Chinese Journal of Science Education

Abstract

This paper presents a model of instruction and assessment for mastery learning of the steam distillation technique at university level. Instructional materials and strategies were developed and organized to guide students toward developing ability of simultaneously using the technique, intellectual inquiry skills, and subject matter knowledge to solve chemistry problems new to them, i.e., achieving learning transfer. The instructional materials and instruments were developed on the basis of specific instructional and assessment criteria that arose from content analysis and instruction/evaluation analysis. The model involved (A) direct instruction strategies involving frequent structured questioning, consistent feedback. extensive practice, and group discussion, and (B) a classrom information system for promoting student's self-generated motivation, self-confirmation, self-reinforcement, and self-correction. The efficiency of the model and the validity of the assessment instrument were observed in (1) the facts that 91% of the students passed the experimental assignments at the concrete level and the identity level and 84% of the students passed at the classificatory level; (2) progress of learning indicated by increments in the average passing rates from the pre-test to post-test 1 to post-test 2, which were 75, 93. and 97% for comparative analytical ability and 67, 92, and 97% for generalization ability; and (3) strong positive correlations of the actual results of experimental technique performances with test results on (a) experimental skills, (b) the science-process skills, and (c) the subject-matter knowledge. These strong correlations and the application of S-P chart analysis were used to validate the criterion-referenced measurement instrument instruments of the distillation technique.

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