Learning Quantum Chemistry via a Visual-Conceptual Approach: Students' Bidirectional Textual and Visual Understanding

Autor/inn/en	Dangur, Vered; Avargil, Shirly; Peskin, Uri; Dori, Yehudit Judy
Titel	Learning Quantum Chemistry via a Visual-Conceptual Approach: Students' Bidirectional Textual and Visual Understanding
Quelle	In: Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 15 (2014) 3, S.297-310 (14 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1756-1108
DOI	10.1039/c4rp00025k
Schlagwörter	Quantum Mechanics; Chemistry; Visual Aids; High School Students; Teaching Methods; Instructional Innovation; Learning Modules; Concept Teaching; Scientific Concepts; Visualization; Questionnaires; Thinking Skills; Scientific Literacy; Pretests Posttests; Undergraduate Students; Scientific Principles; Comparative Analysis; Knowledge Level; Foreign Countries; Israel + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Quantenmechanik; Chemie; Anschauungsmaterial; High school; High schools; Student; Students; Oberschule; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Educational Innovation; Bildungsinnovation; Learning module; Lernmodul; Visualisation; Visualisierung; Fragebogen; Denkfähigkeit; Wissensbasis; Ausland
Abstract	Most undergraduate chemistry courses and a few high school honors courses, which focus on physical chemistry and quantum mechanics, are highly mathematically-oriented. At the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, we developed a new module for high school students, titled "Chemistry--From 'the Hole' to 'the Whole': From the Nanoscale to Microelectronics." The module is based on a qualitative approach to teaching quantum chemistry, emphasizing interdisciplinary real-life applications and integration of visualization. While aimed at honors high school chemistry students, the module was also partially implemented and assessed in an undergraduate chemistry course. The research objective was to investigate the effect of the module on the visual and textual understanding of quantum mechanical concepts among 122 honors and 65 volunteer undergraduate chemistry students. The research tools included students' pre- and post-questionnaires. High school honors and undergraduate students, who were exposed to the module, significantly improved their textual and visual understanding of quantum mechanical concepts and their ability to move across illustrations and explanations. Honors and undergraduate students minimized the gap that had existed between them in terms of integrating micro and quantum levels into their post-questionnaire answers. Our findings augment the current set of the four chemistry understanding levels--macro, micro, symbol and process--by adding the quantum mechanical level as a fifth level of chemistry understanding. The study contributes to teaching physical chemistry by providing a tool for learning, assessment, and research of chemistry understanding via both visual and textual modes. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Royal Society of Chemistry. Thomas Graham House, Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WF, UK. Tel: +44-1223 420066; Fax: +44-1223 423623; e-mail: cerp@rsc.org; Web site: http://www.rsc.org/cerp
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01