Interacting with complex phenomena: Everest applet

This applet (http://ir.chem.cmu.edu/irProject/applets/everest/) is meant to add relevance to the equilibrium portion of the course and provide an interesting problem solving activity. The Everest context provides a familiar, real-world context which motivates students and a goal that requires a fairly deep understanding of equilibrium.  The primary use of this applet is as a automatically grade homework assignments. Students receive a handout describing the chemical equilibria involved and their goal, to the top of the mountain before winter hits and without passing out due to lack of oxygen.

With the color applet we addressed the use of the simulation as a way of drawing students’ attention to different features of a complex phenomenon.  The Everest applet allows students to interact with one component of an complex phenomenon.  Since almost every real-world example has many integrated concepts, this benefit of simulation-based homework is especially important. For instance, many applications, including this one, involve time dependencies that are well beyond introductory courses. Here it is in the body’s growth of hemoglobin in response to high altitude. The kinetics of this are handled by the computer in a manner that does not confuse or distract the student.

To start the applet, click on Base Camp in the trail map.  As you rest as base camp, your body grows hemoglobin. The student’s job is to figure out how long they need to rest to have sufficient hemoglobin to survive at the next camp. If they rest too long, winter hits before they reach the top.  If a student reaches the top, e-mail is sent to a course account so that he or she receives appropriate credit.

Uses outside the classroom

This problem has been assigned to students in our introductory course as a bonus problem.  The students' response was positive and gave a good indication that we achieved our motivational goal.  However, our initial learning goal was to teach them to derive an equation relating the necessary amount of Hemoglobin to the partial pressure of oxygen.  This was not as successful.  It appears that most students solved the problem by trial and error.  But since many used rather sophisticated guessing strategies such as linear interpolation schemes, we are still deciding whether we should limit the number of attempts allowed in order to prevent trial and error approaches in the future.