Is the pen mightier than the app?

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Abstract

Tech helps students think differently in acid—base reactions exercises. Acid—base theory guides our understanding of chemical reactivity and reaction pathways. Students begin their understanding of reaction mechanisms with acid—base reactions because they are simple and ubiquitous. They form some of the simplest steps in reaction mechanisms, like proton-transfer, for example. Researchers at the University of Michigan in the US studied how two groups of first-year undergraduates reason through acid—base reaction mechanisms. One group used an app and the other was given a more traditional pencil-and-paper task. The researchers asked students to think aloud to capture their reasoning.

Keywords

  • acids and bases
  • education research
  • education technology
  • misconceptions
  • chemistry education
  • apps

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