wonderful life in chemical education: Two reasoning methods

Two reasoning methods

In general, students have two reasoning to solve chemistry problems, one is algorithm reasoning, and the other is concept reasoning. When some students prefer to use algorithm reasoning, some students would like to use concept reasoning. Algorithm reasoning that the majority of students use is solving problems by memory and execute a series of programmer as well as formulas. Concept reasoning based on the core concepts which relate to the understanding and solving problems, solves problems by logical reasoning. As a matter of fact, well-structural algorithm reasoning is also based on the understanding of scientific concepts.

For example, for problems to analyze the composition, concentration of solution, the mass change and the energy change of chemical reaction, using algorithm problems is easy and the process is clear and simple to imitate. However, at the beginning of learning, it is abstract and hard to understand. For concept reasoning, it is easy to understand without standard processes, but require higher standard of mind ability.