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

这个项目正在开发、实施和评估热力学中的交互式虚拟实验室。对于已确定的六个阈值概念中的每一个，正在构建相应的交互式虚拟实验室。每个实验室都为学生提供一套基于“预测-观察-解释”技术的活动框架。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。这些材料正在化学、生物和环境工程专业学生的三门不同课程的工作室课堂上试用。阈值概念理论是有针对性的内容开发的基础，而评估和评价为这一学习理论的进一步发展提供了信息。对阈值概念的识别和验证可以帮助热力学教师和课程设计者更好地设计学习材料和教学。这些互动虚拟实验室通过美国化学工程师协会概念仓库（另一个nsf支持的项目）提供给工程学院，并作为广泛使用的教科书《工程与化学热力学》的出版商网站上的讲师资源。此外，交互式虚拟实验室为各种网络教学系统提供了一个核心组件。这种学习环境符合基于探究的活动的广泛类别，这些活动已被证明可以减少STEM中基于性别的表现差异。

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.