Higher-Order Thinking in Chemistry Teaching and Learning

1. Higher-Order Thinking in Chemistry Teaching and Learning Dr Carol K.K. Chan, The University of Hong Kong Ivan C.K. Lam, Maryknoll Convent School

2. Overview • What is higher-order thinking? • Model of learning and teaching of higher-order thinking • Fostering higher-order thinking in chemistry • Concept Mapping • Questioning • Reflection – Learning Diaries • Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning • Group Work • Video on classroom implementation on higher-order thinking HOTS in chemistry

3. What is Higher-Order Thinking? HOTS in chemistry

4. What are the characteristics of HOT? • HOT involves more than one fixed answer • HOT is brought about by complex tasks • HOT is about understanding • HOT is both content-free and content-related HOTS in chemistry

5. What are some common questions about higher-order thinking ? • Are there lower-order and higher-order thinking? • Are there specific thinking skills for different age groups? • Are higher-order thinking skills applicable for low-ability students? HOTS in chemistry

6. What are different kinds of HOT? • Educators from different backgrounds have different conceptualization & classification systems. • Creative Thinking • Critical Thinking • Bloom’s Taxonomy • Marzano’s Dimensions of Learning • Metacognition HOTS in chemistry

7. What is HOT? • Creative Thinking(e.g., De Bono; Perkins) • Ability to generate novel and multiple solutions • Aesthetics, risk-taking, edge of knowledge • Lateral Thinking (I.e., six hats) HOTS in chemistry

8. What is HOT? • Critical Thinking(Ennis) • focus on a question • analyze arguments; • observe and seek supports for evidence • make inferences (induction & deduction) • identify unstated assumptions • decide on an action • employ strategies to interact with others in discourse HOTS in chemistry

9. What is HOT? • Bloom’s Taxonomy • Lower-level to higher-level questions • Marzano’s Dimensions of Learning • Different Kinds of Thinking Skills HOTS in chemistry

10. What is HOT? Metacognition & higher-level understanding (Bereiter, Scardamalia, Resnick, Brown) • Thinking about “thinking” (meta-cognition) • Higher-order thinking is about students taking active roles in constructing meaning and deep understanding HOTS in chemistry

11. What is HOT? HOTS in chemistry

12. An example of metacognition HOTS in chemistry

13. An example of metacognition • ….It was the first time that I really take a chance to observe the things around me. I deliberately took out the bleach and have a look at it. In the past, I didn’t have the sense of observation…I was greatly surprised when I realized that milk and egg could be used to neutralize bleach, which I could never guess it… HOTS in chemistry

14. Why choose this system focusing on metacognition? • Framework that relates well with current educational reforms in the knowledge-based era HOTS in chemistry

15. Model of Learning and Higher-Order Thinking HOTS in chemistry

16. Prior Knowledge – Good thinkers build on and extend what they know • Can one be a good thinker without knowing anything? • Good thinkers need to think with something • Good thinkers have well structured knowledge HOTS in chemistry

17. Prior Knowledge • Teaching Strategies – Concept Mapping (& analogies) • Maximize knowledge structure and organization • Students learn to • compare, contrast, classify, organize, and relate different parts • examine and reflect on their own understanding • process information deeply HOTS in chemistry

18. Learning Strategy – Good thinkers self-direct their thinking using inquiry-based strategies • Ask higher-level questions • How do you develop HOTs other than teacher questioning? If you want your students to develop HOTs, teach less and turn over to students what teachers would do for them. HOTS in chemistry

19. Learning Strategy Teaching Strategy – From teacher questioning to student-generated questions • Asking good questions is the hallmark of intelligence • Students learn to • formulate and ‘find’ problems • inquire, hypothesize, explain, solve problem • check and monitor their own understanding HOTS in chemistry

20. Learning Strategy • Other teaching strategies for maximizing student inquiry-based strategy • From teacher-designed experiments and projects to student-designed experiment and projects • From teacher assessment to student-directed and peer-led assessment HOTS in chemistry

21. Collaborative Learning – Good thinkers work with others in creatingnew knowledge • Do good thinkers only work by themselves? • In the current knowledge-based era, students need to learn to work with others • Collaborative learning focuses on solving complex problems (no fixed answers) for creatingnew understanding in the learning community HOTS in chemistry

22. Collaborative Learning • Teaching Strategy • Concept mapping, generating questioning, reflection, projectsare best conducted in collaborative group settings • Computer-supported collaborative learning HOTS in chemistry

23. Collaborative Learning • Students learn to • reflect on own knowledge • work with others • communicate ideas/develop standpoints • compare different viewpoints • agree and disagree with reasons • synthesize different ideas • extend own & community learning AND many others HOTs HOTS in chemistry

24. Learning and Assessment • Purposes of assessment • assessment of learning vs. assessment for learning • Summative and formative assessment • Learning and Assessment (constructive alignment) • Backwash Effects • Consider how students would study differently if they are assessed on MC, fill-in-blanks, open-ended questions, essays, projects, & computer discussion • Assessments should be designed in ways to promote student learning • Change assessment - To foster student’s higher-order thinking, consider using different kinds of assessment HOTS in chemistry

25. Use of Prior Knowledge Deep, inquiry-based, Learning strategy Developing Higher Order Thinking Collaborative Learning A Framework for Promoting Higher-Order Thinking Skills HOTS in chemistry

26. Fostering higher-order thinking in Chemistry ?? HOTS in chemistry

27. Classroom scenario • Students may do well on Chemistry questions, but they may fail to acquire skills in solving everyday problems. • Rote versus meaningful learning • Teaching does not necessarily lead to learning, but learning can occur without teaching. HOTS in chemistry

28. Teaching and learning strategies for promoting higher-order thinking in classroom • Concept mapping • Questioning • Learning journals/diaries • Computer-supported collaborative learning • Analogy • Inquiry-based experiments • Project work • Decision making exercises More……………………. HOTS in chemistry

29. Concept Mapping HOTS in chemistry

30. CONCEPT MAPS WORDS have are have have LINKING WORDS Can be CONCEPT LABELS CONTEXT DEPENDENT is HIERARCHY To form SYMBOLS of for To form CONCEPTS from PROPOSITIONS represents are As stored in are are Are stored in MOST GENERAL MOST IMPORTANT form PERCEIVED REGULARITIES RELATIONSHIPS COGNITIVE STRUCTURE to are are Memorized by in in are MOST SPECIFIC LEAST IMPORTANT Achieved by KNOWLEDGE CLAIMS EVENTS OBJECTS LEARNING Related to e.g. e.g. Can be RAINING EXPLOSION PHOTOSYNTHESIS DOG LEAF WOMAN ROTE are MEANFUL Perception is Concept Map Showing Key Concepts in Concept Mapping Adapted from: Joseph Novak (1991) Clarify with Concept Maps. The Science Teacher, 58(7), 45-49. HOTS in chemistry

31. Components of a concept map • Concepts: chemical terms or ideas • Proposition: a combination of two nodes (concepts) and a labeled line • Hierarchy: concepts drawn from general (most important) to specific (least important) • Cross-links: connections between one segment of concepts and another segment • Examples: specific events or objects HOTS in chemistry

32. First level of hierarchy Second level of hierarchy Components of a concept map HOTS in chemistry

33. Concept mapping : a metacognitive tool HOTS in chemistry

34. An example of concept map Francisco, et al. (2002) HOTS in chemistry

35. An example of concept map HOTS in chemistry Taber (2002)

36. Variations of concept mapping • Select and fill-in concept mapping • Fill-in concept mapping - The blanks can be concepts or linking words - Found mostly in revised CE textbooks • Student generated concept mapping HOTS in chemistry

37. How to construct a concept map ? 1. Brainstorming stage: •identify facts or ideas associated with the topic • make a list of single words or short phases 2. Organizing stage: • create groups or sub-groups of concepts • rank order the concepts (general to specific) HOTS in chemistry

38. How to construct a concept map ? 3. Linking stage: • add labeled lines to show relationships • look for cross-links between concepts 4. Finalizing stage: • attach specific examples • give a title of the map But remember, there is no single way to draw a concept map HOTS in chemistry

39. Highlights of concept mapping strategy • Start with daily life concepts (e.g. food, animals or cars) in the training period • Construct maps collaboratively to encourage deeper understanding through social interaction • Ask students to think and prepare list of concepts beforehand that save more time for discussions • Have students to present their maps and obtain feedback from classmates. Make changes and draw the final maps for assessment. HOTS in chemistry

40. An example of concept map in the training period HOTS in chemistry

41. Evaluation of concept maps:Qualitative assessment • Are all important concepts included ? • Are there any incorrect or missing linkages between concepts (misconceptions) ? • Is the map laid out in a way that higher order relationships are apparent and easy to follow ? • Is there a substantial amount of branching hierarchy and cross-linking (the complexity) ? HOTS in chemistry

42. Evaluation of concept maps:Quantitative assessment • Scoring rubric (modified from Mason, 1992) HOTS in chemistry

43. Evaluation of concept maps:Quantitative assessment • Basics for determining the level of adherence HOTS in chemistry

44. Uses of collaborative concept maps in promoting HOT • To interconnect the abstract chemistry concepts or terms • To relate the macroscopic, microscopic (particulate) and symbolic levels in chemistry • To communicate the complex ideas by extending the prior knowledge • To assess the connected understandings and diagnose misconceptions • To engage students in reflective thinking HOTS in chemistry

45. Learning Strategy and Deep Processing • Questioning (Bloom’s Taxonomy & Marzano’s Dimensions of Learning) • Learning Diaries, Self-Generated Questions, and Reflection HOTS in chemistry

46. Asking higher-level Questions HOTS in chemistry

47. Bloom’s taxonomy of cognitive levels • To recall facts: • Definethe term ‘rusting’. • State two substances that are needed for rusting to occur. • Knowledge • Comprehension • Application • Analysis • Synthesis • Evaluation HOTS in chemistry

48. Bloom’s taxonomy of cognitive levels • To understand the meanings / organize facts: • Explain why rusting of iron nail occurs faster in salt solution than in tap water. • Knowledge • Comprehension • Application • Analysis • Synthesis • Evaluation HOTS in chemistry

49. Bloom’s taxonomy of cognitive levels • To use (apply) facts, rules or principles: • Suggest a metal that is used to protect underground steel pipes. Explain your choice. • Calculate the e.m.f. of the rusting process from the electrode potentials of half reactions. • Knowledge • Comprehension • Application • Analysis • Synthesis • Evaluation HOTS in chemistry

50. Bloom’s taxonomy of cognitive levels • To break down the whole into it component parts: • Can you distinguish between tin-plating and zinc-plating to prevent iron cans from rusting? • Knowledge • Comprehension • Application • Analysis • Synthesis • Evaluation HOTS in chemistry