ICT-BASED CHEMISTRY TEACHING TO ENHANCE STUDENTS’ HIGHER ORDER THINKING

SKILLS (HOTS)

Liliasari
Chemistry Education Department
Faculty of Mathematics and Science Education
Indonesia University of Education
liliasari@upi.edu

Abstract

Chemistry lesson was used to develop students’ higher order thinking skills besides chemistry concepts. ICT
was a very important vehicle in supporting chemistry teaching. It was useful to describe chemistry subject
matter on macroscopics, submicroscopics and symbolic representations. Besides had a great role on
submicroscopics chemistry representation, it was also used to explain macroscopics dimension of chemistry
experiment in schools without laboratory in Indonesia. Several research on enhancing critical and creative
thinking skills using multimedia have been done by graduate school students. The media used consists of
interactive multimedia, virtual laboratory, and also drill and practice software. These researches using quasi
experimental method of one or two groups sample of students of vocational school, senior secondary schools
and undergraduate chemistry students. Those researches result moderate to high N-gain on critical and creative
thinking skills. It has been suggested to develop instructional game software and LMS of e-learning to improve
students communication, especially on enhancing students higher order thinking skills in chemistry.

Keywords: ICT-based, chemistry teaching, higher order thinking skills

Introduction

Chemistry teaching included the subject matter as a product, that consists of Chemistry
concepts. Usually Chemistry concepts represent in three dimensions, e.i. microscopic,
submicroscopic, and symbolic aspecs. At the beginning of chemistry lesson students knew about
symbolic aspec of Chemistry e.i. symbols of elements, chemical formulas and chemical reactions. The
way to learn chemistry by rote learning make chemistry difficult to students. ‘Drill and practice’
software could help students to make better understanding of chemistry.
Later it was interesting to study chemistry as a process. In this way students knew about the
change of substances through chemical reactions on the laboratory. These experiences were more
attractive , because students got new about the knowledge on the concrete way. Many experiences like
these make students easier to attain chemistry concepts. Only few students learn chemistry through
laboratory, because of the expensive chemistry equipment and material, and also limitation of schools
laboratory. Besides many chemistry teachers also dislike to accomplish laboratory activity, and many
schools had not laboratory. Several surveys described that teachers need more time in the preparation
of laboratory experiments, therefore they claim no time enough to prepare laboratory lesson. On this
way ‘simulation’ software could be assisted as an exchange of chemical laboratory.
Many chemistry concepts also abstract, threfore submicroscopic representation was needded
to understand them. Only very few teachers mastery to those concepts representation, therefore
difficult concepts make a part of chemistry that could not be explained to the students. These also
make students percept that chemistry as a difficult subject matter. ‘Multimedia interactive ‘ could help
teachers and students to connect the three modes of representations of chemistry concepts.
On the contrary nowadays the aim of chemistry lesson not only chemistry concepts
comprehension. It was more important to give students soft skills as to make them mastery on higher
order thinking skills (HOTS). These skills was very important to students to get success in the world
of free competition, that could be entrusted through ICT based chemistry lesson that develop students’
critical and creative thinking [7].
Indonesian landscape showed that ICT-based lesson was very important. Width of the
landscape areas make difficulties to reach them, because it most cover of forests, hills and valeys,
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rivers and lakes, also many islands, that difficult to get transportation of many places. ICT could be a
vechicel to give information in that cases, to make education equal everywhere in Indonesia. The
differences of students’ learning style should be fasilitated by ICT-based lesson to get equal learning
nurturrant effect, especially in time consumed. For example slow learner shoud be given teaching
material independently out of class (that facilitate by ICT software), that make learning independent
in time and space.

Several ICT Models in Chemistry Teaching

Computer technology have been gave great useful in human life, included education [6].
Nowadays computer based lesson existed in two ways e.i. CBL (computer-based learning) and CAL
(computer-assisted learning), based on lesson characteristics that already had been composed or
constructivistly construted by students. Computer software could be groups into drill and practice,
tutorial, simulation, instructional game, and problem solving program. Software function and
descriptions have been listed on table 1 [10].
Drill and practice software had characteristic that allowed to be answered by students, given
feedback on correctness, and sometimes gave clarification of the wrong answers. As an efective
software, drill and practice let user to control the rate of presentation, gave alternative of good answer,
and gave feed back to give right or wrong answer of the learners. The advantage of using these
software is it gave feed back readily, gave learner motivation to practice, and limitation of teachers’
time to correct learners’ work. As an example of the software is to learn element formula, inorganic
dan organic compouds nomenclatur, and writing chemical reaction. As an example software of
Organic nomenclature by Journal of Chemical Education (hhtp://www.jce.divched.org/ ).
Tutorial software has characteristics presented all instructional material, the content is more
complete than instructional supplement. This software could be a liniear tutorial or branching tutorial.
The software including drill and practice, very interactive, fully controlled by learner, using
appropriate pedagogy, gives feed back, and answer judging, adequate graphic, and adequte
recordkeeping. Additional benefits of tutorials is offering a sel-contained, and self-paced unit of
instruction. As an example is Physica Elementa software about structur of matter of Intellectum
Plus.Inc (http://www.mathandscience4u.com/ ).
Simulation software shows real system image or model. As an example it can be as physics
phenomena (grows), or procedure (surgery), or hypothetic situation (optimum mass of limitation
reactant, cooling system to isolate natural product, boiling point of unknown). Therefore learner
knows the impact of the action with parameters. This software should be accurate system and has
documentation facilities and explain the system characteristic to the learner.The advantages using this
software are time limitation or slower the process, make the learner involved, make save experiment,
make something imposible become possible, limitation of money and source, make variety of repeat,
also make observation of complex proses.Example: simulation software of electricity circuit publish
by Riverdeep.Inc.with titlel Virtual Lab: Electricity (http://web.riverdeep.net).
Instructional game software has characteristic giving opportunity to has practical skills of
matter or problem solving in fun way with fun environment, and give learner a desire to compete,
play and win. This software has a format and activities makes things fun to learn, will be motivated
rather than frustrated. It has avoid violence and makes the same attraction to both boys and girls; that
at the same time highlighting positive messages. The advantage to get learners enjoy the activities,
therefore they spent much time on more topics. As an example: Arthur’s Math Games produce by The
Learning Company (http://www.learningcompany.com), about mathematics basic skills as counting,
logics, and geometry.
There were 4 types of problem solving software, as a tools to help learner to solve problem, as
environment that challenge learner to solve problem from easy to difficult, to give problem solving
components (as asking for facts, sequencing, hypothesing, formulating steps to solve problem),
opportunity to practice in solve the problem in content area). The software criteria is to challenge in
attractive format, give clarify relationship with skills and specific problem solving competence.

Table1. Software description, function, instructional uses and learning strategy [10]

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No Description Function Instructional Strategy
uses directed construc-
tivist
1 learners practicing drill and practice Skill practice V
answer the problem and
get right feed-back
2 give information and tutorial Information V
learner instructional delivery
needed to topics
mastery, explanation,
practice, feedback,
assessment
3 real model or system simulation demonstration, V V
image that show exploration
concepts-based working
system
4 increase motivation instructional game Skill practice, V V
with adding rule to exploration
practice or simulation
5 help learner to solve Problem solving Skill practice, V V
problem exploration

The software advantage is challeges activities to motivate learner to spent more time on
specific topic, and protect specific knowledge with situation figure to apply problem solving skills.
Example: The Geometer”s Sketchpad Produced by Key Curriculum P ress, Inc.
(http://www.keypress.com/sketchpad). This software is a dynamic tool to construct and explore.
Learner can use the software features to draw objects, invertigate mathematical properties, analyze
problems, propose solution, and test their hypotheses.

Multimedia and Hypermedia in Chemistry Teaching

The meaning of multimedia as ‘multipel media’ or ‘combination of many medias’. The media
could be graphs and photos, sound, moving video, animation and/or teks that combine with product
that useful to communicate information through many manner. Hypermedia shows ‘connected media’
or ‘interactive media’ that has been serve in a software or connected with internet material. Therefore
hypermedia consist of interactive video disk, CD-ROM, DVD and other technologies. The role of
hypermedia nowadays and for the future is hightening motivation, giving differrent modes of learning,
different way of learning, and developing creative and critical thinking, to correct writing and science
process skills competence.
Research of how to design and using multimedia system and hypermedia can be based of
interaction design [6] using function, aplication, and esthetics principles. Generally tutorial, drill,
simulation, instructional game, and problem solving as instructional software. Other products as
interaction books and eBook, reference material, collection resources had been developed.
Development design and procedure of hypermedia can be seen on figure 1.
For the beginner developing software start from review of the existing product to get
inspiration. The development of hypermedia needs a research background on subject matter and data
analysis of the result, and concluded of the using as a hypermedia product. Besides storyboard
development make students used time effectively, therefore arrange many links. Construct frames and
segments or website pages (i.e. figure, photo, animation, video, or other media), than add links and/or
scripts segments to make learners connect each segments and web pages through transition and
special effects inter frame or segments. After the hypothetic product, tryout and revise with user, make
the software ready to apply.
Review existing products (1)

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Test/revise with user (6) Research the topic
background (2)

Link each sements (5) storyboard of each frame

/segment (3)

Develop frames/ segments (4)

Figure 1. Sequence of developing steps for multimedia [10]

Several Research of ICT-based Chemistry Teaching to Increase HOTS

Several research have been done in order to increase higher order thinking skills (HOTS) that
consist of critical thinking skills [2] and creative thinking skills [6]. These researchs used quasi
experimental design, of one and/ or two groups pre test-post test design. The N-gain scores have been
calculated and grouping based on high, medium, and low category [3].

1. Drill and Practice software to enhance critical thinking skills of vocational school students

Visualisation media to increase critical thinking skills of vocational school students in

hydrocarbon concepts’ have been developed as “drill and practice” software [8]. The software
had been used in 33 students of experimental class and 31 students of control class. The
enhanchement of students critical thinking skills had been showed on table 2. There was
significantly difference of experimental class and control class of critical thinking indicators of
answering a question and formulating and judging values with N-gain medium category in
experimental class than control class that had low N-gain. No difference of N-gain on focussing
in a question and analyzing arguments

Table 2. N-gain of several critical thinking indicators in hydrocarbon concepts [8]

No Critical thinking indicators N-gains of N-gains of

experimental control
classs class
1. Focusing in a question 0.50 0.40
2. Analyzing argument 0.62 0.59
3. Answering a question 0.62 0.36
4. Formulating and judging values 0.43 0.33

2. Interactive multimedia software to enhance critical thinking skills of senior secondary school
students
Critical thinking skills of senior secodary school students had been developed through
interactive multimedia software of colligative properties of solution [11]. The multimedia had been

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using in one group of 39 students at senior secondary school at Bogor in West Java and got medium
category N-gain, except in giving reasons in low category N-gain. The result can be seen on table 3.

Table 3. N-gain of several critical thinking indicators in

colligative properties of solution [11]

Critical thinking indicators N-gains of

experimental
class
Answering questions 0.61
Seeing criteria on getting answer 0.43
Choosing similarity and differences 0.44
Applying principples 0.41
Giving reasons 0.39
Generalizing on table and graph 0.51

Tutorial software of individual laboratory activities in solution osmotic pressure had been
developed to increase critical thinking skills of senior secondary students [1]. She used quasi
experimental method with 30 students in experimental class and 29 students in control class in senior
secondary school at Bandung in West Java[1]. The N-gain of critical thinking indicators had been
expose on table 4. Based on the result there were significantly different on eatch N-gain of critical
thinking indicators on experimental class (in high category) than on control class (in low category).
The other simulation interactive multimedia of chemical equilibrium as virtual lab software
also had been developed to increase senior secondary school students critical thinking skills [12]. The
research used quasi experiment method, with 28 students on experimental class and 28 students of
control class in senior secondary school at Singaraja in Bali. The result of N-gains had been given on
table 5. There was higher N- three N-gains of critical thinking indicators of experimental class got
high category and others in medium category. Besides there were 5 critical thinking indicators showed
low N-Gain, i.e. observing and judging observation, developing deduction, developing induction,
defining of a term and identifying assumption of both class.

Table 4. N-gain of critical thinking indicators in the osmotic pressure

of solution [1]

Critical thinking indicators N-gains of N-gains of

experimental control class
class
Answering question 0.63 0.28
Determining criteria to answer 0.59 0.43
Seeking similarity and differences 0.55 0.29
Applying acceptable principles 0.58 0.27
Giving reasons 0.66 0.35
Generalizing on table and graph 0.73 0.48

Table 5. N-gain of several critical thinking indicators on chemical equilibrium[12]

Critical thinking indicators N-gains of N-gains of

experimental control class
class
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 Focusing a question 0.58 0.10
Analyzing argument 0.79 0.34
Judging credibility of source 0.52 0.40
Observing and judging observation 0.35 0.23
Deducing and judging deductions 0.34 0.38
Making and judging value judgments 0.32 0.35
Inducing and judging inductions 0.94 0.65
Defining terms 0.21 0.11
Identifying assumption 0.30 0.27
Deciding on an action 0.84 0.17

3. Interactive multimedia software to enhanched creative thinking skills of senior secondary

school students and prospective biology teachers

Besides of critical thinking development there was two researchs in creative thinking
development. These researchs also developing interactive multimedia software. The first was
interactive multimedia on rate of reaction. This research applied on 30 students of experimental class
dan 26 students of control class in senior secondary school at Ternate in Maluku provence [5]. The
result was given on table 6. The table shown that only one creative thinking indicator in the same
category of N-gain i.e. elaboration on both of class (medium category). Other indicators showed
higher N-gain in experimental class (high category) than in control class (medium category).

Table 6. N-gain of creative thinking indicators on rate of reaction[5]

Creative thinking indicators N-gains of N-gains of

experimental control class
class
fluency 0.74 0.53
flexibility 0.82 0.45
elaboration 0.64 0.40
originality 0.85 0.43

The second research used interactive multimedia of carbohydrate catabolism to increase

creative thinking of undergraduate biology prospective teachers at Syiahkuala University in Banda
Aceh [9]. In this research the interactive multimedia had also tutorial properties of question answering
practice. The research used quasi experimental method pretest-postest design, involved 37 students
on experimental group and 37 students of control group. The result of N-gain had been given on the
table 7

Table 7. N-gain of creative thinking indicators on carbohydrate catabolism [9]

Creative thinking indicators N-gains of N-gains of

experimental control class
class
fluency 0.80 0.56
flexibility 0.79 0.45
elaboration 0.60 0.30
originality 0.65 0.33

Based on the table there were significantly different of N-gain on experimental class and
control class. N-gain of experimental class were higher than control class. Students got fluency and
flexibility indicator of high category N-gain in experimental class, while in the control class they got
N-gain in medium category. On the other hand in elaboration and originality indicators they got N-
gain in medium category of experimental class and in low category on control class.
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 Those researches showed that the development of HOTS through ICT-based chemistry
teaching gave positive results. The test applied in these researchs also chemistry concepts loaded,
therefore students had increase their concept mastery. Students had also enhanche their computer
application skills, while using software that had been composed by teachers/ lecturers or downloaded
from internet free access.

4. Result and discussion

Based on reseach result the development of HOTS related with thinking indicator besides of
chemistry topics, software properties and students characteristics. Critical thinking indicators had
been developed in medium and high category [3] by vocational school and senior secondary school
students. Students of senior secondary school got high category result on several critical thinking
indicator, i.e. generalizing on table and graft, analyzing arguments, inducing and judging inductions,
and deciding on an action; but had not reach by students of vocational school. The accessible of high
category of critical thiking indicators of senior secondary school students, source on 3 main indicator
e.i. elementary clarifications, inference, and strategy and tactics [2]. Reaching students of senior
secondary school students on high category indicators because of using the more complicated
multimedia software in learning chemistry [10] and more difficult chemistry topics. Learning
chemistry through software was an individual study, therefore it should be added by discussion
through e-learning model to strengthening their argumentation [4].
Enhanchement of creative thinking by senior secondary school students as well on
undergraduate students was easier than increasing of critical thinking. All creative thinking indicator
had been develop by them to medium and high category. The creative thinking indicator of
elaboration and originality more difficult to reach than fluency and flexibility [6]. The data showed
that undergraduate students got success in enhanching every creative thinking indicators as well
senior secondary school students, although the rate of reacton on senior secondary school was easier
than carbohydrate catabolism on undergradute program.

Chemistry Teaching Nowadays and Future ( an Epilogue)

Nowadays chemistry teaching shows a great advantage of using ICT. Concept mastery by
using submicroscopic representation through ICT was dominantly nedded in every chemistry lesson.
Exposing chemistry concepts interconnected with other skills as HOTS also succeed through ICT-
based on several research.
Chemistry teaching using hypermedia for the future gives better learning profile. Using e-
learning later through internet connection could be make direct and indirect students communication
to strengthen argumentation skills and other skills in learning communities, that underlay
crystalisation of Indonesian character building. Only few instructional games have been developed,
therefore is necessary to develop further for Elementary and Secodary level of education. It will make
students easier to learn abstract concept of chemistry. The game softwares are very interesting if
connecting with web-based presentation and animation.

References

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