验室教学环境中教与学的理解，为他们提供专业发展。为了实现这一目标，ACell正在举办一个研讨会，24名教职员工与24名本科生一起工作，体验和学习各种新的实验室方法，研究表明，这些方法在向学生传达科学实践方面更成功；根据当前的教育研究，检查他们对实验室教育作用的信念；并分析和修改更传统的化学实验室实验，使其对学生更有吸引力和意义。教职员工开展与当地相关的小型教育研究项目，使他们能够批判性地评估和改进在本国机构的实验室学习体验，作为研讨会后的活动。总体而言，ACell正在美国各地建立一个化学教员社区，他们在实验室教育学领域拥有教育研究知识，他们通过非正式对话和正式会议演讲与同事分享这些知识，他们在自己的课堂上开展教育研究。

In theory, the chemistry laboratory offers unique opportunities for students to practice "doing" science and to form links between phenomena that can be seen by the naked eye and atomic- and molecular-scale interpretations of these phenomena. Laboratories can also stimulate and motivate students to learn more about science. Unfortunately, science education research suggests that the potential of the laboratory environment is seldom realized. The primary goal of Advancing Chemistry by Enhancing Learning in the Laboratory (ACELL) project is to provide professional development to chemistry faculty by expanding their understanding of teaching and learning in the instructional laboratory environment. To meet this goal, ACELL is holding a workshop, in which 24 faculty work alongside 24 undergraduate students to experience and learn about a variety of new laboratory approaches that research suggests are more successful at conveying the practice of science to students; to examine their beliefs about the role of laboratory education in light of current educational research; and to analyze and revise more traditional chemistry laboratory experiments to make them engaging and meaningful for students. Faculty members conduct small, locally-relevant educational research projects that allow them to critically evaluate and improve the laboratory learning experiences at their home institutions as post-workshop activities. Overall, ACELL is developing a community of chemistry faculty across the US who are knowledgeable about educational research in the area of laboratory pedagogy, who share that knowledge with colleagues through both informal conversations and formal conference presentations, and who carry out educational research in their own classrooms.