Evaluation Partner for the Molecular Level Laboratory Experiment Project (MoLE)

NSF-CCLI-EMD #0127563

Dr. Micheal R. Abraham
Department of Chemistry
The University of Oklahoma
Norman, OK 73019

Dr. John I. Gelder
Department of Chemistry
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK 74078

Thank you for interest in participating in our evaluation of the Molecular Level Laboratory Experiment (MoLE) project. We are in our first year of a three-year NSF supported project to develop and assess a set of molecular level simulations for laboratory and lecture use. This semester we would like to gather student data using the Gas Law Simulation. For this evaluation we need to assess the effectiveness of the simulation and to try it out in various settings at different high schools, colleges and universities. We will customize the data collection and the use of the software to your institution and to your needs as an instructor.

We would like to collect data reflecting student attitudes towards the materials, the kinds of things the students are learning from the gas law simulation, and how the students are learning the concepts associated with gas law phenomena. For some of this evaluation we would like comparison (control group/experimental group) data. If you have a lecture section broken into different sections of laboratory/discussion or if you have multiple sections (you teach more than one lecture section) this would allow separation of the data collection for groups that were exposed to the software versus groups who were not exposed to the software. If it is possible to carry out such an experiment at your institution it would be helpful to us. However, any information we can collect on the use of the materials will be valuable.

We need some information from you in planning the various parts of the evaluation. Please respond to the following questions and we will get back to you with the details for your implementation of the Gas Law Simulation.

(NOTE: After answering all the questions click the submit button. )


Name:

School/Institution:

E-mail Address:

1) Which of the following describes how you could use the gas law simulation? Select all that apply.

A) students will use the simulation as an activity in a computer laboratory setting supervised by an instructor working individually or in small groups;

B) student will use the computer simulation as an individual activity, i.e as a homework assignment;

E) tell us your best arrangement if none of the above work for your classroom situation.

 

2) What kind of evaluation data can we obtain from you? Depending on the instructional setting (above) the kind of information that would be useful includes;

A) Attitude information about the simulation and activity (formal or informal data would be useful, we have a data gathering instrument for the formal collection of this type of data, informal data would consist of spontaneous student and/or faculty comments.);

B) Copies of the student responses to the laboratory report/gas law simulation activity;

E) Any other information you would like to communicate to us.



3) When do you anticipate using the gas law simulation/activity this semester (Fall 2002)/


4) Which of the following activities do you anticipate using with the simulation software? (The links below are to current draft versions of the Gas Law Activity. Following our Advisory Committee Meeting this past weekend (9/21/02) we will be making some minor changes to these materials.)

A) Instructions for using the software;

B) The P versus V guided inquiry laboratory activity;

E) Research Statements (these are nine statements that you and/or your students can choose from to prove or disprove using the MoLE simulation;

 

F) Activities of your own design. (please describe)

5. Do you have any questions, comments or concerns that we can address? Please give them below.

When using students to obtain the data describe above you will be required to complete a Human Subjects Application Form to be submitted to your Institutional Review Board or equivalent administrative office before the data can be collected. We are happy to provide copies of such forms that have been submitted and accepted at OU or OSU. Tell us how we can help.

Thank you for your interest. Mike or I will be in contact.