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

化学（10）本项目旨在开发基于网络的分子对称可视化工具，评估计算机增强视觉空间关系学习的有效性，并传播课程材料和评估结果。该软件以任何物理模型都无法实现的方式显示和动画对称元素和操作，这一事实表明了该工作的智力价值。项目的设计和评估部分都是基于当前对感知和视觉空间思维的理解。本计划包括一项对照实验研究，以评估教材对学生学习对称的效果，并为网站的改进提供反馈。PI利用现有网络材料的反馈，建立了一个由七所机构的同事组成的网络，这些同事正在展示该项目的广泛影响，在他们的课堂上使用新材料，并参与总结性和形成性评估。开发的材料可以在网上免费获得，并且可以跨平台兼容。超过350名本科生和研究生正在使用这些材料并参与评估过程。网站本身被用来传播变化，并征求现有的全球用户的反馈。

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.