Teaching Chemistry

E-Learning

Using Information and Communication Technologies in Science Teaching

What are ICTs?

Information and Communication Technologies are not just computers but any technologies relating to communication eg software, CDs, the Internet, television, video, sensing, data logging and control apparatus etc. [Back to top]

Reasons for using Information and Communications Technology (ICT)

http://www.canteach.gov.uk/community/ict/ This government WWW site suggests ways in which ICT has the potential to make a significant contribution to students knowledge, understanding and skills in science, through the use of:

  • simulations and modelling, to help pupils understand phenomena which may be too slow, too fast, too dangerous or too expensive to investigate in the school laboratory, and to allow them to investigate the effects of changing variables in the situations represented or to consolidate and reinforce conceptual understanding;
  • data logging, e.g. using sensors to record variables such as temperature, moisture, light and pressure, to assist in the recording, presentation and analysis of results so that students can spend more time on interpretation, evaluation and the formulation of hypotheses about the implications;
  • databases and spreadsheets, to enable students to organise, search and sort information in order to explore relationships, look for patterns and test hypotheses, e.g. extracting data from different sources;
  • publishing and presentation software, e.g. word processing and desktop publishing packages and multimedia authoring software, to enable students to develop understanding and present their findings to others;
  • information resources, e.g. the Internet, CD-ROM and data files, to enable students to find information and thus to develop their knowledge and understand ing of science.

These can all help students to

a. ask questions, predict and hypothesise;

b. observe, measure , record and manipulate variables;

c. interpret their results and evaluate scientific evidence;

d. present and communicate their findings in a variety of ways. [Back to top]

Benefits of ICTs for teachers

ICTs can also support the science teacher by:

  • assisting in the preparation of teaching materials;
  • helping to demonstrate experiments and concepts in science, e.g. by using presentation packages for whole-class teaching; to demonstrate, explore or explain aspects of their teaching, and pupils' learning, more effectively. Can demonstrate the provisional nature of information stored, processed and presented using ICT allows work to be changed easily, e.g. changing the distance/time values and observing the effect on a line graph;
  • supporting pupils working with sources of data during investigative and practical work; gain access to historical, recent or immediate information, search for and compare information from different sources;
  • helping pupils to develop research and study skills in science, e.g. when investigating secondary sources of data;
  • aiding record-keeping and reporting, e.g. by storing and regularly updating formative records to monitor pupils' progress or to form the basis of a report. [Back to top]

Linking the use of ICTs into the curriculum

For ICTs to used effectively, they need to be linked directly to the science curriculum rather than being viewed as an extra. For example, the use of a calculator or a spreadsheet may remove the tedium of repetitive calculations and enable pupils to focus their attention on an emerging numerical pattern or the relationship between successive readings. However student skills in mental or written calculation are not always necessarily being developed and therefore the activity may not suit the particular teaching objectives in hand.

There are functions of ICT which are specifically relevant to science teaching:

  • the immediate appearance on screen of automatically collected experimental results enables pupils to make the connection between observed and empirical data;
  • access to current and relevant information sources (e.g. latest photographs from the Hubble space telescope) can be used to illustrate concepts which would otherwise be very theoretical;
  • increasing precision in the use of scientific language and terminology can be encouraged when word processing software is used to produce reports and accounts of experiments;
  • interaction with simulations and models allows pupils to test hypotheses and explore relationships between variables, e.g. to explore the effect of colour of light on different parameter. [Back to top]

Ideas for using ICTs in school science

The use of computers in Science teaching is not new. Here are some ideas for using ICTs in the classroom and laboratory:

Data collection

Students enter findings/data etc into a spreadsheet and discuss potential ways of presenting and analysing the information. What scales are needed? Is a bar chart better than a line graph? How do the results compare with last week etc?

Interfacing

Interfacing means attaching an experiment to a computer. This process collects the experimental data directly into the PC, thus preventing errors in the inputting and the onerous task of collecting the data manually. Dataloggers enable data to be collected separately and then downloaded into your PC.

Modelling and experimenting

Computer models can be used to test hypotheses. The results of manipulating the model are compared with reality to test theories. Students can be introduced to the concept of modelling and then to the development of their own theories. Virtual experiments can be carried out which might not otherwise be practical or possible to conduct in a classroom. It is important that the computer or IT skills don't get into the way of ach ieving the learning objectives eg poor IT skills can detract from the quality of the learning experience.

Presenting

This isn't just about improving presentation of materials. This could involve the process of sequencing activities eg rearranging elements into the correct order, linking ideas together into a concept map, completing a sentence or task by adding in the missing words or correcting errors etc Styles relating to the presentation of information to include graphs etc.

Management issues and teaching styles

Strategies for using ICTs to support teaching and learning are likely to be limited by the level of access you have to computers. Access to a lab might need to be timetabled or any simulations used demonstrated from the only computer available. Therefore this will impact on lesson planning eg do you demonstrate before or after discussing the relevant theory etc.

Lesson preparation

Templates, even complete lesson plans are available online see for example http://www.teachers.net/ and http://www.standards.dfes. gov.uk/

Multimedia

These include a range of different technologies to support your teaching :

  • Powerpoint can for example be used to build sequences of text and images, that become progressively more complex.
  • Sound and moving images can be used to illustrate change and the effect of differing parameters.
  • Digital cameras can be used to store and update images to record student work and monitor progress in a project.
  • Communication technologies can be used to maintain and establish links with other schools. Collaborative projects can be initiated and data shared
  • The Internet can provide access to a range of resources to encourage students to problem solve and explore new ideas. [Back to top]

11 point checklist of criteria for selecting Internet resources for student use.

Given the range of online resources now available, it is important to think how a resource will help your students to learn rather than just use technology for the sake of it. Often judgements made are intuitive, but here is a checklist produced by Ebenezer and Lau (1998), that provides some guidance.

    • the lesson plan should match the goals and objectives of student learning
    • the science content must be at an appropriate developmental level
    • the reading level must also be appropriate
    • the WWW site must present meaningful information and activities for both teachers and students
    • lesson plans and activities must reflect scientific inquiry, the curriculum connections, integration and multiple approaches to teaching and learning
    • the Web site must have links to other related WebSites
    • the WWW site must have background information with lesson plans
    • the WebSite must provide connections to experts, peers, teachers or mailing lists
    • there should be a variety of activities available, either online or downloadable
    • information must have a multi-media approach eg sound, animation etc.
    • articles must have complete references

WWW sites must also be regularly updated and be authored by a reputable source. [Back to top]

Special needs support:

A variety of ICTs can help students with learning difficulties eg.

  • Multimedia – combinations of moving images, graphics, text and sound which might enable students who may have difficulties with one sense to use their other sense to reinforce learning
  • Overlay keyboards or onscreen grids – alternatives to the traditional keyboard which enable learners to use symbols or other support systems alongside traditional text
  • Speech recognition systems – run on personal computers and enable users to create text, or control the computer by voice input
  • Spell checkers, glossaries and thesauri – support dyslexic and oterh learners by enabling them to check the accuracy of their work
  • Touch screens – sensitive display screens that enable the computer to react to the touch of a finger or stylus
  • Work processors – including predictive word processor and those with word output
  • Drill and practice software – helps learners who need to over learn concepts and knowledge and practice their basic skills independently
  • Assessment software – enables teachers to assess the abilities of students either by screening all students or focussing on individuals to diagnose difficulties, analyse needs and suggest solution.

For information BECTA provide some useful guides and information sheets: http://www.becta.org.uk/technology/infosheets/index.html [Back to top]

A case study exploring how ICTs can be used more effectively:

NAACE invited its members, most of whom observe classroom practice on a regular basis, to suggest the key characteristics of good quality teaching and learning with ICT. They were asked to consider those occasions on which they had observed ICT making a real difference to teaching and learning, either in the context of teaching about ICT itself or in support of learning in any subject across the curriculum. They were asked to identify the role that ICT was playing and the ways in which teachers and pupils were using the technology in a really effective manner.

These aimed to consider the following questions

    • What is effective teaching practice with ICT?
    • What can ICT do to assist the teacher
    • What might pupils be doing as a result of this good practice?

The following were considered to be benefits of using ICTs

1) Autonomy Pupils develop autonomy through their use of ICT. They take control of their learning. They engage with the technology and work independently or with others, at the most effective pace and at the most appropriate level. They articulate reasons for their use of ICT.

2) Capability Pupils develop the knowledge and skills that enable them to use new technologies efficiently and effectively.

3) Creativity Pupils’ creativity is inspired by their use of ICT. They will find opportunities to be creative using ICT, a nd to use ICT creatively, in a wide range of subjects and contexts, throughout their school life.

4) Quality Pupils use ICT to develop their ideas and improve the quality of their work. They use ICT to enrich thei r learning, making use of the wide range of source material available to them. Where appropriate, they also use ICT to improve the presentation of their work.

5) Scope Pupils use ICT to make practicable learning activities that woul d otherwise be too onerous, difficult, time-consuming or impossible to achieve. Pupils use ICT to add intrinsic value to a process.

Specific examples:

A) Students use ICT to monitor the results of a scientific experiment. They have been taught how to use data logging equipment and have some experience of how to make sensible use of data collected automatically with ICT. Pupils design their experiment, collect the data, consider issues of accuracy and equipment reliability, and check the plausibility of their results. They interpret the data, possibly using ICT to help, for example, by representing the data graphically. They use the data to predict outcomes of further experiments and test their predictions. They hypothesise a general rule and carry out further tests. Pupils understand how the use of ICT has improved the quality of their experimental work.

Teaching points: Students are taught how to set up the equipment and how to use data logging equipment to record results. They have been taught how to use appropriate software packages to analyse and represent the data. They have been taught to evaluate their results and to check for plausibility.

B) Students undertake a data logging experiment to record different insulating properties of various materials. The probes enable the class to measure and record temperature changes that would not be otherwise possible and explore a variety of scenarios. The graphs are automatically generated which enables students to quic kly analyse what is happening. Discussion can be of a higher quality, as they are able to discuss aspects of the shape of the graph and the rate of cooling.

Teaching points: The experiment is set up and then left to cool while the class work on another aspect of the lesson, in which they have to predict which will retain its heat longest and give a reason why. Students are organised into small groups and asked to print and annotate the graphs in order to enable them to focus on the message of the graph. More able students are given extension qu estions that require them to hypothesise and predict how the graph might appear under different conditions. To aid students’ writing up of the task, they are given an appropriate writing frame. The results are then reinforced as a whole class. The technology has extended the scope of the exercise, enabling students to achieve higher quality thinking through more active experiments than might otherwise have been possible.

Discussion points emerging from this case study

    • With pressure on access to computers and the need for students to develop ‘good’ ICT skills, how can schools ensure that pupils are taught the skills of using software within contexts that are not trivial and yet do not place unacceptable demands on subject time ?
    • Select a specific age group of students. How can ICT add scope and intrinsic value to activities that require pupi ls to ‘find things out’ and to ‘develop ideas and make things happen’?
    • Using a model or simulation per se will not necessarily raise the quality of students’ thinking. Consider your phase or subject. What strategies can be employed by teachers to help students to predict and h ypothesise, for example, asking ‘what if…?’ type questions?
    • The Internet, CD-ROMs and DVD resources offer access to a huge range of materials. How can students be supported to find, select and use effectively and what skills do they need?
    • When discussing the quality of presentation, how can students be helped to distinguish between concepts of ‘perfection’, which they will never achieve, and ‘fitness for purpose’ or ‘good enough’ which they might strive for?
    • What strategies can teachers employ to help students make critical judgements about their work at different stages?
    • Students with home computers can often be more confident using computers than those without, and this helps them develop their competence. What can schools do to ensure any digital divide is n ot exacerbated?
    • What teaching approaches will help students to distinguish between using the Internet to increase the volume of their work (indiscriminate cut and paste) and using the Internet to improve the scope and depth of their work?
    • How can the teacher use assessment criteria, shared with the students, to encourage work of good quality?
    • Some students work best in pairs or small groups, others make maximum learning gains when working alone in an intensive session. How can teaching support different learning styles to en courage students to become autonomous learners?
    • Effective teacher intervention requires pupils to analyse and make decisions based on careful questioning. How do you set out a problem without giving the solution? What types of questions make students think? [Back to top]

 

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