What Students Had to Say *

Did you enjoy this unit?

Yes:	88%
It was OK / Fine:	12%
No:	0%

What did you like about it?

It was a hands-on learning experience. It is better to learn this way than from the book. This way it is more interesting. We got to do a lot on our own.

I liked the hands-on activities and the freedom we were given to make creative decisions.

I enjoyed learning about the different things about water. It was interesting to learn about the water in other people's neighborhoods compared to the water in mine.

I liked it because it was fun, interesting, and most importantly it prepares us for future research that we will do (in college).

I liked working in groups.

What did you not like about it?

About 1/3 of the students responded that there wasn't anything they didn't like. Some of the other responses:

We should have been able to test more sites.

There wasn't enough math or equations in it. If the hands-on activities could have incorporated more mathematics it would have been more interesting to some.

Because it was a group project, it was really difficult for everyone to decide when it would be best to work together.

I think the timeline for putting together the actual posters could have been extended.

The incubator smelled bad.

Do you feel that you've learned a lot from this unit? Why or why not?

I've learned a lot because of all the research and preparation we had to do.

Yes. I didn't know before that so many things could affect our water quality.

Yes. Before this project I hardly knew or cared about the water I drink or live near.

I have learned to work with a team.

Yes. I feel I know a lot about water quality and can conduct these tests masterfully.

Do you think that what you learned in this unit is relevant to you? Please explain why or why not.

Yes. It makes you think where the water in your tap comes from and the quality of that water; also the quality of bodies of water in your neighborhood.

Yes, I am going to be a lifeguard this summer, spending most of my time either at pools, oceans, or lakes. My knowledge of water quality can help me do my job to the fullest and possibly (get me) a raise.

Yes, because I live in Boston and I think information about the water in Boston is relevant to anyone who lives there.

Yes, because the water we use everyday has to go through these tests almost everyday.

Sure it is. We all use water, whether it be for swimming, drinking, or boating. So water quality is important to all of us.

How do you think this unit was different from the way you are usually taught in Chemistry class?

We got to learn something and then practice what we learned. We were allowed to go out and see if we really knew how to do everything.

It was different because I actually got to learn about things that interest me.

This unit was different because it was more of an independent project. You've got to go out there and decide what you want to learn more about because it wasn't something you could just look up in the textbook.

It was a more "hands-on" experience. Rather than merely reading about water quality and answering predetermined questions, we tested the water quality and developed our own questions and through the experience were able to formulate our own answers.

In this unit we were given more freedom and responsibility.

How difficult was this unit and its assignments? Was it more or less difficult than most other units in Chemistry?

The unit was not that difficult. It consisted of less busywork and more things that helped me learn easier.

This unit was less difficult than other chemistry units because the tests and explanations were easier to understand.

It was less difficult than other units because it was easier to become involved.

It was just as difficult but it was more interesting.

I think it was challenging but not difficult. I found the help I needed if I needed any and the work kept my interest therefore making me want to understand.

Please rate the different parts of the unit on how valuable and interesting you think they were. 1= not valuable; 10 = extremely valuable.

The responses here were analyzed to see what percentage of the students found a particular part of the unit to be most interesting, least valuable, etc.

	Least Valuable	Most Valuable	Least Interesting	Most Interesting
Lectures and Discussions	67%	6%	76%	2%
Labs	6%	24%	9%	24%
Field Trip	13%	39%	4%	55%
Final Project	13%	30%	11%	18%

Would you be interested in learning other topics in a similar way? Why or why not?

Definitely. Being able to do things independently is great. Also, working with others is excellent. You could get to know your classmates a lot more.

Because you don't have time for your mind to drift off and not pay attention. It just livens up the day.

I would be interested in learning other topics in a similar way because this way it is easier to remember the things you have learned rather than just studying one night for a test.

It gives us the chance to work in groups and be able to function together. Our work had to be backed up - we had to figure out "why" - which made learning easier for me.

Yes because it was fun learning this way. I actually wanted to come to class to learn while we were doing this.

If you were to change one thing about this unit, what would it be?

About ¼ of the students said that they wouldn't change anything. Some of the other responses are below.

I would have given us more class time to put together the poster.

I would change the sampling variable. I would make that more of a focus and stress that more.

The handouts. There were too many. There should be a more compact package.

More time for testing in the lab, so the accuracy of the results would not be compromised.

Another field trip to another site to compare the water.

No homework!

* Because both Jerry and Vasilii were interested in finding out what the students thought about the Water Quality Unit and its approach to learning, they distributed an anonymous student survey at the end of the unit. A total of 52 surveys were returned. Above, we provide some statistics on the responses to "short answer" questions and several student responses for each question that asked the students to elaborate.

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• What Teachers Had to Say