Worked out Examples in Chemistry Teaching

Prof. Dr. Elke Sumfleth - Research Interests

 

Worked out Examples in Chemistry Teaching

  • Development and Evaluation of worked-out examples

Every worked-out example consists of a context-based problem statement (question), professional problem-solving steps (solution steps) and, finally, the actual problem solution (answer). The activity of the learner in elaborating the worked-out examples in order to understand the basic theoretical principle is decisive. This elaborating activity can be influenced by instructional and conceptual factors.

  • With regard to freshmen chemistry students a computer-based learning module in the content field of solubility containing worked-out examples has been developed to investigate the influences of self-explanations, additional instructional explanations and exercises on learning outcome.
  • With regard to students grade 9 worked-out examples have been developed which focus on concept learning and not on practicing stoichiometric tasks. The concepts taken from the German curriculum are "water as a solvent" and "structure of the water-molecule."

The investigations on worked-out examples are still in the very beginning, but a big effect on learning outcome and a real interest of students in working with these tasks becomes already apparent.

 

Further information

Eva Kölbach