What and why is Aha! Chemistry with Prof Bob?
Searching for an alternative, better way
Aha! Chemistry with Prof Bob consists of a set of video-based modules intended to help senior high-school students and first-year students at university or college to understand important chemistry concepts – although some of the modules will also be useful to anyone who is curious. The modules are supported by a variety of other resources.
Aha! is not a complete, coherent course. Rather, each module is a highly focussed clarification of just one important chemistry concept. Each includes a short video presentation, often in the form of a conversation (between Prof Bob and a student (commonly, Aussie), Prof Bob and a colleague, or between two students).
These dialogues address the question “What does it mean?”, arriving finally at an “Aha!” moment for students.
Let's get something straight, right from the start. If you are looking for a shallow and superficial version to use in a test, this site is not the place for you.
It is commonly accepted now that students have very brief concentration spans, and will only engage in two- or three- minute "grabs" of information. Even if this is true for the majority of students, this site is going against the trend: its target audience is people who want to explore, and think, and consider, and understand.
Aha! is not a complete, coherent course. Rather, each module is a highly focussed clarification of just one important chemistry concept. Each includes a short video presentation, often in the form of a conversation (between Prof Bob and a student (commonly, Aussie), Prof Bob and a colleague, or between two students).
These dialogues address the question “What does it mean?”, arriving finally at an “Aha!” moment for students.
Let's get something straight, right from the start. If you are looking for a shallow and superficial version to use in a test, this site is not the place for you.
It is commonly accepted now that students have very brief concentration spans, and will only engage in two- or three- minute "grabs" of information. Even if this is true for the majority of students, this site is going against the trend: its target audience is people who want to explore, and think, and consider, and understand.
Prof Bob is a believer in the value of conversational dialogue as a way of coming to understanding. In this, he follows a long way behind the footsteps of Jane Marcet, a remarkable woman who published the first chemistry textbook "Conversations on Chemistry" (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/26908/26908-h/26908-h.htm). The science in Conversations on Chemistry is outdated, but what a wonderful model it is to take into the digital age!
The video presentation addressing each concept is accompanied by supporting learning materials: (i) a summary of key ideas, and (ii) a self-assessment multiple-choice test.
Over time, each module will be accompanied by Notes to Teachers. This will include a summary of research findings into common students' misconceptions, discussions about the difficulty of learning (and, therefore, of teaching the concept, language issues, rigour of expression, common textbook errors and misrepresentations, and teaching tips.
All of these fit under the umbrella of pedagogical content knowledge - knowledge about the teaching and learning of the particular concept addressed in the module.
Over time, each module will be accompanied by Notes to Teachers. This will include a summary of research findings into common students' misconceptions, discussions about the difficulty of learning (and, therefore, of teaching the concept, language issues, rigour of expression, common textbook errors and misrepresentations, and teaching tips.
All of these fit under the umbrella of pedagogical content knowledge - knowledge about the teaching and learning of the particular concept addressed in the module.
Why is there a need for Aha! Chemistry with Prof Bob?
Through students' eyes ...
Neither teaching nor learning chemistry is easy. Research into students’ learning has uncovered student confusion, misunderstandings and misconceptions with regard to all of the concepts important in chemistry – even when students achieve highly in formal test situations.
Prof Bob believes that this is largely because the language used in teaching chemistry is often that of chemists talking to chemists: they know what they mean, but ..... It is time that we designed teaching that takes into account how things can be interpreted by the students, and took care with what we say in words, analogies, symbols, formulas, and chemical equations.
Another reason that we need Prof Bob is that currently there are many people blogging away about chemistry, and much of what is being presented is a less-than-desirable representation of the nature of chemistry, and of the meaning of concepts.
To teach chemistry well demands a level of knowledge way higher than that of the students, a lot of experience and reflection, and knowledge of what research into chemistry learning has to say. Prof Bob has all of these by the truckfull.
Prof Bob believes that this is largely because the language used in teaching chemistry is often that of chemists talking to chemists: they know what they mean, but ..... It is time that we designed teaching that takes into account how things can be interpreted by the students, and took care with what we say in words, analogies, symbols, formulas, and chemical equations.
Another reason that we need Prof Bob is that currently there are many people blogging away about chemistry, and much of what is being presented is a less-than-desirable representation of the nature of chemistry, and of the meaning of concepts.
To teach chemistry well demands a level of knowledge way higher than that of the students, a lot of experience and reflection, and knowledge of what research into chemistry learning has to say. Prof Bob has all of these by the truckfull.
What is the benefit for students of Aha! Chemistry with Prof Bob?
Searching for meaningful understanding
The most obvious benefit for people who come to this site can be derived from using it as a supplement to their university course in order to answer the question concerning any concept “What does it really mean?”
Chemistry is a discipline in which learning is highly dependent on previous knowledge – whether sound, or not so sound. It is important that each step along the way is well understood. Otherwise, what comes next is likely to be poorly understood, and then what comes after that ………
The video dialogues are much more engaging and understandable than formal textbook presentations.
In addition, the modules on this site should be valuable for anybody, student or not, who wants to use it rather like an encylopedia to clarify the meaning of particular words, concepts, relationships or ideas.
The modules should appeal to anyone who wants to experience the “Aha!” moment of arriving at understanding of ideas.
Who is Prof Bob?
Searching for clarity of presentation
Who is Prof Bob?
Searching for clarity of presentation
Professor Bob Bucat has an excellent reputation as teacher of chemistry at the university level. He prides himself on an ability to see through the eyes of his students, as well as his use of strategies and language that minimise student misconceptions and confusion.
Prof Bob passionately believes that learning is best achieved when the teacher talks with the students, rather than to the students - and this philosophy is clearly visible in the videos.
A strange creature, he actually enjoys both the challenge and the process of the teaching-learning interaction.
Prof Bob values highly the importance in chemistry of visualisation of substances and reaction mixtures at the level of molecules, atoms, and ions (the sub-microscopic level) – to give meaning to the words, symbols, formulas, equations, and even the explanations that chemists use.
Apart from classroom teaching, Prof Bob is deeply engaged in writing of course materials, including international textbooks, and research into the teaching and learning of chemistry – particularly with respect to identification of common student misunderstandings, and the probable origins of them.
Prof Bob served for eight years on the Committee for Teaching of Chemistry of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, and has been invited many times to deliver plenary lectures at international conferences – almost always on seeing the teaching of chemistry through students’ eyes.
He is highly awarded at the local, national (Australian), and international levels for his teaching, research, and general contributions to chemistry education. In 2014, The Royal Australian Chemical Institute conferred on him the status of Living Luminary of Australian Chemistry.
Is he a person?
Being a person comes before being Prof Bob. Prof Bobship is a hobby.
Prof Bob is blessed with six very decent adult children, and thirteen very very decent grandchildren. And is hoping for more. And a mother who will turn 100 in December 2018.
He is of Croatian descent, and has come to have closer personal and professional ties to Croatia. A source of enormous pride is his supervision of Roko V. to a PhD degree by research at the University of Split in Croatia this year.
When Prof Bob was a kid, his parents thought that it was the right thing to talk English in the house - to aid "integration" as they would call it today. To make up for this error (Sorry Mum and Dad) he has recently become obsessed with learning the very difficult Croatian language - only to find out that there is not much space in a silicified brain. But he is loving it!
That is, when he can make time between watching Australian Rules football matches. Unquestionably the world's greatest sport!
And he has another obsession ... to create a website in which he can share his pedagogical chemistry knowledge with whomsoever (whatever that means). And if whoever = 0, at least to document some of what he thinks are pearls of wisdom.
An issue is what to call the website. Since he is hoping that it will lead to some Aha! moments, perhaps Aha! Chemistry with Prof Bob? Sound good.
You will notice that he calls himself Prof Bob quite a lot. That is because someone told him that that is a way of increasing the website SEO. Prof Bob would be happy if someone could tell him what SEO is.
Prof Bob rambles a bit. And he travels a bit. And he wishes that he had the discipline to ramble less, and the money to travel more. His idea of travel is to go to one place for as long as possible, to get to know it and the people a little. Not for him the idea of four hours in a different city each day, so that he can say, for example, "I have done Milan".
And he desperately wants this website to be not too stuffy, not too formal. The idea of a social meeting place where we occasionally talk about chemistry sounds good to Prof Bob.
Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob. How is his SEO going?
Prof Bob is blessed with six very decent adult children, and thirteen very very decent grandchildren. And is hoping for more. And a mother who will turn 100 in December 2018.
He is of Croatian descent, and has come to have closer personal and professional ties to Croatia. A source of enormous pride is his supervision of Roko V. to a PhD degree by research at the University of Split in Croatia this year.
When Prof Bob was a kid, his parents thought that it was the right thing to talk English in the house - to aid "integration" as they would call it today. To make up for this error (Sorry Mum and Dad) he has recently become obsessed with learning the very difficult Croatian language - only to find out that there is not much space in a silicified brain. But he is loving it!
That is, when he can make time between watching Australian Rules football matches. Unquestionably the world's greatest sport!
And he has another obsession ... to create a website in which he can share his pedagogical chemistry knowledge with whomsoever (whatever that means). And if whoever = 0, at least to document some of what he thinks are pearls of wisdom.
An issue is what to call the website. Since he is hoping that it will lead to some Aha! moments, perhaps Aha! Chemistry with Prof Bob? Sound good.
You will notice that he calls himself Prof Bob quite a lot. That is because someone told him that that is a way of increasing the website SEO. Prof Bob would be happy if someone could tell him what SEO is.
Prof Bob rambles a bit. And he travels a bit. And he wishes that he had the discipline to ramble less, and the money to travel more. His idea of travel is to go to one place for as long as possible, to get to know it and the people a little. Not for him the idea of four hours in a different city each day, so that he can say, for example, "I have done Milan".
And he desperately wants this website to be not too stuffy, not too formal. The idea of a social meeting place where we occasionally talk about chemistry sounds good to Prof Bob.
Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob, Prof Bob. How is his SEO going?
