Using Multimedia Learning Aids from the Internet for Teaching Chemistry: Not as Easy as it Seems?

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Author(s): Ingo Eilks (University of Bremen, Germany), Torsten Witteck (Engelbert-Kaempfer-Gymnasium, Germany)and Verena Pietzner (University of Hildesheim, Germany)
Copyright: 2010
Pages: 21
Source title: Multiple Literacy and Science Education: ICTs in Formal and Informal Learning Environments
Source Author(s)/Editor(s): Susan Rodrigues (University of Dundee, Scotland)
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61520-690-2.ch004

Keywords: Digital Literacy / Educational Technologies / Information Science Reference / Library & Information Science

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Abstract

Large advances in technology in the last few years have made computers cheap and presentation technologies easily available in most secondary schools, at least in industrialised countries. Due to recent developments in software technology nearly anyone can create animations and visualisations. The Internet has helped to make the distribution of such graphic tools both wide and fast. Thus, using multimedia in science teaching is becoming more and more common. Today, integrating visualisations and animations from the Internet into the science classroom seems an obvious choice for enhancing science lessons. But are all of the animations offered on the Internet really helpful for promoting understanding? This chapter discusses what might occur while working with animations taken from the Internet and how these multimedia illustrations can potentially interact to reinforce rather than resolve students’ misconceptions about chemical principles. Daniell’s voltaic cell serves as a good example to illustrate the ways in which visual aids can be interpreted differently by experts and novices. The following discussion takes place in the form of an exaggerated example. It is meant to appear as a critical interjection making readers more aware of the myriad, often invisible, potential drawbacks which exist when first selecting promising-looking animated illustrations for classroom use.

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