Enriching the General Chemistry Laboratory Experience with Pedagogical Simulations

该项目正在开发和评估连接化学课程（CCC），其中包括采用嵌入在建模环境中的视觉表示作为普通化学本科生学习活动的核心组成部分的软件。参加课程的学生可视化和操纵化学系统中的单个分子，并可视化他们的实验操作的结果。该软件使嵌入在二维表征中的信息明确，并提供分子相互作用的视觉显示供学生观察，以及多种表征，以促进概念理解并强调符号表征之间的联系。该项目的目标是：1）设计十个独立的学习模块和辅助材料，其中包括CCC模拟作为核心组成部分，以解决学生学习一般化学概念的困难，2）使用嵌入式评估和课堂实践的实地观察优化模块，（3）通过一个准数学模型来评估提高化学成绩的模块的有效性。实验研究，比较学生学习CCC模块的学生从传统的讲座和实验室的方法学习的成就。该项目预计将加强有关学生对科学表征的解释和操作的知识基础，以及可视化工具在化学教学中的作用，并为新的可视化科学课程的设计提供信息。

This project is developing and evaluating the Connected Chemistry Curriculum (CCC), which incorporates software that employs visual representations embedded in a modeling environment as the core component of undergraduate learning activities in general chemistry. Students participating in the curriculum visualize and manipulate individual molecules in a chemical system and visualize the result of their experimental manipulations. The software makes the information embedded in two-dimensional representations explicit, and provides visual displays of molecular interactions for students to observe, as well as multiple representations to foster conceptual understanding and emphasize connections between symbolic representations. The goals of the project are to 1) design ten self-contained learning modules and supporting materials that include CCC simulations as a core component to address student difficulties in learning general chemistry concepts, 2) optimize the modules using embedded assessments and field observations of classroom practice, and 3) evaluate the efficacy the modules for improving chemistry achievement via a quasi-experimental study that compares the achievement of students learning with CCC modules to students learning from traditional lecture and laboratory methods alone. The project is expected to strengthen the knowledge base regarding student interpretation and manipulation of scientific representations and the affordances of visualization tools for teaching chemistry, as well as inform the design of new visualization-based science curricula.