Emerging Research - Empirical Research - Representation Translation with Concrete and Virtual Models in Chemistry

有机化学家非常依赖分子的物理模型，因此模型也常被用来帮助教授有机化学也就不足为奇了。有人认为，当本科生与这些模型的工作，构建一个内部表示的分子结构的能力得到增强。但很少有研究直接和实证地研究这一点。此外，虚拟模型（三维计算机可视化）已经取代了具体的模型，因为强大的计算机变得可用，加州大学圣巴巴拉分校和马里兰州大学的研究人员将进行一系列研究，以研究本科有机化学学生如何使用模型来促进他们对分子结构的理解，这些结构需要三种可视化方法。尺寸.本研究调查学生使用具体或虚拟模型的好处，问：-模型使用提高学生？在不同分子表征之间转换的能力模型的哪些方面对于表示翻译最有效？模型使用指导是否会改变模型使用的频率和质量？模型对低空间能力学生的支持是否有效 比空间能力强的学生本研究采用实验的方法，在心理学实验室的受控环境中进行了一系列研究，系统地探讨了具体模型和虚拟模型在促进有机化学有意义学习中的应用。这项研究的一个重要的因变量衡量学生的能力之间的转换替代图示表示的分子。这是所有有机化学学生必须掌握的基本技能。措施包括学生在表征翻译中产生的表征的准确性以及学生在任务执行期间与具体和虚拟模型的交互（包括手势）。本研究还通过比较接受过模型使用训练的本科生和未接受过这种训练的本科生的表现，检验了其在大学课堂环境中模型使用的涌现理论。如果学生学会更有效地使用模型，那么他们可能会在本科有机化学中取得更大的成功，这是高级STEM专业的看门人课程。对于空间能力低的学生来说，可视化分子的能力可能特别具有挑战性，而在模型使用方面的刻意训练可能会让更多的学生不仅通过有机化学，而且会激发他们在最终的STEM专业中使用模型的能力。这项研究应导致更好地了解的有效性和适当性的具体和虚拟模型，以提高学生的化学学习和新的教学活动，用于化学课堂。

Organic chemists rely heavily on physical models of molecules, so it not surprising that models are also commonly employed to help teach organic chemistry. It has been assumed that when undergraduate students work with these models, ability to construct an internal representation of the molecular structures is enhanced. But few studies have examined this directly and empirically. In addition, virtual models (3-D computer visualizations) have replaced concrete models as powerful computers become available, inviting comparison between learning with real and virtual models.Researchers at the University of California Santa Barbara and the University of Maryland will conduct a series studies to examine how undergraduate organic chemistry students use models to advance their understanding of molecular structures that require visualizations in three dimensions. This study investigates the benefits of students' use of concrete or virtual models, asking:- Does model use improve students? ability to translate between different representations of molecular representations?- What aspects of models are most effective for representation translation?- Does instruction in model use alter the frequency and quality of model use?- Do models support students of low spatial ability more or less effectively than students of high spatial ability?This study uses experimental methods to systematically explore the uses of both concrete and virtual models in promoting meaningful learning in organic chemistry in a series of studies set in the controlled environment of the psychology lab. An important dependent variable for this study measures students' ability to translate between alternative diagrammatic representations of molecules. This is an essential skill that all students of organic chemistry must master. Measures include accuracy of the representations that students produce in representational translation and students' interactions (including gestures) with the concrete and virtual models during task performance. The study also tests its emergent theory of model use in university classroom settings by comparing the performance of undergraduates who are trained to use models with those who have had no such training.This study is important because it systematically studies model use in organic chemistry. If students learn to use models more effectively, then they may find more success in undergraduate organic chemistry, a gatekeeper course for advanced STEM professions. The ability to visualize molecules may be especially challenging for students with low spatial abilities, and the deliberate training in model use may allow more students to not only pass organic chemistry, but stimulate their ability to use models in eventual STEM professions. This study should result in a better understanding of the effectiveness and appropriateness of concrete and virtual models for enhancing student learning in chemistry and new instructional activities for use in chemistry classrooms.