Difficulties Implementing a Web Based PBL: Insight into Atomic Theory taught via a WebQuest

To foster student driven learning I developed a Web Quest that can teach atomic theory to a high school chemistry class. This Web Quest allows students the opportunity to examine the worlds of notable scientists that have contributed throughout time to the foundation of chemistry with their theories of atomic structure. The students’ job is to defend the work of these scientists, keeping them a part of science history. The Web Quest itself not only gives the student the assignment but also takes them through a brief introduction to Atomic Theory. This independent activity can harbor serious challenges for the teacher and/or facilitator of this case, but the results are well worth the effort. Technological difficulties are one of the limiting factors that hinder this particular type of case. Internet ready computers are a precious resource that few students may have access to, especially at home. This project permits the students to defend the scientific ideas and beliefs based on concrete evidence and principles. It explores ethical standards of performing research and allows the students to become knowledgeable about government agencies that regulate scientific research. Proper network support at the schools, availability of an internet ready computer at home, supplies for each student to complete all student products would make implementing this case easier but there are more unexpected hurdles to overcome than this. Ways to implement this case smoothly in your classroom will be outlined and examples will be shared. Background Students often complain that atomic theory is too abstract and uninteresting; therefore I developed an Atomic Theory WebQuest to enhance the overall learning experience of the students. During this WebQuest, the students examine the worlds of notable scientists that have contributed somewhat varying theories regarding atomic structure throughout time. The students’ job is to defend the work of these scientists, keeping them a part of science history. This WebQuest adds a modern twist to what seems like ancient history for the students. They are assigned roles like historian and biographer; affixing an element of reality to the scientists. They are allowed to contemplate how the lives of these scientists shaped their successes and failures within their respected fields. This lesson not only addresses the premises of atomic theory, but also ethical standards, the scientific process and the evolution of theories. “The more meaningful, the more deeply or elaboratively processed, the more situated in content, and the more rooted in cultural, background, metacognitive, and personal knowledge an event is, the Difficulties Implementing 2 2 more readily it is understood, learned, and remembered.” (Iran-Nejad, McKeachie, and Berliner, 1990) This Atomic Theory WebQuest refines the student’s critical thinking skills. The defense team model promotes cooperative learning. It is also an authentic alternative to accessing the students’ knowledge of atomic theory. Furthermore, professional skill with technological applications is obtained. In an age where technology is all around us, it is necessary to design a curriculum driven towards producing information literate students. The 1989 Final Report of the American Library Association Presidential Committee on Information Literacy states that, “information literate people are those who have learned how to learn. They know how to learn because they know how knowledge is organized, how to find information, and how to use information in such a way that others can learn from them.” (ACRL, 2003) Raizen, Sellwood, Todd, and Vickers (1995) suggest that technological literacy must include a wide range of opportunities for students to interact with a variety of tools and resources in order to develop a level of competence that will allow them to use technology effectively and productively in the workplace. A WebQuest provides a techno logy-based forum in which students can develop information literacy. WebQuests are inquiry-oriented activities in which learners interact with information that primarily comes from resources on the Internet. A WebQuest is divided into sections, which guide the student through a process that enhances their information literacy. These sections include an introduction, task, process, information sources, guidance and a conclusion (Dodge, 1997). Critical thinking, cooperative learning, authentic assessment and technology integration are the most effective instructional practices, which become integrated into one defined activity in a WebQuest. The Atomic Theory WebQuest Throughout the WebQuest the student is lead through a process, which meet the criteria for information literacy. In the introduction, the situation is explained and the ability to recognize the need for further information is initially targeted. The students are told that their team has been chosen to represent one of the significant scientists who contributed to the current ideas surrounding atomic theory. These men have been accused by the International Foundation of Scientific Theory on CNN to be pseudoscientists and that their work, while it led to the current theory and is the basis of the periodic table and how we classify all elements, is false. It is your team’s duty to defend your client’s theory in front of the Grand Science Council at a public forum. The names of the clients are presented next. There are seven clients including Democritus, the Greek philosopher, and Erwin Schrodinger, the physicist. By exploring this wide range of scientists through history, the students begin to appreciate that scientific discoveries evolve over time and blurs subject area boundaries. Difficulties Implementing 3