Emergent learning of stereochemistry during active engagement with multimodal semiotic resources.

• In disciplinary learning classrooms, access to an intended object of learning gets constituted through the affordance of discerned disciplinary relevant aspects, which are typically distributed across several semiotic systems and their resources. This characterization means that classroom learning can fruitfully be seen as a function of getting to be able to interpret and use the meaning potential of these disciplinary-specific semiotic systems and their resources. The aim of this presentation is to use characterization as a framing to make a theoretical link to the complex system notion of emergenceas characterized for educational practices by Davis & Sumara. The data environment is interactive learning with stereochemistry molecular-structure identification exercises, which takes place during a five-week introductory level organic chemistry course. The data environment is chosen because of the appresent dynamics that the stereochemistry curriculum presents – the disciplinary relevant aspects are microscopic and thus their discernment and affordance require semiotic mediating to facilitate access to the disciplinary relevant aspects that are appresent. The analysis shows how, through semiotic transduction, students in group-work situations combine disciplinary convention with their own alternative invention to create semiotic resources that they are able to engage with in a meaningful way, both concretely and visually.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Didaktik (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Didactics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

representations

chemistry education

higher education

Didaktik

Didactics

Organic Chemistry

Organisk kemi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)