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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 1998  > January  >
In the Laboratory
Problem-Solving Teaching in the Chemistry Laboratory: Leaving the Cooks...
Christian Gallet
College de Rimouski, Departement de chimie, 60 Eveche Ouest, Rimouski, PQ G5L 4H6, CANADA

Cover
January 1998
Vol. 75 No. 1
p. 72

Abstract
The traditional "Cookbook-formula-experiments" do not develop student's scientific initiative, or creativity in the chemistry laboratory. Information is better understood, retained and transfered when the student elaborates it.

A PST problem is an interactive situation in which a student has to assume his or her responsibility in gathering, assimilating and exchanging new information in a group. It is structured so that it presents the student a "puzzle"; it cannot be solved readily by the activation of a student's previous knowledge.

PST Summary.

First two weeks -
-Each team of 3 students identifies and distributes among its members the different parameters and the laboratory procedures elaborated to solve the problem.
-Each student experiments one of the 3 different pilot procedures elaborated by his team and exchanges results with team mates. Each team chooses a procedure .

Third week
-During this exam period each student experiments the procedure chosen, or synthesize a compound imposed by the professor.

Fourth week
-Students write their report in the lab, under "examination" conditions.
-The teacher corrects each report with a correction chart .

End of the semester
-A survey of the P.S.T. pedagogy is made in each group and is analysed with each class president.

Conclusion:
PST pedagogy develops students' scientific initiatives, creativity, responsibility and communication abilities.

More Information
*  Citation
Gallet, Christian. J. Chem. Educ. 1998 75 72.
*  Keywords
Laboratory Instruction, Teaching/Learning Theory/Practice, Chemical Education Research, Organic Synthesis, and Problem-based Learning
*  History
Created:
Last Updated:
June 28, 1999
June 23, 2005
  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 1998 > January > Page 72



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