Living by Chemistry:
Progress Variables, Learning
Progressions
Karen Draney
University of California, Berkeley
LBC started with the following
observation:
Students who can write this equation for combustion:
CH4 + 2O2
CO2 + 2H2O
often cannot answer:
"When a house burns to the ground and only
a few pieces of charred wood and ashes are left,
what happens to the rest of the mass of the house?”
(AAAS Project 2061 conference 2001)
How to define understanding of
chemistry?
“Chemistry”
A typical “laundry list” of topics:
• Stoichiometry
• Atoms and elements
• The periodic table
• Chemical bonding
Student understanding?
• Molecular structure
• Physical and chemical change
• Acid-base equilibrium
• Oxidation-reduction reactions
• Thermodynamics
• Chemical kinetics .....Solubility......…etc....etc...etc....
A better way: the BEAR
Assessment system
Applying criterion-referenced measurements to
characterize student understanding.
BEAR Assessment System
• Decide on variables
to measure learning outcomes
• Define a scale
to quantify the variables
• Design an instrument
to determine the values of the
variables for individual students
The 4 Building Blocks
Construct
Map
Items
Measures
Item
Scores
PROGRESS VARIABLES
LBC Curriculum and ChemQuery Assessment
Matter is composed of atoms
arranged in various ways.
Change is associated with
rearrangements of atoms.
Energy is associated with
changes that occur.
Levels of Progress: Focus on Student
Understanding
expert
5 Generation: Research
4 Construction: Examining assumptions,
relating models
3 Formulation: Relating ideas and concepts,
simple models
2 Recognition: Language, definitions, symbols
algorithms
novice
1 Notions: Everyday experience, logical
reasoning
ChemQuery
Items Design
Examples of items:
C 4H 8O 4
butyric acid
C4H8O4
ethyl acetate
Both of the solutions have the same molecular
formulas, but butyric acid smells bad and putrid while
ethyl acetate smells good and sweet. Explain why these
two solutions smell differently.
ChemQuery
Level One: Notions
Response 1: I think there could be a lot of different reasons as to
why the two solutions smell differently. One could be that they're
different ages, and one has gone bad or is older which changed the
smell.
Response 2: Using chemistry theories, I don't have the faintest
idea, but using common knowledge I will say that the producers of
the ethyl products add smell to them so that you can tell them
apart.
Response 3: Just because they have the same molecular formula
doesn't mean they are the same substance. Like different races of
people: black people, white people. Maybe made of the same stuff
but look different.
ChemQuery
Level Two: Recognition
Response: "They smell differently b/c even though they
have the same molecular formula, they have different
structural formulas with different arrangements and
patterns.”
Quality evidence: student profile
Quality evidence: track student over time
ChemQuery
Quality evidence:
To help ALL students increase understanding of chemistry
ss
s
s
Score
Levels
2
-2
s +1
s
1
s -1
s
0
s
Pretest
Post-test
Low
Middle
High
Fall 2000 Student Gains, Grouped by Pretest Score
ChemQuery
Criterion referenced assessments, tracking student learning
High School and College Students
100
0 semesters
2 semesters
3 semesters
80
60
40
20
0
Notions
Recognition Formulation Construction Generation
Creating a Construct
Variables
• Main topics (chapters or subdisciplines)
• Models or theories
• Popular understanding
Levels of progression
• A little of x, more of x, a great deal of x
• Complexity: A, A+B, A+B+C, A+B+C+D
• Range vs hierarchy
ChemQuery
Criterion referenced assessments, tracking student learning
Big Ideas of Chemistry: Round 1
Macroscopic phenomena can be
described by the positions and motions of
electrons atoms and molecules
Mass and energy are conserved in
chemical reactions
The tendency for physical or chemical
change can be predicted by comparing
relative reactivities for various substances
ChemQuery
Criterion referenced assessments, tracking student learning
complex
5 Integration across variables
4 Bonding (ionic, covalent molecules,
perhaps collections of molecules
3 Model of the atom (including elements and
periodicity
2 Particulate view (definition of matter as
particulate)
simple
1 Macroscopic observations
ChemQuery
Criterion referenced assessments, tracking student learning
complex
4 Explaining Molecular Behavior: Explains molecular
behavior and properties in terms of stability and
energies
3 Examining Structure-Property Relationships:
Recognizes that matter has characteristic properties
due to the arrangement of atoms
2 Representing Matter: Explores meaning of words,
symbols and definitions to represent matter
1 Describing Properties of Matter: Describes materials
observed with senses, uses logical patterns
simple
0 Prestructural: Response is irrelevant
Living by Chemistry
To help ALL students increase understanding of high school chemistry
Big Ideas of Chemistry: Round 2
Atomic and molecular view
Mass as evidence for atomic view
Rearrangements of atoms
Conservation of mass
Quantum view
Conservation of energy
ChemQuery
Criterion referenced assessments, tracking student learning
Quantitative vs Qualitative
5 Integrate
the domain
4 Predict
Scientific
models
3 Relate
Patterns and
Equations
2 Represent
Scientific
definitions
1 Describe
Observations
& experience
0
A
B
Characterizing
Measuring
Matter
Matter
Matter is
Mass is
composed of used to account
atoms arranged
for matter
in various ways
C
D
Characterizing
Quantifying
Change
Change
Change is
Mass is
associated with
used to keep
rearrangements track of change
of atoms
E
F
Evaluating
Energies
Energy transfer
used to analyze
tendency for
change
Quantizing
Energy
Interaction of
light with matter
elucidates
structure
bonding &
reactivity
models &
evidence
the domain
advanced bonding
models, nucleophiles,
electrophiles
evidence about
things we can’t
observe directly
4
Predict
phase &
composition
limitations
of models
Scientific
models
bond strengths,
intermolecular
examining
evidence
assumptions
3
Relate
properties &
atomic views
Patterns and
Equations
octet rule, ionic
and covalent
bonds
5
Integrate
attractions, polarity
matter with
2
Represent chemical
Scientific
definitions
1
Describe
Observations
& experience
0
symbols
elements, compounds,
valence electrons,
periodic trends
properties of
matter
solids, liquids,
gases, mixtures
kinetics &
changes in
bonding
stoichiometry
& equilibrium
particle &
energy views
spectroscopy
& structure
rxn mechanisms,
activation energy
weak acids &
bases, solubility of
salts, gases
statisical mechanics
KE & temperature
group theory,
transition
probabilities
products of
reaction
amounts of
products
degrees of
change
electronic
structure
solubilities,
relative acid
strengths
limiting reagents,
strong acid/base
titrations, % yield
measured
amounts
of matter
change &
reaction
types
amounts of
reactants
& products
density, grams per
mole,molarity
precipitation,
acid-base, redox
reaction
stoichiometry, pH
mass with a
particulate
view
change with
chemical
symbols
change with a
conservation
view
heats &
temperature
atoms,
isotopes,
moles
balanced
equations, phys,
vs chem change
conservation of
mass in
chemical reactions
heat capacity,
calorimetry,
exo(endo)thermic
amounts of
matter
attributes of
change
changes in
amount
measures of
energy
mass, weight,
volume, pressure
mixing, dissolving,
color change,
change in form
changes in mass,
weight, volume
temperature, scales
measures of energy
entropy, free
energy &
equilibrium
energy
transfer
& change
enthalpy changes
Hess’s law,
bond breaking
quantum model,
atomic & molecular
orbitals, ionization
energy
color with
light
absorption
absorption &
emission spectra
energies
associated
with light
frequency, speed,
Planck’s constant
light
production of light,
color
A
B
C
D
E
F
Characterizing
Matter
Matter is
composed of
atoms arranged
in various ways
Measuring
Matter
Mass is
used to account
for matter
Characterizing
Change
Change is
associated with
rearrangements
of atoms
Quantifying
Change
Mass is
used to keep
track of change
Evaluating
Energies
Energy transfer
used to analyze
tendency for
change
Quantizing
Energy
Interaction of
light with matter
elucidates
structure
ChemQuery
Criterion referenced assessments, tracking student learning
Big Ideas of Chemistry: Round 3
Matter is composed of atoms
arranged in various ways.
Change is associated with
rearrangements of atoms.
Energy is associated with
changes that occur.
ChemQuery
Criterion referenced assessments, tracking student learning
ChemQuery Construct
Matter
Student levels of
understanding
number
III. Formulation
II. Recognition
I. Notions
mole
mass
Change
particulate
macro
conservation
Atomic symbols,
octet rule
Chemical equations,
conservation of mass
Solid, liquid, gas
Stuff happens
(atoms/stuff/grams)
ChemQuery
Criterion referenced assessments, tracking student learning
Final Thoughts
• Don’t do this alone
• Iterative by nature
• All variables can start out simple
• Track student understanding from high
school to graduate school