The Chemical Education Journal (CEJ), Vol. 9, No. 2 (Serial No. 17). The date of issue: January 30, 2007./Registration No. 9-9/Received October 3, 2005.
URL = http://www.juen.ac.jp/scien/cssj/cejrnlE.html

Chemical Education at 11th Asian Chemical Congress

Jerence Nansel Oleap Fernando*

The Open University of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka

*The 2002-2005 Director of the project "Asian Chemical Education Network (ACEN)" by the Federation of Asian Chemical SOcieties (FACS)


"Challenges of Teaching Chemistry in the twenty first Century" was one of the 26 Symposia that was held during 11th Asian Chemical Congress of the Federation of Asia Chemical Societies held from August 24th to 26th at the University of Korea in Seoul. The organizer of the Symposium was Prof Hyun-Ju Park. Fifteen of the nineteen scheduled oral presentations were presented over these three days to chemical educators from countries throughout the world. Seven of these fifteen scheduled presentations were invited by the organizers.

Four papers were presented on Wednesday 24th August. The first paper by Choon H. Do of Sunchon National University in Korea was on the history of International Conferences on Chemical Education (ICCE). IUPAC sponsored ICCE Conferences commenced in 1971 in Frascati, Italy. The eighteen ICCE Conferences held so far, generally once in two years, have been extremely useful and productive; they have enabled novel and diverse ideas, information and practices on Chemical Education to be disseminated and shared amongst many scientists and chemical educators. ICCE has become an efficient and strong engine for the propagation of concept, knowledge, application, benefit and issue of Chemistry through Chemical Education on a world wide scale. The author detailed out the arrangements that have been made to hold the19th ICCE in Seoul, Korea in August 2006. While inviting Chemical Educators to participate in the 19th ICCE and present relevant papers, he promised the holding of a very productive international conference on Chemical Education.

Masato Ito from the Soka University in Japan presented a paper jointly with Yochi Yamade of the Utsunomiya University in Japan on "A Survey on the Dissemination and Exchange of Information on Chemical Education on the Internet in Japan". The author summarized the information available on the world wide web for both domestic and international readers. This information includes (1) electronic journals containing research papers and articles such as the Chemical Education Journal (2) information on teaching materials (3) information on schools and their curricula (4) information on conferences, meetings and other events on Chemical education and (5) text-books, references and materials for web based-e- learning. Additionally, exchange of information has been made through group email systems are bulletin boards. Interesting examples of www based contents were presented. The Chemical Education Journal (CEJ) which is published by the Society of Computer Chemistry, Japan in collaboration with the Asian Chemical Education Network of FACS, the Council for Chemistry Education and the Chemical Society of Japan is a typical example of Chemical Education information disseminated electronically. Several other examples which are available for domestic and international readers were presented. Comments were made on the contrast between conventional and e learning methods.

Maree Louise Baddock from the Curtin University of Technology in Australia presented a very informative and revealing paper on "Challenges of Teaching Chemistry in Asian Australian and Pacific Universities in the 21st Century-An Australian perspective" during the afternoon session of August 24th. Varied patterns of students enrollment for Chemistry Courses in Australia were discussed together with the comforting revelation that contrary to usual trends, the number studying Chemistry in high school and University first year has increased in Western Australia due primarily to the recognition of the importance of Chemistry by other faculties such as Health Science. A range of consequential challenges facing Australian Universities was discussed. The paper also described the results of a preliminary study conducted by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute on "the Health of Chemistry in the Universities and the Workplace"

Zuriat Zakaria from the University Kebangsaan in Malaysia presented an informative paper on "Designing the Chemistry Curriculum for the current needs in Malaysia". The paper dealt with the introduction of more relevant Chemistry programmes into the school chemistry curriculum such as Oleochemistry which lays emphasis and is relevant to one of the main Malaysian exports- palm oil. This programme was introduced as a capacity building effort to provide service for the palm oil industry. The author informed the symposium that the graduates produced in this manner have been well received by Malaysian industry.

Byungsoon Choi from the Korea National University of Education gave the first presentation on August 25th with a paper on "Verbal interactions in Practical Scientific Inquiries". Analysis of Verbal instructions revealed the characteristics of teacher's verbal behavior stimulating or inhibiting students to participate in small group discussions activity. Talking with peers and teachers was found to be at the center of students' conceptual teaching. It is argued that this forms the essence of scientific inquiry rather than the practical activity itself.

Charles Fogliani, the 2003 FACS Awardee for Chemical Education from Charls Sturt University in Australia presented a paper on "Web Based Excursion to deliver complex Chemical concepts". He argued that this mode provides a depth of knowledge beyond that able to be conveyed by conventional media and also provide access to the pinnacle of scientific research and expertise. Prof Fogliani presented classic examples of the teaching mode involving standard measurements, drug testing amongst sportsmen, molecular finger printing principles, gene doping and other future perspectives.

Three papers that were presented from Taiwan, Brunei and Korea dealt with effectiveness of true teaching through conceptual learning in contrast to rote learning. Prof Jing-Wen Lin and Mei-Hung Chiu from the National Taiwan Normal University dealt with a case study about Teacher's pedagogical content knowledge influencing students'. understanding of acids and bases. The paper emphasizes how this study showed that the teaching of acids and bases unfortunately reinforced students' incorrect understanding through the spiral method of teaching that emphasized rote learning. Wimmertal from the Universiti Brunei Darussalam in their paper on "Effects of Teaching on Students' Confidence in Understanding of Chemical Bonding" presents the results of surveys conducted on how much and to what depth students have understood fundamental topics such as Chemical Bonding that are taught in school. Bodner's Constructivist theory of learning insists that it is only correct knowledge and high confidence that leads to new correct knowledge. It was revealing to note however that after a semester of appropriate teaching in the University, a dramative improvement in the correctness of the knowledge as well as confidence of students had been observed. Jae Young Han and Taehee Noh from Korea dealt with misconceptions arising from student readings of Chemical inscriptions in text books. Different students interpret the same chemical inscription in different ways resulting in differences in the students understanding of the chemistry topics. It is therefore essential that teachers should provide ample resources required in reading inscriptions including basic social conventions.


J N Oleap Fernanado from the College of Chemical Sciences of the Institute of Chemistry Ceylon presenting the final paper on August 25th brought out the unique professional Chemical Education programme of the College that has made it to become the largest producer of Graduate Chemists in Sri Lanka. Such a production has made a tremendous contribution to human resource development of Chemists in Sri Lanka where the tertiary level enrollment is a mere 2% of the relevant student cohort. With the shift of this Graduateship Programme in Chemistry to its own premises in 2005 the College of Chemical Sciences is now able to provide increasing opportunities to larger numbers of students at various levels without being hampered by lack of resources or other bottle-necks which are part and parcel of the state system. Professor Fernando used the Sri Lankan example as on eye-opener for other professional bodies to venture into the area of formal professional chemical education, particularly at tertiary level, in a serious manner.

Four papers were presented on the final day of the symposium, August 26th Hie-Joon Kim from the Seoul Nnational University or "Teaching Chemistry as a cosmic journey of elements" presenting the first paper took us through a cosmic journey beginning with light elements in the big bang universe and leading to the present life on earth. Key components of the cosmic journey can be illustrated through the presentation of three acts each with three scenes. In the final scene titled "Homo Scientificus", modern chemistry instruction of key chemical concepts and principles was facilitated using cartoons, poems, pieces of art and music, concepts from social sciences as well as favorite objects around us such as raindrops on roses.

In an invited paper by Helen Meyer from the University of Cincinnati, USA titled "Is it molecules again ?", the current status of our knowledge of students understanding of the particle nature of matter was discussed. How this current knowledge base provides new avenues for chemistry education was next explored. Do students actually understand, believe and use the particulate theory of matter to explain everyday events or does science instruction create a mathematical view of molecules that are used to answer questions by students who do not truly believe that they exist. Material was presented on work done in bringing different perceptions of theory together with a view to study students' misconceptions of scientific phenomena. The presentation featured how these different studies helped to paint a partial picture of what students understand of particle theory as a whole. The different types of investigations needed to identify students' understanding of particles as a powerful explanatory theory were discussed.

Show - Jane Lin & Mei Hung Chiu from Taiwan analyzed teaching studies on chemical equilibrium in one to one tutoring activities. The purpose of the study was to investigate the strategies tutors adopted in one-to-one chemical equilibrium teaching via the use of child language Data Exchange System to deal with protocol data and coding system Implications of the results for science teaching and learning were also discussed.

The final (invited) paper on " Inability of students to re-write well known equations using alternate symbols illustrate the acute problem of Rote Learning at all levels of study"
by J N Oleap Fernando from the Open University of Sri Lanka dealt with acute note learning by student and its consequences. The lack of simple substitutional skills to rewrite common equations and write down mathematical expressions for well known parameters such as Avogadro Constant using hitherto unused symbols is very alarming and disturbing. Similar revelations have emerged from students studying Chemistry at various levels in numerous institutions. In practically all such cases, many students display a gross inability to reproduce well known equations but using unconventional symbols. It is quite clear that a different type of teaching, perhaps based on conceptualized learning, has to be adopted in order to train students to minimize unproductive rote learning and maximize analytical abilities instead.

Demonstration sessions were held at the end of the symposium on the first and second days.

In the Poster presentations coming within the area of Chemical Education, several interesting and informative posters from Korean authors were displayed. These included


i. Barriers to argumentation in small group discussions in which Sun-Kyung-Lee from the Seoul National University reported the results of their study which indicated that these barriers were related both to individual aspects as well as interactions amongst students.
ii. Jeongho Cha from Daegu University in Korea dealt with " Motivational strategies in the Web-based Electronic Textbooks for Middle School Chemistry" and showed that not everyone welcomed on web learning opportunities. The study examined the motivational strategies used in electronic text books and came to the conclusion that sustaining and enhancing learner's motivation had not been adequately considered in developing such text books.
iii. Gumttee Lee and Hyun-Ju Park from Chosun University in Korea had a poster on "University Students' understanding of the nature of Science."
iv. Hyun Jun Cho etl from Korea National University of Education identified the aims put forward by experts related to laboratory activities in School Science.
v. Eunyong Huh from Seoul National University dealt with the topic "Can conceptual questions improve the Students' Understanding and Interest for the Chemistry ?" and considered the reports that say that students can solve algorithmic problems but cannot answer questions based on the concepts behind the problems. The study shows that while short term intervention with conceptual questions is effective in improving interest in science, it is not effective in improving conceptual understanding when compared to a similar intervention using algorithmic problems.
vi. Jee Young Han from Chumgbuk National University in Korea presented a poster on "The function of Chemical inscription in Korean text books" and dealt with the four types of function of inscription that can be identified : decorative, illustrative, explanatory and complementary. We need to better understand the function of scientific inscriptions of different culture and subject matters.
vii. Seoung-Hey Paik from the Korean National University of Education dealt with "High School Teacher's and student's conceptions of Osmosis" based on the analysis of various conceptions and understanding by both teacher and students as well as the various type of descriptions in text books on Osmosis, the study offers some alternatives to reduce the confusion; the paper proposed ways to reduce the difference between the views of chemistry and biology text books in relation to Osmosis.

It is worthwhile recording in conclusion that a very invaluable set of papers were presented at both the oral sessions and the poster sessions within the areas of "Challenges of Teaching Chemistry in the Twenty-First century" and "Chemical Education" in Seoul, Korea during the Eleventh Asian Chemical Congress. Very useful discussions took place after the various presenter papers. It is necessary and

essential that we preserve the momentum and energize ourselves for further lasting developments in the area of Chemical Education.


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