Preparing Chemistry Students for New Communications Environments

Part of The Alchemist's Lair Web Site
Maintained by Harry E. Pence, Professor of Chemistry, SUNY Oneonta, for the use of his students. Any opinions are totally coincidental and have no official endorsement, including the people who sign my pay che cks. Comments and suggestions are welcome (pencehe@oneonta.edu).

Last Revised April 22, 1997

Preparing Chemistry Students for New Communications Environments
Harry E. Pence, SUNY Oneonta
Laura E. Pence, Univ. of Hartford
Presented at the Spring, 1997 Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Francisco, CA

Student Attitudes and Abilities Seem to Have Changed in the Last Decade.
Students and Their Parents Are More Likely to Expect that Students and T heir Parents Are More Likely to Expect that Education Will Provide Employment Skills. (Change, Mar./Apr., '97, pg. 16-25)
Student Computer Skills Span a Broad Spectrum, from Novice to Expert.

The New Workplace Environment
Paperless Communication is Becoming the Industrial Standard.
Teamwork and Cooperative Skills Are Essential.
People May Collaborate Without Ever Seeing Each Other Face to Face.

The Sesame Street Generation Is Not Equally Rea dy for Technology.
Some Students Are Comfortable with Computers; Others are Not.
Student Computer Training May Not Be Well Coordinated in College.

Independent Projects were Created at Hartford and Oneonta to Explore Ways to Use E-Mail in Gen. Chem.
E-Mail is the Most Common Way to Introduce Technology into the Classroom (Chronicle, 11/22/96, pg. A21)
Both Projects Assumed that Student Response to Technology is Based on the Comparison of Value Obtained to Effort Expended.

Reports of Instructional E-Mail Indicate Varying Levels of Success.
Student participation Varies from one Course or School to Another.
It was hoped to Determine What Constraints Prevented Student Use of e-mail and what Services Could be Provided that would be Most Attractive.

Components used at Oneonta
E-mail Quizzes
ChemNews
Helpful Hints from Dr. P.
Electronic Office Hours

Oneonta Results
Students Reported that lack of Time and L ack of Convenient Access were Major Constraints.
By Second Semester, E-mail Office Hours Diminished to Zero.

At Hartford the Main Focus was Cooperative E-mail
Four Types of Exercises
List Five Topics for the First Exam
"The Thing That Confuses Me Most is ..."
Open-Ended Question

Cooperative E-mail Start-up
Creating a Distribution List
One Assignment Before Each Exam
Four Points On Exam to Encourage Participation
Allow One W eek To Accomplish The Assignment

"The Thing that Confuses me Most is ....."
Used Before the Most Difficult Exam
Facilitates Study Partners
Provides a Personal Tutor
Helps the Instructor Identify Spots Where Many Students are Having Troubles

Open-Ended Question
Example: Given that You Have 25.00 grams of Oxygen (O2) Gas At STP, Calculate Another Quantity.
Information May Be Added to the Problem, I.e. Changes in T,V, or P, Addition of Reagents, etc.
Messages Must Alternate Between Partners.
Example of the Best Exchange.

Trick Question
Students were told to Write a "Trick Question" for Their Partner.
This Shifts the Point of View on Questions and Helps Prepare them for Exams.
Sometimes they Outsmart Themselves and Write an Invalid Question .
Cooperative Exercises May Become Competitive.

Benefits for Students from Using Cooperative E-mail
Let's Students Learn by Teaching.
Pro vides a Personal Tutor.
Builds Study Groups.
Emphasizes Writing Skills.
Forces Them to Communicate Without Gestures, Diagrams, or Facial Expressions.

Advantages for the Professor
Requires Little Advance Preparation.
Provides Student assessment.
Allows the Professor and the Students to Work on Their Own Time Schedules.

Drawbacks
Major Time Sink for Faculty Before Exams

Methods of Project Assessment
Informal Interviews
One-pag e Written Surveys
Analysis of Student Participation

Brief Summary of Student Responses
'Thing That Confuses" was Most Popular.
Open Ended Question Was Less Popular, but Produced the Most Creativity.
The Cooperative Approach Effectively Broke the Ice.
50-70% Ended up Using E-Mail Outside of the Assignments.

Other Conclusions

E-mail Office Hours can be a Good Supplement to Traditional Office Hours.
For the Time Being, Each Type of Office H ours Serves a Different Group of Students.
The Commitment of Faculty Time is Significant, Especially Since Rapid Response is Essential.
For the Time Being, a "Bribe" May be Helpful to Insure Participation.
Access and Available Time are Important Constraints for Students.
Students Must Perceive a Clear Added Value to Participate Fully.
This May Change as More Students Have Used Computers in High School

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