In recent nwu projects, two institutes dealt with enhancing experimental methods. While the Institute of Chemistry Education focused on small groups working on hands-on inquiry tasks, the educational psychologists developed two computer-based inquiry tasks on which students worked.&nb

Issue: Enhancing experimental methods in the science classroom

This study’s aim is to bring together the results from both fields, and develop a program that enhances students’ experimental skills as good as possible.

Therefore, all combinations of inquiry tasks possible will be tested against each other. Students from upper secondary schools in Northrhine-Westphalia studying chemistry in the second year will work on two inquiry tasks with a partner. One of the inquiry tasks deals with a chemical content, one with a physical content, for both tasks a computer-based (CB) and a hands-on (HO) version are available. Thus, four different programs are to be tested (CB+HO; CB+CB; HO+CB; HO+HO).

To avoid effects of order, half of the pairs of each group will start off with chemistry; the other half will start off with physics. Log files and audio files will be created from the computer-based inquiry tasks, while students working on the hands-on tasks will be videotaped.

Termtime

• 2010-2013

Funding

• DFG

Suprvisors

• Maik Walpuski & Elke Sumfleth

Dissertation

• Meike Bergs