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Grade 5 Students Viewing a Digital Learning Object to

Understand Particle Models of Solids, Liquids, and Gases Brenda J. Gustafson; Peter G. Mahaffy & Brian Martin

University of Alberta; The King’s University College (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)

On-line ResponsesResponses to on-line DLO questions showed that depending on the state of matter, 60-81% of the student-pairs identified particle movement, holding, and spacing (Expert Beginning Understanding) or some subset of these elements (Evolving Understanding) as important to distinguishing among particle models of solids, liquids, and gases. The most confounding elements were shape and colour (Naive Understanding).

Worksheet ResponsesIndividual self-generated pictorial models of particles making up solids, liquids, and gases and their accompanying explanations showed that 33/40 students used ideas about salient features of particle models to distinguish among states of matter. No students, however, used spacing, movement, and holding (Expert Beginning Understanding) in their answers.

Evolving UnderstandingSpacing only: 21/33Spacing and movement: 7/33Spacing and number: 1/33

Macro-Micro Understanding 4/33 e.g., pictures that showed differences in spacing coupled with an explanation that ‘liquids are water and gas is air’

Incorrect UnderstandingIncorrect responses: 5/40 e.g., liquids don’t move, solids have hard particles, liquid particles are wet, particles have different shapes and sizesN/R: 2/40

SummaryWith respect to particle models of solids, liquids, and gases viewed on the DLO, the majority of student-pairs consistently identified movement, spacing, and holding or some subset of these elements as salient.

When self-generating pictorial models, students tended to use only a subset of salient features to distinguish among states of matter.

Results

Figure 2. Evolving Understanding - Solids are very close together, liquids are kind of far apart. Evolving understanding - Solids are very close together, liquids are kind of apart, and

gases are very far apart.

Figure 3. Solid is closely stuck together and doesn’t move. Water is close together and moves. Gas moves and is not together.Figure 3. Solid is closely stuck together and doesn’t move. Water is close together and moves. Gas moves and is not together.

Figure 1. Screen capture from digital learning object

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Suspendisse posuere magna. Aenean accumsan The aim of this study was to explore 40 (22 male; 18 female) Grade 5 (ages 10-11) students’ ability to: a) distinguish among particle models of solids, liquids, and gases embedded in a digital learning object (DLO), and b) self-generate and explain their own particle models for solids, liquids, and gases.

Students worked in pairs to view a series of six interactive digital learning objects (DLOs) created by the authors and their technical team. The DLOs introduced the students to the nature of models, the particle nature of matter, why water is special, physical change, and chemical change. The overall intent of the DLOs was to help students understand how their observations of the macroscopic properties of matter and change could be explained by considering the behavior of small, unseen particles (e.g., atoms, molecules).

Introduction

1. What salient features did students identify as being important to distinguishing among particle models of solids, liquids, and gases in the digital learning object?2. To what extent were students able to self-generate and explain pictorial models of the small, unseen particles that make up solids, liquids, and gases?

Study Questions

StStudy Questions

Aenean accumsan. Integer id felis. Praesent at erat. Pellentesque libero. Ut tempor. Ut arcu leo, auctor Students worked in pairs to work through an interactive digital learning object drawn from a series of six DLOs that featured text, dynamic models, and virtual characters intended to draw attention to the movement, spacing, and holding of a variety of particle models of solids, liquids, and gases. Data consisted of the student-pair responses to on-line questions (see Figure 1), and after working through the DLO, their individual work to complete a worksheet.

On the worksheet, students were asked to draw, label, and explain self-generated pictorial models of the small, unseen particles that make up solids, liquids, and gases (see figures 2 and 3 for sample responses). The understanding suggested by the particle models and their accompanying explanations was classified as either representing: a) an Expert Beginning Understanding (included spacing, movement, and holding), b) an Evolving Understanding (mentioning a subset of salient features), c) a Macro-micro understanding (e.g., spacing and temperature), or d) an incorrect understanding (e.g., liquids don’t move).

Method Curabitur eros sapien, dictum vitae, tempor eget, fermentum id, metus. Morbi iaculis, mi ut tristique Although the DLO clearly showed models in which particles were moving and spaced in different ways, the idea of holding or not holding could only be inferred from the models and read about in DLO text. Compounding the challenge of noticing ‘holding and not holding’ were models of gas particles that were dynamic and widely spaced. These models provided a good visualization of spacing and moving and for many, a subset of these salient features was all that was needed to distinguish among their self-generated pictorial models - and likely even those models depicted in the DLO.

Until there was an acknowledged pay-off for attending to ‘holding or not holding’ it was unlikely that this salient feature would be incorporated into self-generated models.

Conclusions

1. Can students transfer what they learned about the salient features of matter to everyday situations? 2. How do students describe the transition to believing that moving, spacing, and holding are the salient features of states of matter? Do they simply believe these ideas because they appear in the DLO or is there some gradual, iterative process that occurs before they develop a deep understanding of these ideas?3. What supports do students need in order to consistently use holding, spacing, and moving to distinguish among solids, liquids, and gases?

Future Research

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) King’s Centre for Visualization in Science (KCVS)

Acknowledgements