ERIC Number: EJ1444906
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023-Sep
Pages: 5
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: EISSN-1938-1328
Using a Molecular Modeling Application to Introduce Structural Isomerism
Adrienne M. Pesce; Daniel B. King
Journal of Chemical Education, v100 n9 p3683-3687 2023
Novice chemists often struggle with the highly visual nature of some chemistry topics. To make visually demanding concepts, such as isomerism and stereochemistry, more accessible to students, chemistry instructors have long recommended the use of molecular model kits as visual aids. However, studies pertaining to student model usage have shown that students are unlikely to spontaneously use molecular models to solve problems, even though it was shown that students that actively manipulated the models are more likely to correctly complete visually demanding organic chemistry tasks. Here we report an activity that engages students in molecular model usage while exploring structural isomerism. The activity consists of three sections and is designed to be completed after students have been introduced to structural isomerism. We chose to implement the activity during the first laboratory session after the content introduction. The activity takes approximately 35 min to complete, regardless of virtual or in-person administration. Postactivity surveys from two academic quarters showed that over 70% of students indicated that the modeling tool improved their 3D perception of molecules. However, a smaller percentage of students indicated that they would use the modeling tool as a supplement to their normal study habits.
Descriptors: Student Attitudes, Molecular Structure, Science Teachers, Science Instruction, Visual Aids, Problem Solving, Models, Organic Chemistry, Learning Activities, Laboratory Experiments, Study Habits
Division of Chemical Education, Inc. and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A