Nonmajors can do inquiry too

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Non-majors can do inquiry too!

• Robin Lasey
• Arkansas Tech University

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Who are non-majors?

• Arkansas Tech University
• 6300 undergraduate students
• 89 white
• 53 female
• 24 over 24

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Who are non-majors?

• Survey of Chemistry
• 30 students per class
• 67 female
• 26 graduated HS 4 or more years earlier
• 45 nursing majors

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Who are non-majors?
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Who are non-majors?

• Survey of Chemistry
• 30 students per class
• 67 female
• 26 graduated HS 4 or more years earlier
• 45 nursing majors
• Average Math ACT score 203
• Average Sci. Reas. ACT score 223
• Some have never had chemistry
• Some have had AP chemistry in HS

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Why should non-majors do inquiry?

• Process more important than content
• Many different majors with different content that
  will be used in the real world
• Impossible to teach everything they might need to
  know
• Need to teach how to find information, analyze
  data, solve problems, think critically

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Problems with inquiry in non-majors course

• Students used to passive education
• Students have negative attitude about science
• Students think they CANT do math and science
• Students will shutdown if they think it is too
  hard

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Class Schedule

• Quiz(5-10 minutes)
• Part of activity
• Mini-lecture
• Part of activity
• Mini-lecture
• Etc. (as needed)

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Course Syllabus

• Unit conversions
• Atomic Structure
• Nuclear Chemistry
• Formation of Ions
• Molecular Structure/Polarity
• Moles
• Chemical Reactions
• Solutions
• Acid/Base Chemistry
• Organic Functional Groups

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Conceptual Baby Steps

• Based on the model, what do all carbon atoms (and
  ions) have in common? What do all hydrogen atoms
  (and ions) have in common?
• What is the significance of the atomic number, Z,
  above each atomic symbol in the periodic table?

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Conceptual Baby Steps

• Based on the model on the previous page,
• a) what do all carbon atoms (and ions) have in
  common?
• b) what do all hydrogen atoms (and ions) have in
  common?
• The atomic number can be found on the periodic
  table above the symbol for each element.
• a) What is the atomic number
• for carbon?
• for hydrogen?
• b) Comparing your answers to 4 and 5, what does
  the atomic number represent?

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Conceptual Baby Steps
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Conceptual Baby Steps

• Key Questions
• When sodium loses one electron, where do you
  think this electron goes?
• Which atom from the previous activity gained one
  electron?
• What is the charge on the sodium after it loses
  one electron? What is the charge on the chlorine
  after it gains one electron?
• Do opposite charges repel each other or attract
  each other?

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Simple models

• Key Questions
• What is the ratio of the number of black balls to
  the number of white balls in each box?
• What is the ratio of the number of black balls to
  the number of total balls in each box?
• Come up with a method of representing the ratio
  of black balls to total balls in the boxes using
  the mass of the balls?
• Which box has the highest ratio of black balls to
  total balls?
• Does your answer to Question 4 depend upon how
  you represent the ratio of black balls to total
  balls? Why or why not?

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Analogies
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Analogies

• If you were going on a trip, how easy would it be
  to get to your destination without knowing where
  you were starting or where you were going?
• What is the purpose of step 1?
• If you were going on a trip to Bowling Green, OH,
  would you want to start your trip without looking
  at a map and determining how to get there?
• What is the purpose of step 2?

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Methods to avoid shutdown

• Conceptual baby steps
• Simple models
• Analogies
• Be on the lookout for the deer in the
  headlights look
• Error on the side of too much help
• Be a cheerleader

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Further Plans

• Pre-test/Post-test
• Compare to lecture course
• Follow students through advanced courses

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Student Comments
The group work in class was helpful.
it is nice to try and figure stuff out on your
own.
I have always had trouble with this subject
until this class.
She breaks it all down to where people who
arent science geniuses can understand it.
The way Dr. Lasey taught the course made it easy
to understand
I felt it (working in groups) helped me better
understand..
The teacher presents the information in a way
that actually makes sense and you can learn and
remember longer.