Using Simulations to Detect Difficulties in the Process of Learning ?Chemical Solutions?

G. BEKERMAN, LORENA PEPA, ELVIRA VACCARO, MANUEL ALONSO, LYDIA R. GALAGOVSKY

American Journal of Educational Research

Science and Education

Año: 2016 vol. 4 p. 608 - 612

Using animations, visualizations and simulations is a common practice to teach chemistry. Thesedidactic resources provide a motivational effect which in turn should improve the understanding of concepts by thestudents. This is effectively observed, but not all students benefit from these resources to the same extent. In thiswork, we use a simulation of chemical solutions and then evaluate a group of students on it. From the wronganswers we proceed to establish categories: 1) Incorrect or misguided mathematical approaches, dissociated from thechemical meaning of the question, 2) difficulties in the use of chemical syntax, 3) semantic difficulties, and 4)alternative mental models. Having identified the types of errors allows teachers to work on them in a directedmanner, making possible different approaches for each category