(12) Using the results from a prior NSF project that developed an inquiry-based curriculum (Living by Chemistry) and a criterion referenced assessment system (ChemQuery), the PI is studying how to design a textbook that builds upon and enhances the benefits of guided-inquiry instruction. The intellectual challenge being addressed is the creation of a textbook for use as a reference that best enhances students' learning in an inquiry-based classroom without preempting the discovery aspect of the pedagogical model. Prototype textbook chapters are being developed to study how students and teachers use the prototypes. The textbook chapters are being developed to: (1) give clear answers while demonstrating the kind of questions that led to those answers; (2) use familiar macroscopic contexts as pedagogical frames without displacing or diluting content; and (3) provide illustrations to bridge the cognitive gulf between the concrete world of macroscopic experience and the abstract models of the particulate theory of matter. Particular attention is being given to the use and effectiveness of illustrations. The effectiveness of the prototypes in improving student understanding is being monitored using ChemQuery.

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE)
Type
Standard Grant (Standard)
Application #
0525268
Program Officer
Myles G. Boylan
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
2005-07-01
Budget End
2010-06-30
Support Year
Fiscal Year
2005
Total Cost
$307,077
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Berkeley
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Berkeley
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94704