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The learning of solving multi-step problems is a relevant aim in chemical education for engineering students. In these questions, after analyzing initial data, a complex reasoning and an elaborated mathematical procedure is needed to achieve the correct numerical answer. However, many students are able to effectively use algorithms even with a lack of meaningful understanding of involved chemical concepts. This paper reports the application of some collaborative actions in order to induce a complete acquisition of problem solving skills. The studied approaches, performed inside and outside the classroom, are classified in low-collaborative and high-collaborative activities, depending on the relative participation of instructor/students in their development. The critical description of the proposed methodology and the produced outcomes are exposed. The contribution of each major reasoning mode (model, rule or case based) employed in these activities is analyzed. Also, the perception of students is evaluated on the basis on the data provided by direct observation and a specific survey with Likert-scale and open-ended questions. The results indicate that the changes of teaching to a more conceptual orientation lead a deeper understanding, minimizing misconceptions or a rote learning.

1Boy Crusoe

By Allan Eric

Also published as" A Yankee Crusoe" . A 15 year old hard working and studious farm boy finds the lure of adventure on the seas as a merchant seaman more than he can resist. This is his story. " I was born in a little town in the State of Maine, near the close of the Civil War. My boyhood life did not differ materially from that of the average farmer's son in the remote country districts of New England--except, perhaps, that I read more and thought more. Hard work on the rugged soil, two terms each year in the little yellow country schoolhouse, a day's fishing now and then filled the early years of my life full to over-flowing. " What he gets is enough excitement and adventure to overflow his wildest dreams. How he experiences disaster and uses his wits and knowledge to overcome every problem makes for a great read. - Summary by Phil Chenevert