Visual-Spatial Learning: Development of an Interactive Web-Based Symmetry Tutorial

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Chemistry (10)This project is developing web-based tools for the visualization of molecular symmetry, assessing the effectiveness of computer-enhanced learning of visual-spatial relationships, and disseminating both curricular materials and assessment results.The intellectual merit of the work is shown by the fact that the software displays and animates symmetry elements and operations in ways that cannot be achieved with any physical models. Both the design and assessment portions of the project are grounded in current understanding of perception and visual-spatial thinking. The project includes a controlled experimental study that will assess the effectiveness of the materials for students learning symmetry and also provide feedback for improvement of the web site.The PI has used feedback from his existing web materials to build a network of colleagues at seven institutions who are demonstrating the broader impact of the project, using the new materials in their classes and participating in both summative and formative assessment. The developed materials are freely available on the web and are cross platform compatible. More than 350 undergraduate and graduate students are using the materials and participating in the assessment process. The web site itself is being used to disseminate changes and solicit feedback from the existing worldwide user base.