My research involves studying what aspects of a computer visualization type program students find useful for learning chemistry using the Synchronized Multiple Visualizations of Chemistry (SMV Chem) program, developed by Russell, Kozma, Becker, and Susskind. A module is used that demonstrates the concept of limiting reagents through a vinegar and baking soda reaction using five different representations: video, animation, graph, text, and accompanying audio for each. The reaction is shown at the macroscopic level through a real time video, at the molecular level using an animation, symbolically using bar graphs that show the amount of carbon dioxide produced over time, text representations that show calculations for determining the limiting reagent, with audio tracks that provide narration for each of the visual representations. Students may choose which representations they want to view, singly or all at once, in any combination or sequence.
By studying how students use a program that provides multiple representations such as SMV Chem, and determining if there are particular aspects that help students learn, it is believed that we may apply what is learned to better develop visualization type programs in the future.
Russell, J. W., Kosma, R. B., Becker, D., & Susskind, T. Synchronized Multiple Visualizations of Chemistry [CD-ROM]. (2000). John Wiley and Sons.
183 Wetherill Laboratory of
Chemistry
(765) 494-6093
e-mail: bpostek@purdue.edu