CAREER: Exploring Representations of Structure: The Impact of Visualization on Conceptual Understanding in Chemistry

这个项目的主要目标是在五年的时间里进行研究，调查简单的无机和有机分子中的原子和分子的视觉表现和概念理解之间的联系。该项目的具体目标是调查学习者在原子和分子结构水平上对简单无机和有机结构的理解，探索视觉空间能力如何与原子和分子结构表示的形成有关，并开发一个可通过互联网交付的多媒体包，该包在通过可视化促进对原子/分子结构的概念性理解方面具有教学和评估功能。这项研究的具体目标是调查学生在微观水平上对原子和分子之间的差异的理解与他们在宏观水平上对元素和化合物的理解的关系，确定学习者在解释相变或化学反应等化学现象时引用物质的粒子性质的条件，描述学生对简单分子中原子和分子结构的二维和三维理解的性质，确定视觉空间能力与原子和分子结构表示形成之间关系的本质，利用手持模型和分子建模应用程序来调查视觉空间训练在发展物质粒子性质方面的有效性，并考察了使用手持模型或分子建模软件进行视觉空间训练对学生在分子的二维和三维表示之间切换的能力的影响。研究方法包括半结构化访谈、纸笔和在线任务，以及对学生表现的录像。主修、非主修和未来小学教师的化学课程都将招收这些科目。研究结果将有助于更好地理解认知技能和概念发展之间的关系，从而改进化学课堂的课程设计和教学方法。

The broad aim of this project is to conduct research over a five-year period that investigates the link between visual representations and conceptual understanding of atoms and molecules in simple inorganic and organic molecules. Specific goals of the project are to investigate learners' understanding of simple inorganic and organic structures at the atomic and molecular levels, explore how visual spatial-ability relates to the formation of representations of atomic and molecular structure, and develop an Internet-deliverable, multimedia package that has instructional and assessment functions in promoting conceptual understanding of atomic/molecular structure through visualization. Specific objectives of the study are to survey student understanding of the difference between atoms and molecules at the microscopic level in relation to their understanding of elements and compounds at the macroscopic level, determine the conditions under which learners invoke the particle nature of matter when explaining chemical phenomena such as phase changes or chemical reactions, describe the nature of students' two-dimensional and three-dimensional understanding of atomic and molecular structure in simple molecules, determine the nature of the relationship between visual-spatial ability and the formation of representations of atomic and molecular structure, investigate the efficacy of visual-spatial training in the development of the particle nature of matter using handheld models and molecular modeling applications, and examine the effect of visual-spatial training using handheld models or molecular modeling software on the ability of students to alternate between two- and three-dimensional representations of molecules. Research methods include semi-structured interviews, paper-pencil and on-line tasks, and video recording of student performance. Subjects will be enrolled in chemistry courses for majors, non-majors, and for future elementary teachers. Results from the research will lead to a better understanding of the relationship between cognitive skills and conceptual development leading to improved curricular design and pedagogy in the chemistry classroom.