Promoting understanding of chemical representations: Students' use of a visualization tool in the classroom

Many students have difficulty learning symbolic and molecular representations of chemistry. This study investigated how students developed an understanding of chemical representations with the aid of a computer‐based visualizing tool, eChem, that allowed them to build molecular models and view multi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of research in science teaching 2001-09, Vol.38 (7), p.821-842
Main Authors: Wu, Hsin-Kai, Krajcik, Joseph S., Soloway, Elliot
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chemistry
Computer Uses in Education
Concept Formation
Conceptual Change
Educational Technology
Learning Problems
Science Education
Secondary Education
Teaching Methods
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Summary:Many students have difficulty learning symbolic and molecular representations of chemistry. This study investigated how students developed an 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 6‐week period. The results of pre‐ and posttests showed that students' understanding of chemical representations improved substantially (p 
ISSN:0022-4308
1098-2736
DOI:10.1002/tea.1033