Colorado State University NSF-REU Summer
Program in Materials Chemistry Research:
Synthesis, Characterization, and Device Fabrication
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The Rickey group research focuses on
cognition in chemistry and applications to chemistry education, including the
design and assessment of learning environments and associated instructor
professional development experiences.
We often employ “design experiments” to study the complex and dynamic
interplay between instructor and student thinking (understanding, beliefs,
metacognition); instructor professional development; and classroom practices of
communities of learners as we simultaneously refine our instructional and
professional development designs.
One project involves development of a laboratory-based program,
Model-Observe-Reflect-Explain (MORE).
One research goal of this project is to determine how the
metacognitively-focused MORE instructional tool can be used in both high school
and college chemistry laboratory courses to enhance metacognition,
understanding, and problem solving.
New lab modules are focused on nanoscale science and technology
concepts. REU students will
participate in a variety of research activities designed to enhance
understanding of how people think and learn about chemistry at the
nanoscale. To study chemistry
learning, both quantitative and qualitative analyses of data sources such as
field observations of chemistry learning (both in-person and via videotape),
interviews, problem-solving sessions, surveys, examinations and other
coursework are used.
Supported by
NSF-REU
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