High

A symmetric polynomial is a polynomial in one or more variables in which swapping any pair of variables leaves the polynomial unchanged. For example, f(x, y, z) = xy +xz + yz is a symmetric polynomial.

Understanding what happens at the particulate level when ionic compounds dissolve in water is difficult for many students, yet this understanding is critical in explaining many macroscopic observations. This article describes a student-centered activity designed to help strengthen students’ conceptual understanding of this process at the particulate level and translate this understanding to the symbolic level. In this activity, students use magnetic models to explore how mono- and polyatomic ions interact with water molecules and with each other.

The recent revisions to the advanced placement (AP) chemistry curriculum promote deep conceptual understanding of chemistry content over more rote memorization of facts and algorithmic problem solving. For many teachers, this will mean moving away from traditional worksheets and verification lab activities that they have used to address the vast amounts of content in the AP chemistry course. Moreover, a substantial shift in teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning of chemistry will be needed to facilitate the transformation of their instructional practices.

Dynamic visualisations capture aspects of scientific phenomena that are difficult to communicate in static materials and benefit from well-designed scaffolds to succeed in classrooms. We review research to clarify the impacts of dynamic visualisations and to identify instructional scaffolds that mediate their success. We use meta-analysis to synthesise 47 independent comparisons between dynamic and static materials and 76 comparisons that test the effect of specific instructional scaffolds.

Webinar Recording:
http://edc.adobeconnect.com/p3qr9x4upr5/

The Concord Consortium has developed 19 activities for teaching and learning algebra that are available online or as an app for iPad or Android tablet computers. These activities—which cover a variety of algebra topics, from linear equations to transformations of functions—help students develop skills creating and using algebraic functions and graphs to solve problems.

Recordings:

The goal of this study was to develop a high school physics course (Energizing Physics, developed by two Boston physics teachers) with an assessment system that has the potential to enable all students to learn how to learn physics, so they can succeed in their first physics course in college.  Objectives of the research were to: 1) develop and test formative assessment activities that are embedded within the instructional program; 2) Create an assessment framework to enable teachers to monitor each student's progress, and enable students to track their own progress; and 3) Test th