Resumen de Teaching Is More Than Lecturing and Learning Is More Than Memorizing. 2007 James Flack Norris Award
Students enter our chemistry classes with many insecurities and fears about their ability to be successful in chemistry. These fears often result in students choosing memorization rather than understanding as a way to succeed. There are some things that a teacher can do to both lessen student fears and encourage students to pursue deeper understanding of the subject matter. This article introduces readers to some of the student fears as described by the students themselves. Suggestions for ways teachers can address the concerns of students and help facilitate their learning by incorporating the results of research into their courses is also discussed. These include several teaching and curriculum approaches that can be integrated into typical general chemistry classes, such as providing opportunities for students to integrate new knowledge with what they already have and practice this integration during the class; expanded opportunities for two-way communication; developing co-ownership of the course along with the teacher; alternating lecture with small-group work to aid in learning difficult topics; and having access to course materials and grades 24 hours a day. The effect of these approaches on student learning is investigated through the words of the students themselves.
