USING GRAPHICAL SUMMARIES OF INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE IN CHEMISTRY LEARNING PROCESS

When learning chemistry, many students experience difficulties in handling topics based mainly on remembering. The study process may be improved by the use of graphical summaries, which present the information or knowledge in visual forms. This paper discusses three summarizing approaches, which are also tested in practice: T-table, mind map and discussion net. These approaches belong to critical thinking strategies and are based on comparing two different objects (e.g. elements, substances), looking for similar, different or significant characteristics. So far the applicability of these methods in the natural science subjects have received little research attention. The results of pedagogic observations, a students' survey and students' performance analysis confirm a positive impact of graphical summaries in all cases. 73% of the students have evaluated the usefulness of graphical summaries at four or five points out of five. Graphical summaries prepared and used by the students in their learning process stimulate logical memorization skills, develops the skill of organizing one's learning, builds up the ability to formulate one's opinion and support it with arguments. The testing of these methods, however reveals that motivation is critical to work productivity. The use of graphical summaries can also be suggested in other natural science subjects.