FEASIBILITY AND REQUIREMENTS FOR A CHEMICAL CALCULATOR/DATABASE FOR CHEMISTRY CALCULATIONS

RESEARCHERS ARE PRODUCING A HAND-HELD CHEMICAL CALCULATOR SHOWN TO BE AN EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING TOOL THAT ASSISTS STUDENTS IN SOLVING (AND UNDERSTANDING) CHEMISTRY CALCULATION PROBLEMS. THE RESEARCH PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO ANSWER SOME OF THE ARGUMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD AGAINST THE USE OF THE CHEMICAL CALCULATOR IN SCHOOLS. ONE MAJOR ARGUMENT IS THAT STUDENTS WILL NOT LEARN CHEMISTRY PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS IF THEY ARE ALLOWED TO USE THE CHEMICAL CALCULATOR. ALTHOUGH RESEARCH ON THE USE OF MATH CALCULATORS HAS SHOWN THIS NOT TO BE THE CASE, RESEARCHERS ARE TESTING THE PC VERSION OF THE CHEMICAL CALCULATOR (WITH ITS UNIQUE PERIODIC TABLE TOUCH PAD) IN A NUMBER OF PILOT PROJECTS WHERE IT WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE LESSON PLANS OF HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY TEACHERS.