A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Investigating First Year Chemistry Students’ Ability to Visually Express Their Understanding of Chemistry Concepts (original) (raw)
Related papers
Developing a Common Visual Literacy amongst First Year Chemistry Students
International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education, 2017
During the course of their studies, chemistry students are exposed to multiple, progressively more sophisticated models of submicro scale particles. In this paper we report on the introduction of submicro drawing questions into a first year university chemistry laboratory program with the aim of revealing alternative conceptions that may have gone undiagnosed using traditional teaching methods. Ultimately, such questions are beneficial as a learning tool incorporated into a learning process aimed at improving students' conceptual understanding of fundamental chemistry concepts. Introducing submicro drawing questions involved developing a common visual literacy amongst students to enable comparable drawings to be produced for assessment purposes. This process included asking students to attempt three drawing tasks while following research informed guidelines worded to allow visual diagnosis of a range of commonly reported alternative conceptions.
Using Art-Based Chemistry Activities To Improve Students’ Conceptual Understanding in Chemistry
Journal of Chemical Education, 2011
This study aimed to determine the effects of art-based chemistry activities (ABCA) on high school students' conceptual understanding in chemistry. The study used the pretestÀposttest control group design. A total of 64 third-year high school students from two different chemistry classes participated in the study. One class was exposed to art-based chemistry activities (ABCA), while the other group was taught using non-art-based activities (NABA). Research data were obtained through the chemistry concept understanding test (CCUT), an instrument specifically developed for this study. Data analyses revealed a significant difference between the mean posttest scores in the CCUT of both groups, with the mean posttest scores of the ABCA group higher than the mean posttest scores of the NABA group. Moreover, ABCA students showed best understanding of the concepts in 63% (5 of 8) of the modified multiple-choice items of the CCUT. The positive effect of the intervention on the concept understanding of students in chemistry stemmed from the creation and display of chemistry artwork by the ABCA group in the activities. The opportunities for the ABCA group communicating their knowledge of chemistry through their creation of a chemistry artwork contributed to their concept understanding in chemistry. The art-based chemistry activities positively affected students' conceptual understanding in chemistry.
Representations and visualisation in teaching and learning chemistry
Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 2018
The 2019 special issue of Chemistry Education Research and Practice has been announced and will have the theme 'Visualisations and representations in chemistry education'. The call from the theme guest editors, Resa Kelly and Sevil Akaygün, for submissions to be considered for the theme is available on the journal's blog (http://blogs.rsc.org/rp/2018/02/23/visualisations-andrepresentations-in-chemistry-education/). This is both an especially interesting topic in chemistry education, and one of considerable importance to the practice of chemistry teaching.
2014
Our assumption states that integrating chemical drawing and modeling tools in teaching could promote chemistry teaching at the college level, and therefore improve the ability of students in colleges of education to understand better chemistry. During the last academic year, we incorporated CHEMDRAW software and tested how it affects students ’ performance in the exams. The improvement in the averaged score from 5.7 (prior CHEMDRAW incorporation) to 7.73 (post CHEMDRAW incorporation) clearly reveals that integrating modeling tools in chemistry education is helpful. The students ’ feedback following the initiative was positive and very supportive. Most students stated that with CHEMDRAW, they experienced a challenging learning environment engaged with dynamic illustration & interactive visual and would like to see such software integrated in their chemistry studies from day one. In the future we aim to test other parameters, e.g. Students ' attitude toward learning chemistry as ...
How Chemicals’ Drawing and Modeling Improve Chemistry Teaching in Colleges of Education
Our assumption states that integrating chemical drawing and modeling tools in teaching could promote chemistry teaching at the college level, and therefore improve the ability of students in colleges of education to understand better chemistry. During the last academic year, we incorporated CHEMDRAW software and tested how it affects students' performance in the exams. The improvement in the averaged score from 5.7 (prior CHEMDRAW incorporation) to 7.73 (post CHEMDRAW incorporation) clearly reveals that integrating modeling tools in chemistry education is helpful. The students' feedback following the initiative was positive and very supportive. Most students stated that with CHEMDRAW, they experienced a challenging learning environment engaged with dynamic illustration & interactive visual and would like to see such software integrated in their chemistry studies from day one. In the future we aim to test other parameters, e.g. Students' attitude toward learning chemistry as well as in more depth students' conceptual understanding in chemistry.
Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 2021
The current study examines the progress of 8th-grade student drawings and written explanations of chemical phenomenon, subsequent to being involved in an instructional strategy that explicitly involves drawing as a supportive toll to construct scientific explanations. Additionally, the study examines the association between the representation of specific conceptual elements, such as structure, motion, and interactions, and the explanatory level of students' written explanations. These goals were addressed by comparing the students' collected drawings and explanations by applying the same open-ended question before and after the instructional strategy. Results show that after the instructional strategy significantly more students created more accurate drawings and drawings depicting more conceptual elements. Additionally, the students' written explanations significantly changed, progressing from descriptive accounts to discussions of specific underlying mechanisms at the submicroscopic level. Furthermore, the association between students' written explanations and drawings was stronger after the strategy. This study strengthens the argument for drawing interaction in explanation construction.
Science Education, 2017
Visual representations are essential for communication and meaning-making in chemistry, and thus the representational practices play a vital role in the teaching and learning of chemistry. One powerful contemporary model of classroom learning, the variation theory of learning, posits that the way an object of learning gets handled is another vital feature for the establishment of successful teaching practices. An important part of what lies behind the constitution of teaching practices is visual representational reasoning that is a function of disciplinary relevant aspects and educationally critical features of the aspects embedded in the intended object of learning. Little is known about teachers reasoning about such visual representational practices. This work addresses this shortfall in the area of chemical bonding. The data consist of semistructured interviews with 12 chemistry teachers in the Swedish upper secondary school system. The methodology uses a thematic analytic approach to capture and characterize the teachers' reasoning about their classroom visual representational practices. The results suggest that the teachers' reasoning tended to be limited. However, the teachers' pay attention to the meaning-making potential of the approaches for showing representations. The analysis presents these visualization approaches and the discussion makes theoretical links to the variation theory of learning.
Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 2001
Many students have difficulty learning symbolic and molecular representations of chemistry. This study investigated how students developed their understanding of chemical representations with the aid of a computer-based visualizing tool, eChem, that allowed them to build molecular models and view multiple representations simultaneously. Multiple sources of data were collected with the participation of 71 eleventh graders at a small public high school over a six-week period. The results of pre-and post-tests showed that students' understanding of chemical representations improved substantially (p < .001, effect size = 2.68). The analysis of video recordings revealed that several features in eChem helped students construct models and translate representations. Students who were highly engaged in discussions while using eChem made referential linkages between visual and conceptual aspects of representations. This in turn may deepen their understandings of chemical representations and concepts. The findings also suggested that computerized models could serve as a vehicle for students to generate mental images. Finally, students demonstrated their preferences of certain types of representations and did not use different types of three-dimensional models interchangeably.
Moving beyond the language–Visualizing chemical concepts through one’s own creative expression
Frontiers in Education, 2022
The aim of the study was to explore university students' interpretations of chemical content in the form of physical constructions of atomic nuclei. Playdough was chosen as the means for expression, since it provided the students with the task of choosing the number, form, size, shape, and distance of particles. Data was collected in the form of photographs, written explanations as well as ad hoc notes. Data from 64 students was analyzed using the three levels of analysis as presented by Hedegaard and framed within the theories of models. Results show that students' choices gave rise to 34 variations of the atomic nuclei. The analysis provided two different categories: models with close resemblance to the teaching model and models with less resemblance to the teaching model. Results show the limitations of verbal and written communication and add to the discussion concerning students' interpretations of the multitude of atomic models used in teaching. The method was indeed a beneficial tool both for students, who could explore the composition of atomic nuclei and isotopes, and for teachers, who could connect their teaching to students' interpretations of scientific content since the method brings a new level of detail to discussions.
Exploring the Value of Drawing in Learning and Assessment
2016
Drawing is increasingly recognized as a literacy of science. It is claimed that when learners draw they engage in ways that help them evaluate and transform their understanding, practice fundamental disciplinary practices and provides the basis for formative or summative assessment. This symposium draws together research on student drawing across different disciplines (e.g. Chemistry, Biology, and Anatomy) to explore the value that drawing can have in learning science and medicine. Importantly, the papers take a nuanced view of the value of drawing; attempting to avoid the sometimes overblown claims that accompany calls for particular approaches to education by addressing situations when drawing has been found to be ineffective as well as helpful. They will also focus on analysis of process data (e.g. drawings) to provide insight into when particular representational practices are helpful and how they must be executed and supported to gain these benefits.