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

有机化学家严重依赖分子的物理模型，因此模型也经常被用来帮助教授有机化学也就不足为奇了。已经假设，当本科生使用这些模型时，构建分子结构的内部表示的能力得到增强。但很少有研究直接和实证地检验这一点。此外，随着功能强大的计算机的出现，虚拟模型(3-D计算机可视化)已经取代了具体模型，这引发了用真实模型和虚拟模型进行学习的比较。加州大学圣巴巴拉分校和马里兰大学的研究人员将进行一系列研究，考察本科生有机化学学生如何使用模型来提高他们对需要三维可视化的分子结构的理解。这项研究调查了学生使用具体模型或虚拟模型的好处，问题是：模型的使用是否提高了学生的水平？在不同的分子表征之间转换的能力？-模型的哪些方面对表征的翻译最有效？-模型使用的指导是否改变了模型使用的频率和质量？-模型对空间能力低的学生的支持是更有效还是更不有效？本研究采用实验方法，在心理学实验室的受控环境中进行了一系列研究，系统地探索了具体模型和虚拟模型在促进有机化学中有意义学习方面的使用。这项研究的一个重要的因变量衡量的是学生在分子的不同图表表示之间转换的能力，这是所有有机化学学生必须掌握的一项基本技能。测量标准包括学生在表象翻译中产生的表征的准确性，以及学生在任务执行过程中与具体和虚拟模型的互动(包括手势)。这项研究还通过比较接受过使用模型培训的本科生和没有接受过此类培训的本科生的表现，来测试其在大学课堂环境中使用模型的新兴理论。这项研究很重要，因为它系统地研究了模型在有机化学中的应用。如果学生学会更有效地使用模型，他们可能会在本科有机化学课程上取得更大成功，这是许多高级STEM专业的把关课程。对于空间能力较低的学生来说，可视化分子的能力可能特别具有挑战性，刻意训练模型使用可能会让更多的学生不仅通过有机化学考试，还会激发他们在最终的STEM专业中使用模型的能力。这项研究应该有助于更好地理解具体和虚拟模型在加强学生化学学习和在化学课堂上使用新的教学活动方面的有效性和适当性。

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, 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 many 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.