This week I have been looking at some chemistry simulations. I checked out some of the ones mentioned in the text (chapter 3).
ExploreLearning http://www.explorelearning.com/ has some nice gizmos (their word). I would probably use them projected to the class because you can run through the simulation pretty fast and getting students computers for such a short time is probably not worth the time. There is a subscription cost, unknown to me still, associated with using these long term. I question if the graphics are large enough to be easily seen if projected to the class.
Youtryit is interesting but limited.
I added some to the class simulation list. Most of the ones I added I learned about through the NSTA chemistry list serve.
I will probably use some of the molecular modeling ones because I am terrible at drawing spacefilling models, plus being able to rotate them is invaluable. I think I would use actual models initially in the year, but after students have had some practice putting together molecules, the visual might be enough when it comes time to introduce a new functional group.
If any of you might consider using Virtual Worlds as an educational tool, I can forward you an e-mail from someone on the NSTA chem list serve who compiled a list of resources and samples.
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Hi Tom, thought I would post a reply to your post from my site. You are so right about students not being able to comprehend. Last year, I would get excited and go off on a short indepth tangent to a subject and a couple of students could follow but some actually were worse off! they could not take it all in and file it into the right boxes and so what happened is things got jumbled. I think simulations have the potential to do this. Give too much or a barrage in too short a time. With some short video clips(2-3min) and animations last year I had to pause, check for understanding and then at the end recap and in most cases play it again so kids could process it. This actually takes more time than one thinks and this does not have them write anything which is a good way to check understanding when it is all done. I will be very selective with simulations because I am expecting high schoolers are still not ready to process most things.
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