PROCEEDINGS OF THE 20TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2017
San Diego, California
Blended processing: Mathematics in chemical kinetics
Page: 1119
This work investigates the following research question: How do non-major students understandand use mathematics to solve chemical kinetics problems involving integrated rate laws?Personal constructs, a blend of personal and social constructivism, serves as the theoreticalframework for this study. Semi-structured interviews with 36 general chemistry students, 5upper-level physical chemistry students, and 3 chemical engineering students were conductedusing a think-aloud protocol. Audio and written data were collected using a Livescribe pen. Theaudio data were transcribed, and screenshots of students’ written data were inserted into thetranscripts; these transcripts were refashioned into problem-solving maps. Open coding of theproblem-solving maps reveals initial themes regarding students’ understanding and use ofmathematics when solving chemical kinetics problems. Blended processing was used as amethodological framework to guide the coding process. Through this analysis, distinctive typesof blended processing have emerged.Key words: